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The Story

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What do you get when you combine classic wooden boat know-how and wild, wishful thinking? A true one-of-a-kind vessel — the original Hot Tub Boat.

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How It All Started

During the cold, wet winter of 2011, our founder Adam Karpenske was on his houseboat, longing for the warmth and comfort of a hot tub. Without room to install one in his home, he had the craziest idea...

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Building a Hot Tub Boat

A professional wooden boat shipwright, Adam put his mind to work on crafting a hot tub that would stay nice and warm, within a sleek wooden boat. He drew up plans over the weekend and with the help of peers, lofted the hull over the following week. Next came planking, fiberglass skinning, and a float test. They had a working prototype for one heck of a party on New Year’s Eve. With some final touches, the first Hot Tub Boat was born.


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What’s Happened Since

It’s been a wild ride! We moved to a beautiful new location, built more Hot Tub Boats, filmed a music video, raised thousands of dollars for local non-profits, offered a living wage and health insurance to our employees, and served thousands of happy customers. What’s next? We’d love to spread the joy of Hot Tub Boats around the globe.