To call his Barletta the Swiss Army knife of pontoon fun might be a little exaggerated, but when LilliPad Marine’s Corey Schaub invited us aboard his Corsa 25UE it was hard not to bae impressed with all of the aftermarket innovations he’s added to it. In less than 10 years he’s taken the marine industry by storm by inventing much-needed improvements for boaters—with three National Marine Manufacturing Association Innovation Awards to validate his success—not that he needs it.
Corey and his wife Ann founded LilliPad Marine in 2013 after a makeshift diving board was created on a family boating trip in 2012. Corey designed a temporary pontoon diving board to keep the kids entertained for the week, but the couple was surprised to discover an aftermarket option didn’t exist after they saw how much fun it turned out to be.
“The kids had such a great time with the diving board so I pulled out my phone on the drive home to see if we could order one but there was nothing available,” recalls Ann, who is the president of LilliPad Marine. “We talked all the way home about designing our own board and that’s how it all started.”
The LilliPad Diving Board, named after their daughter Lillian, earned an NMMA Innovation Award in 2015 at the Miami Boat Show, which helped launch the company into the industry spotlight. Turns out the diving board was just the beginning to their success as their company would later evolve to become LilliPad Marine and include other products. Following the diving board, its REVO boarding ladder and the Ghost Mounts would soon follow and all three just happen to be on Corey’s Barletta that we had a chance to see for ourselves.
The industry has embraced these entrepreneurs and their dream as they’ve overcome tremendous odds by bringing innovative and game-changing products to the boating industry.
“There will always be bumps in the road and our greatest challenge just depends on what day it is,” says Ann with a smile. “But we work through it and keep a positive attitude while providing great customer service and I think that’s been the secret to our success to this point.”
This hard-working duo are regulars on the boat show circuit and recently expanded their workforce to include Ed Hettig to help the company grow. Ed has been with the company for about three years now, working full time for the past two and becoming a regular at boat shows as well.
There have been larger companies such as engine manufacturers who have earned multiple NMMA Innovation Awards in the past, but Corey is believed to be the only person to be awarded three awards as an individual.
“This is one of the highlights of my life,” says Corey. “It really solidifies how our vision at LilliPad is to truly solve ignored issues/opportunities in the marine industry. We strive to create excellent function along with solid construction, backed by an amazing customer experience.”
While having all three Innovative Award-winning products on board the same boat makes his Barletta pontoon unique in a lot of ways, these products are available for a variety of other pontoon brands. The diving board is available through their website or through dealers, but since the REVO ladder is only offered as a factory installed ladder you would need to contact your dealer or builder directly if interested.
At the 2021 IBEX Show, the LilliPad Marine Ghost Mount earned an Innovation Award for the nearly invisible yet unbelievably strong versatile floor-mounting system that has become a true game-changer for both builders and consumers.
We got a chance to see the mount ourselves on Corey’s Barletta prior to the IBEX show and were impressed by not only the design, but with the different ways it could be incorporated. When we came aboard, Corey was using the mount to attach his boat flag, but quickly switched over to mount his grill using the same mount.
“With Ghost Mounts installed, a boat can transform from a clean flooring surface to fully ‘decked-out’ with the quick spin of a few accessories,” explains Corey. “The face of a Ghost Mount is smaller than a quarter and flush to the floor when installed and can be installed anywhere on a boat without creating an eye-sore or an obstruction for stubbed toes or door swings.”
The Ghost Mount has been tested to over 1,000 pounds of straight pulling force, with minimal deflection, in marine grade plywood flooring and it will not crush the flooring surface. Ghost Mounts can be utilized as a single or multipoint mounting system. Single-point applications include flagpole, grill post, boarding ladder handle and rod holder. Two-point applications include cooler and floating water mat tie-downs. Three-point applications include a LilliPad Diving Board. Accessories are installed into a Ghost Mount with the quick spin of the threaded bolt that’s built into the accessory.
Unless you’re a gymnast you’ve probably struggled at some point to re-enter your pontoon from the water using a traditional boarding ladder. The LilliPad Marine REVO ladder is an innovative marvel and the design earned an NMMA Innovation Award at the 2019 IBEX show.
The modular mounting system allows the ladder to be moved from stern to bow and has an impressive 48-inch below-the-deck drop into the water, but folds into just 16 inches above the deck when stowed. The deep reach of the ladder allows you to easily position your foot on the bottom rung while comfortably holding the ladder at or below the waterline.
Unlike traditional boarding ladders, the REVO Ladder’s innovative folding design coupled with a retracting strap allows you to deploy and retract your ladder while standing on the boat or dock. Thus, no kneeling or leaning over into the water to deploy or stow your ladder is required.
REVO Ladders are designed to exceed industry standards. Each ladder is built with heavy wall aluminum extrusions, internal-stainless steel cables, and stainless hardware. The ladder’s robust construction allows for comfortable use by users up to 400 pounds.
Corey Schaub (L) and his wife Ann proudly hold their NMMA Innovation Awards during the 2019 IBEX show. The LilliPad Marine owners would earn a third award at the same show two years later.
You would think the boat would be severely rocked when someone goes off the board, but that’s what makes it truly innovative. The design cancels the energy of the jumper by counteracting the force within the framework of the diving board. This provides an exciting bounce for the jumper with a gentle wave-action for those on the boat.
Using Aircraft Grade T60-61 aluminum extrusions, stainless steel hardware and urethane spring components, the boards are built to last and can be used by children and adults up to a maximum weight of 250 pounds. The diving board is designed with a pin that can be adjusted to strengthen the spring for heavier or lighter users and includes a quick-release pin to allow the diving platform to drop down along the side of the boat while not in use.
You can also easily stow it by simply unscrewing the three eye bolts that secure it to the boat. The apparatus then separates into three parts (stabilizer handle, ladder, base/board) which can easily be stowed. A LilliPad Diving Board cover is recommended for use during storage. The diving board cover not only protects the diving board but also pulls the components together for ease of transport.
It wouldn’t be much of a test if we didn’t at least go off the diving board. For this we enlisted the PDB magazine crew and spent an afternoon in a secluded cover jumping off the diving board and re-entering the boat using the REVO ladder. After the fun afternoon we’re able to confirm what we already knew heading into our test: if you own a boat you really should have a LilliPad Diving Board on it.
“I think most people thought the concept of our diving board was cool when we first launched it, but most consumers are cautious of a new product,” explains Ann. “Now that we’ve been in business for almost 10 years it’s satisfying to see just how popular these diving boards have become.”
From the board to the ladder to the Ghost Mount, LilliPad Marine continues to grow by offering over-built boating products that help make our experiences on the water that much better. It kind of makes you wonder what they might be thinking up next, right?