The 8 Best Floating Islands

As the temperature soars during the summer months, it can be tempting to hide out inside, avoiding the heat and the relentless sunshine. But as summer is also the season during which students are out of school and many working professionals take vacation time, holing up inside means missing out on hours of potential enjoyment.

Staying cool during the summer can require some care and planning, but it's absolutely possible to have fun outdoors even the hottest days. The first step toward safe summer activities is to ensure you, your family members, and your friends are always properly hydrated. The more active you are, the more you will sweat, and the more you will need to put water back into your system. Also make sure to frequently wipe off the sweat coating your body, and change sweat sodden clothes if you can: your body cools itself off when sweat evaporates, and the humid weather most regions experience in summer can make this evaporation difficult.

Also make sure to take frequent breaks during any strenuous activity undertaken in hot weather. It takes the average human body in average physical shape as long as an hour or more to return to its normal core temperature levels after serious exercise, and this cooling process only takes longer in hot weather.

Sun protection is a must, including hats, sunblock, sunglasses, and appropriate clothing. A bad sunburn can ruin your fun for many days and can cause serious health complications later in life, even including an increased risk for skin cancer. Stay in the shade as much as you can, and cover up when you can't.

One of the best ways to stay cool during the summer is, fortunately, also one of the most fun: playing in the water is a great way to beat the heat and have some fun at the same time. All you need to do is choose the right pool, lake, or beach toys and accessories to keep the fun going all summer long.

A floating island provides an inflatable home base from which all sorts of aquatic adventures can be enjoyed all summer long. When you have a place for the gang to hang out in the water, you can count on everyone being a bit cooler. That's because the average water temperature of a swimming pool is in the 80s (in degrees Fahrenheit) while ocean, river, and lake temperatures are usually even cooler. The colder temperature of the water cools the air near its surface, refreshing those people floating above it. And of course it's always easy to jump off a floating island for a convenient cooling dip.

When considering which floating island is right for your friends or family, first consider the number of people who will potentially use the unit. Many floating islands are rated to support up to eight adults and/or well over a thousand pounds, while others are much smaller and can support only a person or two at once.

Next consider where your floating island will be used. If it's going in a smaller private swimming pool, you'll need a smaller unit no matter how many people would like to use it. (People can take turns; an inflatable island that's too big for its body of water won't be much fun for anyone.) If your floating island will be used in a body of water that's usually quite warm, such as that found off Florida's Gulf Coast, then one of the floating islands with a mesh bottom that allows for soaking while floating is a great idea. If, however, you're going to be floating about in lovely Lake Tahoe, where water temperatures seldom rise above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, then an inflatable island with a mesh bottom is a decidedly bad idea, and a solid platform is advisable.

And finally consider the various accessories you'd like your inflatable island to have. Some units come complete with built-in waterproof speakers and a compartment to hold your media playing device; most floating islands have multiple cup holders, and several varieties have built-in coolers. While certain features may seem extraneous to some people, they might seem imperative for others.

A floating island is, first and foremost, a place for relaxation and respite during the sunny summertime. But it can be used in many recreational capacities beyond relaxation. Many floating islands make great platforms off of which you can fish: they are stable, they produce no wake or movement to disturb fish, and many even have built-in coolers perfect for storing bait or for keeping the fish you catch on ice.

A floating island can also be towed by a boat, provided the captain keeps the speed slow, for added fun or even to enable a small boat to transport more people around or across a body of water. Just be sure to avoid rocks, rapids, or other water craft.

Also consider using a floating island as a snorkeling or even a scuba diving platform, with plenty of room for storing extra air tanks, masks, flippers, and other gear. Provided you are diving in relatively shallow water, the anchor bag and line included with many floating islands can help keep them in place as you enjoy underwater adventures.