Floating Mat for Boat: Tying Off, Storage and Wake

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The pontoon noses into the sandbar cove just after lunch. Anchor down, engine off, and someone is already untying the straps on the long roll that rode under the front bench all morning. It goes off the back, unrolls on the water, gets clipped to a stern cleat, and the boat suddenly has a back yard. A floating mat for boat days is a different job from a mat that lives at the dock: it has to fit on board, come out fast, stay tied to a boat that moves, and keep clear of the one part of the boat that can really hurt someone. This guide covers exactly that.

In short: pick a mat that fits where you can stow it (a 9 ft foam mat or a folding inflatable mat for small boats; 15 to 18 ft foam for pontoons and big decks). Only put it in with the boat anchored and the engine off, tie it to a stern cleat on a tether, keep everyone away from the propeller and exhaust, and bring it in before you move or when wakes and wind pick up.

Which floating mat for boat storage

The first question isn’t how many people, it’s where the mat rides. A foam lily pad rolls into a log as long as the mat is wide, about 6 ft, and as thick as its length makes it. Rubber Dockie says its 18 ft mat rolls to about 26 x 26 x 72 in, and its 9 ft to about 21 x 21 x 72 in. An inflatable drop-stitch mat folds and rolls much smaller; RAVE compares its rolled Aqua Mat LTD to a sleeping bag that fits in a trunk or under a boat seat.

Boat	Mat that usually fits the space	Why
Bowrider, deck boat, small runabout	9 ft foam mat or an inflatable mat	A 9 ft foam mat weighs about 13 lb (Aqua Lily Pad, Goplus); an inflatable mat folds into a bag
Pontoon or tritoon	15 to 18 ft foam mat	Room for a 6 ft roll on the deck or in a storage bay; Aqua Lily Pad suggests a pontoon storage bay for storage
Cabin cruiser, yacht	Inflatable mat, or a foam mat in a locker	Folding inflatables pack small; larger yachts often move up to yacht platforms

Weight matters too, because someone has to lift it over the gunwale. Makers list about 13 lb for a 9 ft foam mat, 25 to 30 lb for an 18 ft foam mat, and 56 lb for RAVE’s 18 ft inflatable. Then size for your crew using the maker’s people rating; our lily pad guide has the full size table.

Lily pad for boat: tying off step by step

1. Anchor the boat and shut the engine off. A mat is never towed. Aqua Lily Pad says its mat is not designed to be towed, and the U.S. Coast Guard says never to sit or hang on the back deck or swim platform while engines are running.
2. Unroll it on the water, not on the deck. Push the roll off the swim deck or stern and let it unroll as it floats away from the boat.
3. Clip the tether to a stern cleat. Use the mat’s tether point and a bungee tether rather than a rigid rope; the stretch takes the jolt when people land. Rubber Dockie supplies a 12 ft bungee; Goplus includes two shorter ones.
4. Set the length. Long enough that the mat can’t bump the hull or ride under the swim deck, short enough that swimmers can get from mat to ladder easily.
5. Point the jumping end away from the boat. Nobody should be jumping toward the hull, the ladder or the motor.

With the boat at anchor, it will swing with wind and current, and the mat swings with it. Watch the space behind the boat. If you’re rafted up with other boats, agree where the mat goes before anyone ties it off.

Propeller, exhaust and the stern

The back of the boat is where the mat is tied, and it’s also where the danger is. Two rules cover most of it:

• Engine off while anyone is in the water. Keep the mat and its tether clear of the propeller, and take it in before anyone starts the engine.
• Watch the exhaust. The U.S. Coast Guard warns that carbon monoxide can collect at the stern and stay at dangerous levels after an engine stops, and the CDC advises swimming and playing away from exhaust vents and staying at least 20 ft from boats running a generator or engine. That includes the boat next to you in a raft-up.

Wake: what passing boats do to a mat

A mat tied behind a boat feels every wake twice: the boat pitches, then the wake lifts the mat and snaps the tether tight. Foam mats ride wakes like a wave going through a carpet, which kids love and adults don’t. Inflatable mats stay flatter but can tip people off at the edges. Pick a sheltered cove away from boat lanes, keep the tether elastic, and when a big wake is coming, call everyone to sit down or slide off. In a busy channel, keep the mat on board.

Mats that travel well on a boat

A light foam mat, the classic, a folding inflatable and a spare tether. In stock on Amazon when we checked in October 2026; prices change often. For a ranked list, see best floating water mats.

We saw the Goplus pad at about $210 and the Aqua Lily Pad Original at about $550 (both prices depend on size), the RAVE Aqua Mat LTD 18 at about $600 with its hand pump, and the Rubber Dockie tether kit at about $40. RAVE says the Aqua Mat sets up in 5 to 10 minutes with the included pump, a real factor if you only stop for an hour.

Check the Goplus Floating Water Pad price on Amazon

Before you leave the dock

• The mat, its tether and the storage straps are all on board, and the roll is lashed down.
• For an inflatable mat: the pump, the valve cap and a repair kit.
• A U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket for every person on board, in the right size for each child.
• You know the cove: deep enough where people will jump, out of the boat lanes, and sheltered from the afternoon wind.
• You’ve checked the forecast and agreed a plan if thunder starts: everyone out of the water and the mat back on board.

Getting back aboard

A mat behind a boat only works if people can get from the water back onto the boat easily. Use the boat’s own swim ladder and keep the mat’s tether off to one side so it isn’t in the way. Small boats without a good ladder may want a firm drop-stitch deck instead: see inflatable swim platform for boat and extended swim platforms.

Packing up and storing on board

• Unclip the mat and pull it alongside before anyone starts the engine.
• Rinse it if you can (salt and sand wear the surface), let it dry on deck if there’s time, and roll a foam mat; don’t fold it.
• Cinch the storage straps and lash the roll down so it can’t blow overboard while you’re running. A 6 ft foam roll catches a lot of wind.
• At home, store it out of the sun. An inflatable mat should be dry before it’s folded into its bag.

More for boat days: boating and yachts, the floating mats overview, floating mat for lake, and our safety checklist.

Floating mat for boat questions

What size lily pad fits on a pontoon boat?

Most pontoon owners carry a 15 to 18 ft foam mat, which rolls into a log about 6 ft long. Measure your deck or storage bay first. Rubber Dockie says its 18 ft rolls to about 26 x 26 x 72 in.

Can you tow a floating mat behind a boat?

No. Floating mats are used with the boat anchored and the engine off. Aqua Lily Pad states its mat is not designed to be towed.

Where do I tie a floating mat on a boat?

To a stern cleat, using the mat’s tether point and an elastic tether, with the jumping end pointing away from the boat and the mat clear of the propeller and exhaust.

Is a foam or inflatable mat better on a boat?

Foam is quicker (no pump) and can’t go flat; inflatable packs smaller and feels firmer. On a small boat with little storage, an inflatable often fits better. Read foam vs drop-stitch floating mats for the full comparison.

Can I use a lily pad in the ocean from my boat?

In calm, sheltered water, yes. Swell and current make a mat hard to hold, so keep the tether short, stay in a protected spot and rinse the mat afterwards.