Buying Bimini Tops in 2019: Get the Best Bimini for your Boat

What is a Bimini Top?

Occasionally (and mistakenly) referred to as a “bikini top”, a bimini top is an expandable canopy boat, which provides shade and UV protection over the helmsman (the person at the wheel.) If you’ve ever braved a day on the lake without one, you know how valuable these fabric boat tops can be. If you’re looking for the best info on boat Biminis in 2019, read on.

When the sun comes out to play, there are few joys greater than a relaxing day out on the water. Boaters everywhere flock to their favorite lakes and rivers hoping to unwind and catch a break from the stress of day-to-day life. However, any experienced boater can tell you that finding shade out on the water is a lofty goal. And a bimini top, in most instances, is your best solution for finding this shade.

Savvyboater.com offers bimini tops from both Carver and Westland two of the premier bimini top manufacturers in North America. Each offers a full range of sizes, fabrics and colors for all kinds of boat configurations.

Overview

Bimini tops consist of a metal tube frame and fabric stretched over the frame to shade the boat occupants. Bimini tops can be found in two, three, or four bow variations depending upon the length of the bimini top. The longer the bimini top the more bows needed to support the fabric.

While each boat is unique, Savvyboater’s most popular configuration is the three-bow bimini top, which provides the best balance between function and ease of installation. This style is recommended for V-hull runabouts, ski boats, performance boats, and most center console boats. On the smaller end- 2 bow tops are mostly used for shorter Jon boats, V-hull fishing boats, and inflatables. In contrast, the largest bimini top carried by SavvyBoater is the 4 bow style, which is reserved for larger boats, such as pontoon or deck boats.

What are Bimini Tops Made out of?

Bimini tops come in a range of different configurations and fabric options to protect you from the sun. They are sometimes exposed to high-speeds, harsh-winds, rain and always the sun.

As such, bimini tops should be durable, lightweight, and designed for their purpose. All bimini tops come in a variety of fabric and bow options, depending on your needs.

On the top end, both Carver and Westland offer Bimini tops made from Sunbrella fabric, which is the gold-standard of boat canopy-fabric. Sunbrella is an acrylic-based material which provides excellent resistance to UV fading and mildew. Additionally, it’s hailed for its durability and breathability, enabling the fabric to move with your boat without acting like a speed parachute.

Other popular facbrics include those in the polyester family such as SunDura, Sharkskin, and Poly-Guard. Each material has its own advantages, thus it’s best to check out our bimini top fabric guide to get a feel for the options that would best meet your needs.

When choosing your frame and fittings, stainless steel will provide the best option if you are looking for strength and durability. Stainless steel also has high resistance to salt corrosion but does come at a premium price over the aluminum frame and nylon fitting options. An anodized aluminum frame will also resist corrosion and offers the advantage of being lightweight when putting the top into the up or down position. An aluminum frame will not be as strong as a stainless steel frame. Stainless steel fittings can be used with either frame style and they provide a strong mounting point for your bimini top regardless of the tube material used. Nylon fittings are more common, offering excellent value and a solid mounting base, but are not recommended for higher speeds or very rough conditions.

Selecting a Bimini Top for Your Boat

Bimini tops are not a universal fit. Boats have different width and length requirements, and some boats require mounting in a special way to provide the needed shade. If you have a common hull style you will want to determine where the bimini top will be mounted, how high you want it to be, and how long you want it to be. Once you’ve settled on these specifications you will input the width of the boat at your mounting points, and your desired height, into the bimini top finder to see what’s available from Carver and Westland.

Specialty Bimini Tops

Certain Hull Styles require specialty bimini tops, specifically pontoon boats, boats with ski/wakeboard towers and inflatable boats.

Pontoon Boats

A bimini top is a pontoon boat necessity if you boat in a sunny climate. Fortunately, Carver offers a great selection of pontoon biminis in various sizes and configurations. Carver pontoon bimini tops all include four bow, square tube frame, 96”-102” in width, and lengths measuring from 8’ to 10’. They are offered in a Standard configuration, Buggy style and Dual Cover style for a more complete shade option.

The buggy-style pontoon top has rear side curtains that are equipped with snaps that easily attach to rails.

If you are looking for full shade coverage on your pontoon boat then opt for the dual pontoon bimini top which at 16ft long provides shade to most if not all of the pontoon deck area.

Bimini Tops for Boats withTowers

Boats with towers are pulling water skiers and wakeboarders, almost always in warm sunny weather. A bimini top provides some much needed shade to the driver, spotter and any passengers . Carver offers tower bimini’s that attach to the tower itself, are 26” tall from the mounting point and 5’ in length. Two widths are available.

Bimini Tops for Inflatable Boats

Inflatable boats require special mounting brackets and eyelets for mounting a bimini top. Carver offers an inflatable bimini that is 42” tall, 5’ 6” long for two common inflatable boat widths. Mounting hardware and straps are included, and the bimini’s are offered in a range of fabrics and colors.

When you’re ready to select your bimini top please check out Savvyboater.com for the top brands, great prices and wide selection. Happy Boating!

Want more boating tips, tricks, and information? Feel free to check out our useful boater help guides for more information.