After more than 20 years of operating Bridge Marina Boating Club on Lake Hopatcong, and since 2019 in Highlands, we’ve answered thousands of questions from people considering boat club membership.
So, what should you look for in a boat club?
Start with seven things: total membership cost and commitment; boat availability; fleet quality and variety; training; what’s included; the member experience; and whether the club fits the way you actually want to boat. Sometimes that fit means Bridge Marina Boating Club. Sometimes it means renting a few times a summer, buying a boat, or even joining another club.
These seven questions can help you figure out which option – and which boat club – is right for you.
1) What Does the Boat Club Really Cost?
It’s natural to start with price. Just make sure you’re comparing the total cost, length of commitment and value of boat club membership, not simply the number listed in an ad.
Boat clubs typically charge some combination of an upfront initiation or onboarding fee and monthly or annual membership dues. These costs can vary considerably and often depend on the club’s location, offerings and more. Some boat clubs charge initiation fees of $4,000, $5,000 or more. At Bridge Marina, we don’t believe putting that much money upfront is particularly good for the member – it creates a significant financial commitment before you’ve even experienced the club for a full boating season.
We believe a reasonable, consistent onboarding fee paired with clearly defined membership dues is a better approach for members – and that membership pricing should support the ongoing cost of maintaining and replacing boats, staffing docks, providing training and supporting members.
But upfront and monthly costs are only part of the equation. Make sure you understand what you’re committing to in exchange for the price you’re being offered. A low monthly rate or waived initiation fee can be a great deal, but is it month-to-month, a one-year membership or a multi-year agreement? Is the rate promotional? What happens when you renew? And what happens if you decide the club isn’t right for you?
Before joining a boat club, ask:
- What is the upfront initiation or onboarding fee?
- What are the monthly or annual dues?
- What will I pay in total over the full membership term?
- How long am I committing to the membership? And if I pay monthly, am I still committing to a full year or multiple years?
- Is the price I’m being quoted standard or promotional, and what happens when I renew?
- What’s included beyond access to a boat – and what costs extra?
- How will the club maintain boat availability, fleet quality and service as membership grows?
It’s also important to look at what you’re actually receiving for the price. What training is included – and is there continued training after you join? Do you have access to different types of boats or essentially one style? Can you boat from more than one location? Are there member events and activities? Are there additional amenities you and your family can enjoy even when you’re not out on a boat?
The lowest-priced membership isn’t automatically the best value – and the highest-priced club isn’t automatically the best experience. A low price can absolutely be a great value if the membership delivers what you want. What matters is understanding what you’re really committing to and what you’re actually getting for your money.
After 20 years of operating a boat club, we’ve learned that maintaining a quality fleet, replacing boats, protecting boat availability, providing training and creating a great member experience all require significant ongoing investment – and our pricing has evolved to support that. You can see our current Boat Club membership pricing and exactly what’s included on our Boating Club page.
2) Will I Actually Be Able to Get a Boat?
A membership isn’t particularly valuable if you can’t use it when you want to go boating, which makes boat availability perhaps more important than price in our experience.
Ask a prospective boat club:
- How many members share each boat?
- How far ahead can reservations be made?
- How many reservations can a member hold at one time?
- Are weekends handled differently from weekdays?
- What happens if the boat I want isn’t available?
- Do club members share boats with rental guests? (More on that below)
- Are there limits on how many hours or outings I can use in a day, week or month?
- How does the club prevent overselling memberships?
Don’t settle for “We have plenty of boats.” Ask how the reservation system actually works.
You’ll also see terms like “unlimited boating” or “unlimited access” when comparing boat clubs – and depending on how you like to boat, an
unlimited membership can be a great option. Just make sure you understand how unlimited access works at each club. How many reservations can you hold at once? How long is each outing? How far ahead can you reserve? Are weekends treated differently? And how does the club protect boat availability as membership grows?
In our experience, the real value of an unlimited membership isn’t simply the number of times you’re allowed to boat. It’s having a reservation system and fleet that give you a reasonable opportunity to actually use that access.
At Bridge Marina, we maintain a member-to-boat ratio of approximately 7:1 and use an online reservation system with clear rules that lets members reserve available boats in advance.
3) What Kind of Boats Will I Actually Be Using?
“Access to a fleet of boats” can mean very different things from one boat club to another.
Don’t just ask how many boats a club has. Ask what boats it has.
We suggest asking a potential boat club questions like:
- How old are the boats? And how frequently are the boats updated?
- How are they maintained?
- What brands and models are included?
- Are there different boat styles?
- Are boats dedicated to club members or shared with rental customers?
- Can you choose among different boats?
We strongly recommend visiting the docks before joining any boat club. Don’t rely solely on website photos. Walk around. Look at the boats. See how they’re cared for. Talk to current members. Ask to see the different layouts you’ll actually be able to reserve.
You can learn a lot about a boat club just by walking its docks and looking at how the boats are cared for.
At Bridge Marina, our members have access to a diverse boat club fleet that includes Starcraft Marine triple pontoons, Four Winns bowriders and Wellcraft center consoles at Lake Hopatcong and Highlands.
We think variety matters in a boat club fleet, because there isn’t one perfect boat for every boating day. A relaxing afternoon with a large group may call for a completely different boat than a day of cruising or fishing.
4) What Training Is Included?
This is especially important if you’re a newer boater, but in our view, education and training are important no matter your skill level – experienced or novice. Joining a boat club shouldn’t mean someone hands you the keys and wishes you luck.
Ask:
- Is on-water orientation included?
- Is the training private or in a group?
- Who provides the training?
- Can I get additional help after my initial orientation?
- Will someone teach me to operate the different boats in the fleet?
- Are there opportunities to practice skills like docking?
We’ve welcomed many members over the years who started out nervous behind the wheel. We’ve also watched those same members become confident boaters who comfortably take family and friends out on their own.
At Bridge Marina, training and education are a big part of boat club membership. For brand new boaters, we start with helping them obtain the required New Jersey Boating Safety Certificate. From there, each member begins onboarding with a private, hands-on, on-water training session with one of our instructors. Members also have access to ongoing training opportunities throughout the season so they can continue practicing and building confidence.
In our experience, the happiest boat club members (and boaters in general) are those who are confident at the helm.
5) What’s Actually Included in Your Boat Club Membership?
When comparing boat clubs, it’s easy to focus on the boats themselves. But your membership experience can include much more than simply reserving a boat.
We suggest you ask what’s included in the membership price – and what will cost extra. Depending on the boat club, that might include training, safety or watersports equipment, cleaning and maintenance, member events, access to multiple locations, or other amenities.
It’s also worth looking a little deeper than whether something is simply listed as “included.” For example, many boat clubs offer some type of orientation or initial training. But what happens after that? Can you get additional help if you’re still uncomfortable docking? Are there opportunities to practice throughout the season? Similarly, “access to a fleet” could mean several versions of essentially the same boat, or it could mean the ability to choose different boat styles depending on how you want to spend the day.
At Bridge Marina, our boat club membership includes private, hands-on on-water training as part of onboarding, plus weekly hands-on clinics throughout the season so members can keep practicing, ask questions and build confidence. Members also have access to a variety of boat styles, boating locations on both Lake Hopatcong and Sandy Hook Bay in Highlands, watersports equipment, member events and fun contests throughout the season.
Not every one of those benefits will matter equally to every boater, and that’s okay. The important thing is to understand what your membership includes and decide whether you’ll actually use and value those benefits.
We’re also big believers in asking what’s not included to help you understand exactly what you’re buying, making it much easier to compare one membership with another.
6) What Is the Experience Like Once I Join as a Member?
This one can be harder to measure, but it matters. Think about what the entire experience might look like: what happens when you arrive, who helps when you have a question, what happens if you want more docking practice and what the end of your day might look like.
While a boat club offers access to equipment, you’re also choosing the people you’ll rely on every time you come to the marina.
Talk to the staff and current members before joining. Visit the marina. Read reviews from current and former members. Pay attention to what people say not only about the boats, but about the support they receive.
After 20 years of operating a boat club, we’ve learned that the boats themselves are only part of what makes membership work. The people on the docks, instructors, reservation support and the little things that happen before and after an outing can make an enormous difference.
7) Does This Boat Club Fit the Way I Actually Want to Boat?
This may be the most important question of all.
A great boat club can still be the wrong boat club – or the wrong boating solution – for you.
Think about what you’re actually looking for from boating. Will you mostly boat on weekends? Fish on weekday mornings? Take the kids tubing? Cruise to dinner and catch a sunset? Bring friends? Try different types of boats? Would you use more than one boating location?
The answers matter.
We’ve spent more than two decades helping people make these decisions, and one thing we’ve learned is that people almost never regret spending time on the water. What they sometimes regret is choosing a boating solution that doesn’t match the way they actually want to boat. That’s why our team asks so many questions before recommending a boat club membership – or a boat.
Sometimes Bridge Marina Boating Club is the right answer.
Sometimes a different boat club is the answer.
Sometimes buying a boat is the perfect solution.
Sometimes renting a few times each summer makes more sense. (For plenty of people, a boat rental is enough to scratch the boating itch without taking on a bigger commitment.)
The goal should be finding the option that gets you out on the water how and when you want.
So, What Should You Look for in a Boat Club?
Before joining any boat club, look beyond the membership price. Consider the complete experience:
Cost and commitment. Availability. Fleet. Training. What’s included. Member support. And, ultimately, whether the club fits the way you want to boat.
If a boat club is transparent about those things, encourages you to visit, answers your questions directly and helps you understand both the advantages and limitations of membership, you’re probably having the right conversation.
And if you’re still deciding whether a boat club makes sense at all, start with our guide Is a Boat Club Worth It? Boat Club vs. Boat Ownership: Which Is Right for You?
You can also take our free Boating Personality Quiz to think through the type of boating experience that may fit you best.
Of course, we’re also happy to talk – that’s what our team is here for. We’ll ask questions, show you the fleet and help you figure out whether Bridge Marina Boating Club – or another boating option altogether – makes the most sense for you. Simply fill out this quick form or call us at (973) 663-1976 to get the conversation started!