LAKE DAY 

Big-time move from the group here. Nothing beats packing a definitely-unsafe number of guys on a boat to rip around Lake Travis or Lake Austin for a few hours. 

A few schools of thought. One, the pontoon boat fits more people and is great to cruise on but you sacrifice speed and any chance to wakeboard/surf/skate etc. Two, the ski boat gives you options for more activities but you sacrifice space and it’s usually a more expensive venture. 

Go ski boat on Lake Austin if you’re spending all day on the water. Get a few hours of activities in while it’s flat enough to be enjoyable and then plan on anchoring in one of the coves that’s packed with 9 bachelorette parties. Hint: it’s right across from ACC. Find the bridge and you’ll find “Party Cove”. 

It’s literally impossible not to mix groups of friends at this point. Rent one of those floating lake mats because there’s nothing chicks love more than those floating lake mats for some reason and get the playlist dialed in. You’re competing against some truly horrendous music out there, be it pop country or Wannabe (Spice Girls) radio so just find your groove between yacht rock and tropical house and call it a day. 

Generally, you have a rented captain for these excursions so you’re free to indulge in a Vizzy Hard Seltzer or twelve, even though your buddy claims he got his boating license in Michigan 12 years ago and keeps saying “I’ve got this, guys.” 

Don’t listen to him and buzz over to Ski Shores on the lake when the crew gets hungry. A couple advantages here - the food is light enough to not crush your dinner, you can take the cocktails with you on the boat, and it looks like you stepped into Jimmy Buffett’s personal laboratory. 

You haven’t put on sunscreen since noon and will no doubt be dealing with that for the rest of the weekend (if not your life) but the vibes are too good to care. Tip your boat captain and load back up to get a shower in. Refuse the temptation to nap at this point because it could be devastating for dinner: