Pontoon boat rentals soar on Memorial Day

Businesses across the Panhandle have roared back to life for the holiday weekend, and maybe none more so than the rental boat industry.

Scotty Boat Rentals in Panama City had its entire fleet of rental pontoons booked out Memorial Day and had an extremely busy weekend overall. The business was closed for part of the pandemic, and a big weekend to kick off the summer season was certainly welcome.

"The demand is greater than what we have," said owner Scott Smith.

While tourists make up the bulk of the summer season, Smith wants locals to remember he is there to serve the Panama City community as well.

"Part of living at the beach is enjoying the beach, so we're not just a tourist business but a local business too," Smith said.