Where to get a houseboat next summer?

Me and my friends were looking at renting a houseboat for next summer (2005) for about a week. Everybody seems to go to Lake Powell, but I hear the water's bad there, and we want to party AND ride alot. We're looking into it now because I hear you need to get in about a year in advance. Anybody have any suggestions about where to go, or even better specifically who to rent from? Hopefully in AZ, NM, TX or somewhere in the southwest.

I would recommend Lake Powell. I don't know what crazy person told you that the water is rough, it's so huge that on the first day you book out as quickly as possible and pout some distance between you and the marina, you never have any issues with rough water. Here's a few pictures from my trip last June. The water was great.

Crazy I don't know what your smoking but send some of it my way man, Powell is the best and most beautful place to ride on earth. It's pure glass 24/7 in the right fingers. Hit me up with some info if you get stuff finalized I would be down to go and take our boat. Plus I've gone for the last 8 years every summer so I'm pretty good with navagation. I should just get a trip together myself but I'm to lazy and keep procrastanating.

I agree. Lake Powell is the best and most beautiful place on earth! We go every year as well. You can't beat it for houseboating and wakeboarding.

I'll concur with the rest. There is no comparison to Lake Powell when it comes to houseboating.

Maybe what you heard about the 'bad' water is the fact that the water LEVEL is down about 80+ feet. You may have to be a lil more careful in shallow water but there's still no alternative to Powell.

I also agree on powell, i have been 3 or 4 times and it is by far my favorite place, i am going again the first full week in july

what about Lake Havusu, AZ - Anyone been there?

Havasu is cool but not a great place to houseboat. There are very few "beaches" to park the boat at night. It also isn't a big, "vast" lake so you'll constantly be exposed to the noise of the jet boats going by at Mach 6. Lake Havasu is the mecca for people who like to drive their boats in a straight line as fast as possible, then stop to drink a 6 pack, then drive back to where they came from as fast as they can. They do this in packs as well. It's not unusual to see 4-6 boats screaming side by side across the lake.

Most of the above can be avoided by going mid-week. We ride early and always get GREAT water!!

I go to Havasu a ton, have for years. My dad has a place there. Like stated above it sucks in the middle of the day but if you get up early and hit it at 5:30am you will get great 85 degree water in July and August. It's a cool place but not a good houseboating destination.

Ok, thanks guys, looks like we might try Powell. Anybody ever gotten a houseboat in Texas on Travis, LBJ, Buchanan, or somewhere though?

Lake Powell is the place to go for true houseboating experience. Tons of beautifull coves.

Lake Havasu houseboating basically amounts to tying up in Copper Canyon and partying your ass off. Not bad but you have to get up early to ride.

Elephant Butte, NM used to be a great lake to houseboat at (scaled down version of Powell) but, the water really low now and many of the great wakeboarding coves are pretty small now.

I don't like LBJ all that much.