My Facebook friends over at Pontoon Junkies and Pontoon Restoration are constantly working on colossal rebuilds and intricate upgrades. With their do-it-yourself attitude, they don’t seem to be daunted by full-scale renovations that last the entire winter.

But I’m a different story. While I haven’t landed myself in the tax bracket of being able to hire out for all of my projects, I have yet to feel the need to learn how to weld aluminum ‘toons or rewire an entire helm console. Give me an easy project, I say. Let’s have a few baby steps in here before I’m finally ready to learn what an anode is and how to add one to my pontoon.

If you’re like me and are looking for small, do-able projects that won’t derail your weekend plans or your bank account, here’s a list of quick and easy upgrades for your pontoon that will vastly improve your time on the water. You can thank me later. Or the Facebook people I asked about it.

Throw Some Shade

Admit it—we love being outside on the water, but the blazing sun can make us blisteringly hot and rather cranky. Shade is always welcome, and the more shade available the better.

Daniel Santana said, “Add shade. You can always remove or store a front Bimini, but you can’t add it on the fly when needed.” And if you’re not ready to go the distance and have a double Bimini installed by your marina/dealer, there are plenty of cost-effective ways to put up some temporary shade.

An 8-foot by 8-foot pop-up canopy provides almost the exact same shade as a Bimini, is far less expensive, and easily fits in a pontoon’s open floorplan. Another option is to clamp beach umbrellas onto the rails, which will throw a lovely spot of shade over a corner lounger when not underway. For a third solution, Stacy Lam uses extendable flag poles attached with flag rail mounts and flexible sun shades. Added to each end of her Bimini, these extra curtains of shade can conveniently fold up into a small bag when not needed.

Creative Counter Space

While many pontoons have a pedestal table, it never feels large enough for food prep. You can replace the table with a bigger one, or you can use those handy pontoon rails as a spot to clip on additional flat surfaces.

Michaelene Marcotte added the lightweight Porta-Shelf from Loungin’ Lizards; it clips on in less than five minutes and doesn’t require any tools. Other creative solutions include using small, folding tables that can be tucked away when not needed or even side-table-style coolers which have a large, flat top.

Depth Finder/Fish Finder

Even if you don’t fish, there are all kinds of benefits to having an electronic navigation system on board. Craig Smith said, “We don’t fish but we enjoy seeing what’s on the bottom.” Cliff Otto advised, “A fish/depth finder with navigation will track where you’ve been so you don’t get lost. It will tell your water temp, speed you’re traveling, and how deep or shallow the water is.” Garmin, Lowrance, and Humminbird all sell a variety of aftermarket options. Most come with a binnacle mount for easy installation on a boat’s dash or console.

Light Up Your Space

Adding LED lights is another fun way to personalize your pontoon and make a simple change that has a big impact.

Dan Feldman said, “If you buy cheap Amazon LEDs expect them not to last because the controllers on the low-cost color changing ones tend to die fast from moisture. I installed the blue tint one-color option from Pontoon Stuff with great luck, and the Green Blob kits for color changing options.”

Michael Moffatt recommends superlightleds.com for color changing options and added that red will not hurt your night vision. Steven Otway added, “Blast LED is the way to go: they’re the best under-deck lights we’ve used.”

Add Personal Flair

Making the biggest splash at the sandbar often comes down to a fun boat name and some well-placed vinyl decals. Bill Steinman said, “Buy from any sign shop who offers UV-laminated, high-grade vinyl. You want your decal to last.” Local sign companies in your area will almost always be willing to help you personalize your order, and a glut of online options are also available from Etsy to doityourselflettering.com.

Customizing your shade and counter space, as well as your boat name and lighting options will give your boat character and charm. Instead of a factory-grade cookie-cutter, your personalized pontoon will feel like your home on the water.