Boating is an enjoyable time. Even with the ever increasing cost of fuel these days, although oil is starting to come back down to reality, boating offers a sense of enjoyment on the water you just can not get from land.

Discover Boating is running a funny commercial. I am sure you can check it out on YouTube. The commercial shows people driving in their car and waiving to everyone they see on the streets. The people that are being waived to just ignore them or look at them like they are crazy, as if they are saying, "why in the world would someone be friendly to me on a Tuesday in the middle of the work week?"

The commercial than skips to the same family cruising along in their boat and show them doing the same thing, waiving to people, on the water as they pass by the other boats. Of course the people in the other boats also waive back. If you have ever been on a boat then you already know that this commercial is not sensationalized and is reality.

People on the water respond to others better than they do on land. My theory is because when on the water you are having fun, or at least trying to. With the high cost of gas, congestion, and other factors, driving is not the fun activity it once was, many, and I mean many years ago. Boating however is.

There are a variety of styles and types to choose from and of course that is mainly due to what you intend to use your boat for. Are you going fishing? Want to hit a swimming hole on the river? Maybe you just want to cruise around the big lake. Whatever it is you plan on doing with your boat there is a style out there for you.

First determine what you want to do on the water. For me I love fishing in the Ocean off the Jersey coast in the summer time. Even though they raised the length restrictions on fluke and sea bass, it hasn't deterred me from going. A fishing boat is perfect for me, with some storage; however I have no need for a galley or sleeping quarters so that helps save on cost. I need speed to get to where I am going as I do not want to spend most of my day taking forever to get where the fish are. There are a variety to choose from such as Great White, Boston, and Trophy. I prefer the Trophy boat specifically their walk around models with the T-top center console.

For my mother-in-law she likes to cruise and take the grand kids to a swimming hole along the Chesapeake. She likes to fish, but it is not a priority. She definitely isn't spending anytime sleeping over night on the boat, yet needs the room for all the people she wants to bring. Speed is not a factor, but needs enough of it to get where she is going. She chose a pontoon boat made by Princecraft. It gives her everything that I described above and then some.

If you were thinking about getting a boat, there is no real wrong time or right time, although now is better than any because you can pick up used boats practically dirt cheap, at least in my area anyway.

Before plunging into buying a boat make sure you take some Coast Guard certified courses to familiarize yourself with safety procedures and boating regulations. Knowing them will take you a long way in ensuring a fun, safe and enjoyable experience.

About the Author:
Mr. Tucker is the senior editor for Vacation Nation, an online vacation resource where you can learn about various destinations and travel tips.