Island Floats
Header photo: A group of swimmers lounging on inflatable rafts lashed together off a sandy beach. Photo: daryl_mitchell from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
An island float is a floating living room: a raft big enough for four, six or even more people, often with backrests, cup holders and a built-in cooler. Add a few floating drink holders and the party never has to leave the water.
What counts as an island float
The original Floatys float guide called these "family pool floats": floats with a higher carrying capacity, able to take several people at once, often with add-ons such as cup holders and canopies. Today they come in three broad forms:
- Round islands with a ring of backrests facing inwards, good for chatting.
- Themed islands shaped like unicorns, flamingos, castles or trucks, mostly for photos and fun.
- Party rafts and lake mats, flat platforms used on lakes, often tied up behind a boat or to a dock.
Sizing up an island
| Island size | People | Pool needed | Inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| About 2.5 m | 2-3 | Medium backyard pool | Electric pump strongly advised |
| About 3.5 m | 4-6 | Large pool or lake | Electric pump, 10-20 minutes |
| 5 m and up | 6+ | Lake or very large pool | High-volume pump, several chambers |
Read the weight limit and do not exceed it: an overloaded island folds in the middle, tipping everyone towards the centre. Spread people evenly around the edge and get on and off one at a time.
Drink holders, done right
Floating drink holders were one of the most popular sections of the old Floatys shop, and for good reason: they are cheap, cheerful and stop cans tipping over. A few practical points:
- Use cans or plastic cups. Glass and pools do not mix; a broken glass means draining or vacuuming the whole pool.
- Pick holders with a wide base. Tall, narrow ones topple at the first ripple.
- Bigger "cooler" floats hold ice and several drinks; keep them tethered to the island.
Alcohol and water: the honest part
A drink on an island float is part of the fun, but alcohol and water are a risky combination. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol is involved in up to 70% of deaths associated with water recreation among adolescents and adults. Alcohol affects balance, judgement and the body's response to cold water. Keep someone sober in charge on a lake, swim only if you are sure of yourself, and never mix drinking with supervising children. Our water safety basics covers the rest.
From floating bar to swim-up blackjack
The floating cooler is the backyard version of a resort classic: the swim-up bar, where you sit on a submerged stool with the water at your waist and order without drying off. A handful of casino resorts took the idea one step further with swim-up blackjack, a table at the pool's edge where a dry dealer faces players perched on underwater stools. Las Vegas made it famous, with the Tropicana and the old Hard Rock Hotel among the best-known examples before both closed or changed hands. It is one of the strangest and most fun ways to play a hand, and it raises practical questions, from keeping cash dry to remembering basic strategy after a couple of piña coladas. Our full guide to swim-up blackjack and pool gaming tables covers where it has been offered and how it works, and poolside poker and card games explains how to bring a card game to your own island.
Anchor it: on a lake, a party island should be tied to a dock or anchored with a proper line and anchor. A breeze can move a loaded island surprisingly fast.
