Let’s talk water pooling, puddles, PVC, and the smarter way to keep your cover high and dry.
Every boater has been there: you check your boat after a storm and get greeted by a swamp-sized pool of rain water right in the middle of your boat cover. Maybe the cover’s sagging low between your tie downs, maybe the support system slipped, or maybe—just maybe—you trusted a beach ball to do a grown man’s job.
Whether you’re running a Malibu, Yamaha, pontoon boat, jon boat, or bass boat, pools of water collecting on your cover can cause real damage—rips in the fabric, mildew buildup, or worse, damage to your boat. It’s not just an eyesore; it’s an invitation for costly repairs.
So let’s run through your options for keeping your boat cover tight, dry, and off your deck.
1. The Classic: Boat Cover Support Poles
The go-to solution for decades. Most support poles telescope and sit under the cover at one or two low points. In theory, they give rain a path to run off instead of pooling.
In practice? If you’re lucky, it stays upright. But a gust of wind or just one misaligned strap and suddenly your boat cover support pole is tipped over like a drunk uncle at a wedding. Especially on bowriders or pontoons where the span is wider, one or two poles usually can’t create enough lift.
You can try to ratchet the cover down tighter, but that risks pulling too hard on the seams or rubbing the cover the wrong way. Not ideal.
2. DIY PVC Frames and Other MacGyver Tactics
Got a garage full of PVC pipe and a free Saturday? You could build your own frame. Plenty of DIY boaters piece together support arches from PVC, 2x4s, or even broomsticks zip-tied into a homemade jungle gym.
Sure, it’s a cheap fix. But it’s bulky, hard to store, and usually not transport-friendly. Plus, you’ve got to nail the measurements—or you’ll just move the low points instead of eliminating them. Some even use exercise balls or beach balls under the cover. Creative, but not exactly confidence-inspiring when a storm rolls in.
3. The Smarter Play: SwellUP
Here’s where things get interesting. SwellUP is an inflatable boat cover support system designed to sit inside your boat and lift the cover from the inside out. It replaces tension poles and clunky PVC rigs with a lightweight inflatable form—think of it like a modern, minty-fresh air dome that actually works.
No fiberglass scratches, no weird ratchet gymnastics, no DIY engineering degree required. You pop the cover on, inflate it, and rain rolls right off. No puddles, no mildew, no “surprise pond” waiting on your cover.
Whether you dock your outboard in the backyard or run a full-size pontoon at the marina, SwellUP adapts to the shape of your boat and holds the cover in a snug, elevated fit. And because it uses active airflow, it’s doing double duty keeping the inside fresh and critter-free too. Oh, did we mention it inflates in under a minute and tear down/pack up is faster than it takes your favorite song to play.
Final Thought
You could keep wrestling with PVC pipe, crossing your fingers every time it rains, or stacking boat cover support poles like a game of nautical Jenga. Or you could try something built by boaters who were tired of puddles, mildew, and ripped covers.
Boat owners everywhere are figuring it out—SwellUP isn’t just a clever name. It’s a no-brainer.
