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Spending an afternoon relaxing on your pontoon can be great, but the sun's harsh rays can also lead to burns and discomfort. Luckily, there are all kinds of ways you can add shade to your pontoon. Check out these ideas.

1. Use Existing Natural Elements

If you're just putting in the pontoon, try to find ways that the nearby natural elements can help to provide shade. In particular, if you have a large tree, you may want to build your pontoon next to that.

2. Build a Boat Garage

In lieu of natural elements, you may want to build a structure that can provide shade. A boat garage is the perfect idea because it can create shade while also giving you a place to put your boat when it's not in use.

3. Track the Sun's Movement

When you're trying to get some shade from a nearby tree or a building, you need to pay attention to how the sun moves over your space. As the sun moves, the shadows cast by different items change, and for optimal shade, you need to plan around those shadows.

4. Add a Canvas Shade

Rather than relying on nearby objects, you may just want to add a canvas shade. To secure the shade, you may need to add some poles and hooks to your pontoon. Once those are in place, a shade can be a fun way to add colour to your pontoon.

5. Build a Shady Gazebo

For something more permanent than a canvas shade, consider putting in a shady gazebo. You can design pontoons so that the gazebo is in the middle of the pontoon, over the area where you park your boat. However, if you want shade for the days where you're hanging out on the pontoon, you should look for a fun design where the gazebo sits over deck of the pontoon.

6. Shade Individual Spots

Perhaps you just want to shade individual spots. Do you have a picnic table on your pontoon? If so, you can put a sun umbrella over it. Do you have comfortable chairs? Then, add shade to those areas.

7. Provide Storage for Spot Shade

Alternatively, you may just want to build some storage boxes on your pontoon. Then, you can put umbrellas, sunhats, and other shady essentials in there. That way, you don't have to commit to a big construction project, but you can still get shade as needed.