Like waves, fuel prices go up and down. While the windfall of occasional lower prices puts less strain on our wallets, there’s always an environmental burden to using fuel. Therefore, use our tips to always use less fuel without ever skimping on boating fun.

Peek underneath. Unless you trailer your boat and wash it regularly, growth collects on a boat’s bottom as well as the props, shafts, and struts. If you notice that you can’t get your vessel up to a desired speed, it’s time for a short haul to scrub away the barnacles, mussels, algae, kelp, protozoan, seaweed, and other freeloaders that are hitching a ride.

Throttle down. For most boats, speed increases as the hull rises out of the water (planes). However, gas efficiency doesn’t follow — most engines achieve maximum efficiency at 75 to 80 percent of their rated output. Unless you’ve got a timetable to keep, slow down and save money.

Trim the bow. A boat with too much bow up drags at the stern while a vessel with its bow down is difficult to steer. Use trim tabs, if available, or otherwise work the power to achieve the correct bow trim.

Favor fair seas. Besides being unsafe, rough conditions yield fuel inefficiency. Plan outings around tides, currents, and winds to reduce consumption.

Lighten up. If you’re just out for the day, there’s no need to bring along all the weekend-on-the-hook gear. When you reduce the weight in the boat, your gas consumption will shrink, too.

Tune it up. Ask your mechanic about tweaks to make your engine run more efficiently.