OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Boating season is in full swing in Nebraska, but this year looks a bit different because of higher gas prices.
Bob Smith has been boating for more than 18 years but admits his passion is "costing" him.
"I just put $60 in and got a lousy 12 gallons worth of gas," Smith said.
How will this affect his summer?
"We used to go way up river to Cottonwood and all them, but now, take a trip like that will cost you $100 in gas, just to take a short trip. So a lot of these marinas and stuff up North aren't gonna get as many boaters from us down here," Smith said.
Still, Smith admits boaters are a different breed.
"They want to boat no matter what, so you got a short season — three or four months at the most — so they'll go boating," Smith said.
How do you do it without breaking the bank?
"You can control your fuel by not going as fast and you can run up river and then you can float back. Good thing about the river — you don't have to be under power the whole time, so you can float for miles without using any fuel. So, you just have to be smarter about the usage," boater Steve Dannenberg said.
He says it costs him $375 to fuel his boat up, but he's got a strategy down.
"It's a short season: keep boating, cut back in other areas if you can and enjoy your boat," Dannenberg said.
"It's a waiting game now," said Smith.
A Nebraska conservation officer also tells 3 News Now you can save fuel by avoiding windy days and rough water. Also, he says, limit the number of people on your boat.
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