Float (nautical)

Floats (also called pontoons) are airtight hollow structures, similar to pressure vessels, designed to provide buoyancy in water.

During World War II the United States Navy Civil Engineer Corps developed a modular steel box (pontoon) for the Seabees to use.

Floats make up the multipart hulls of catamarans and trimarans and provide buoyancy for floatplanes, seaplanes and houseboats.

[3] Raft-like platforms used for diving and other recreational activities are sometimes anchored at beaches and lake shores, often seasonally.

In addition to raising sunken vessels, they are also commonly used for long tows, for providing buoyancy to cables and so on.

In most cases, the decking surface on top of the pontoon is made from glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) or composite lumber.

In model building, floats can easily be carved out of solid blocks or laminated sheets of foam.