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A houseboat in a quiet cove is a summer all of its own: breakfast on the back deck, towels drying on the rail, and by mid-morning someone is already climbing the ladder to the top deck for one more run down the slide. A houseboat slide is often the favorite spot on board, and it’s the first thing many owners want to add or replace. This guide covers the fiberglass slides still made for houseboats, the inflatable options, how to match a slide to your deck height, and the one safety issue that’s specific to houseboats.
In short: most houseboat slides are fiberglass chutes mounted from the upper deck, made to order by small fiberglass shops such as Fiberglass Concepts (Kentucky) and Goldco Fiberglass (Fiberglass Fun). Their published prices run from about $625 to $2,305 for the slide alone. If you’d rather have something you can pack away, a few inflatable boat slides list houseboats as compatible. Whatever you choose, slide into deep, clear water and keep everyone away from the stern while engines or the generator run.
What a houseboat slide is
The classic houseboat water slide is a rigid fiberglass chute that starts at the top deck, runs over the side or stern and ends just above the water. Many have a small water spout at the top so the surface stays wet. Because houseboat top decks sit well above the water, the slide can be long, 10 to 12 ft or more, and that’s where the fun is. Inflatable slides, the kind most pontoon owners use, are the other route: they strap or tie to the boat for the swim stop and come off afterwards. For the general pros and cons of each material, see inflatable vs fiberglass boat slides.
Fiberglass houseboat slides you can still order
Houseboat slides are a small, specialist market. These are the makers we could document in October 2026:
| Maker | Slides listed | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiberglass Concepts, Inc. (Somerset, Kentucky) | 10 ft slide; 12 ft slide; 12 ft curved slide (curves to the left); water spout | $1,200; $1,500; $1,500; spout $50 (2021 price list) | Houseboat accessory maker; says its slides fit any houseboat; shipping, delivery or pick-up |
| Goldco Fiberglass (Fiberglass Fun) | 8, 12, 14, 18 and 22 ft, each with a recommended deck height | $625 to $2,305, slide only | Lists houseboats, pontoons and docks among uses; hand made to order; shipping quoted on request |
A word on dates. A 2014 Houseboat Magazine article recommended Fiberglass Concepts’ waterslides as an upgrade and quoted $800 for the 10 ft slide and $1,050 for the 12 ft or curved 12 ft. Those are 2014 prices. The company’s website is still up, with the same three slides, and its most recent price list, dated 2021, shows $1,200 and $1,500. We could not find a newer list, so call them for today’s price and lead time. Goldco’s prices come from its current website, which also notes that one 18 ft slide shipped to Wisconsin with a water spout came to $4,105.
Neither maker publishes a rider weight limit, a mounting kit list or a required water depth, so ask about all three when you order. We list both as information only; we don’t sell or install slides.
Matching a houseboat water slide to your deck height
Slide length follows deck height. Goldco pairs each of its slides with a recommended deck height: an 8 ft slide with a 4 ft deck, 12 ft with 6 ft, 14 ft with 7 ft, 18 ft with 9 ft and 22 ft with 11 ft. Measure from the top deck where the rider will sit down to the waterline, with the boat loaded the way you normally use it. Our guide on measuring rail-to-waterline shows how, and will a slide fit my boat covers deck space and access.
The mount matters as much as the length. A fixed slide carries a rider’s weight and momentum into the deck it’s bolted to. Fixed slides are generally described as needing “an upper deck and professional installation,” so have a marine technician or the boat’s builder check where the fittings go. Our guide on how to attach a boat slide explains why slides should go to structural points rather than to a rail meant only for leaning on.
Inflatable slides for houseboats
If you’d rather not drill, or you want a slide for the lower deck, check the maker’s fit list carefully, because most inflatable slides are designed for pontoons. RAVE’s owner’s manual, for example, says its Pontoon Slide is for pontoon boats only. Lakesurf is one maker that names houseboats: it says Slide Island works with V-drive boats, many pontoons, I/O boats and houseboats, as long as there’s a flat area about 3 ft wide at or above water level for the back edge to rest on. It ties to the boat with a rope through a tie-off loop and two cleats, takes riders up to 300 lb in slide mode and lays flat as a floating mat when the sliding is done.
Prices change often. The prices below are what we saw on Amazon in October 2026; check the current price before you buy.
Lakesurf Slide Island
- Ties to cleats
- 300 lb in slide mode
- About $749
Airhead Treasure Child Life Jacket
- USCG approved, Type III
- Child 33 to 55 lb
- About $27
The houseboat hazard: carbon monoxide at the stern
Houseboats have something most pontoons don’t: generators, often venting at the stern near the swim platform, where a slide usually lands. The Minnesota DNR’s boating guide warns that swimmers have died near a houseboat’s swim platform while engines or generators were running, and it repeats the U.S. Coast Guard’s warning not to run a generator that vents into a stern cavity when someone is swimming near the stern or sitting on the swim platform. Its advice is plain: don’t let anyone swim near the stern or sit on the swim platform while the generator runs, and don’t run the generator at anchor when people are near the stern.
For a slide day, that means: engines off, generator off, and a slide landing zone away from exhaust outlets. Carbon monoxide symptoms (irritated eyes, headache, nausea, weakness, dizziness) can be mistaken for seasickness, so if a slider feels unwell, get them out of the water and into fresh air.
Water depth and the landing zone
The fiberglass makers don’t publish a depth, so borrow from the slide makers that do. RAVE’s manual asks for at least 8 ft of water and no obstructions for 20 ft in all directions; Lakesurf says not to use Slide Island in water under 8 ft. Coves drop and rise with lake levels, so check the depth where the slide lands each time you anchor, not just once a season. Keep one rider on the slide at a time, feet first, and keep the landing zone clear of swimmers. More in water depth and clearance and our boat slide safety tips.
Before you order a houseboat slide
- Measure deck height to the waterline with the boat loaded, and check the path from the top of the slide to the water is clear of rails, canopies and fenders.
- Ask the maker for the rider weight limit, mounting hardware and recommended depth; none is published.
- Plan the water: a spout costs $50 to $75 from these makers, and you’ll need a pump or hose to feed it.
- Ask about shipping early. Both makers quote it on request, and long slides are bulky freight.
- Check where your generator and engine exhaust vents, and keep the landing zone away from it.
All our slide guides are under boat slides. Related reading: portable vs fixed boat slides, kids and boat slides and boats with slides. Planning a custom slide for a larger boat? Use Request more information.
Houseboat slide questions
How much does a houseboat slide cost?
From the makers’ own lists: Goldco $625 to $2,305 for the slide only (8 to 22 ft), and Fiberglass Concepts $1,200 for 10 ft and $1,500 for 12 ft straight or curved (2021 price list). Shipping, a water spout and installation are extra.
What size slide does my houseboat need?
Go by the height of the deck you’ll slide from. Goldco recommends a 12 ft slide for a 6 ft deck, 14 ft for 7 ft, 18 ft for 9 ft and 22 ft for 11 ft. Fiberglass Concepts says its 10 and 12 ft slides fit any houseboat; confirm with them for your deck.
Can I use a pontoon slide on a houseboat?
Only if the maker says so. RAVE’s manual limits its Pontoon Slide to pontoon boats. Lakesurf lists houseboats for Slide Island when there’s a flat area about 3 ft wide for it to rest on.
Is there an age limit for houseboat slides?
No slide maker we checked publishes a minimum age. Makers do ask for adult supervision and a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket. See kids and boat slides.
Why keep the generator off while people slide?
Because carbon monoxide can collect around the stern and swim platform. The Minnesota DNR, quoting the U.S. Coast Guard, says not to run a generator that vents at the stern while anyone swims near the stern or sits on the swim platform.