Entry level pontoon to do waterskiing with

ewgoforth

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May 9, 2015
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1
Hello,

My wife's family had boats growing up, I haven't really done any boating. We're thinking about getting a boat and were thinking a pontoon would be the most versatile. We'd like to have something sufficient to be able to do waterskiing, hang out on the lake, etc. From the little bit of research I've done I'm thinking a 16 or 18 foot pontoon would be the a good size. Would a 75 or 100 hp engine be sufficient for waterskiing with that? How much slower would a larger 20+ foot pontoon be with the same engine? A longer boat would pitch less on rough water right? We might have parking difficulty with a larger boat.

Thanks,
-Eric
 

ahicks

Captain
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Sep 16, 2013
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3,957
I think there are a ton of variables to consider here. The safest answer is to tell you that you need 150hp minimum on a 20-24' boat (tri-toon?) would work for sure.

Then again, we've got some kids living next door that have been using a 24' boat with an 85hp Merc. to ski and tube for years. If that boat were a 20', I don't know that it would make a lot of difference. An 18' might be a little small for some people. Would a boat like this pull a 200lb slalom skier up from a deep water start? Not a chance, but how important would that ability be?

Point? Talk to your wife's family about your ideas? I would definitely agree a pontoon is the most versatile type boat.
 

lmuss53

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Sep 9, 2008
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1,227
ahicks gave you a lot to think about, I'll try to give you a little more.

I bought a new 20 foot Fisher pontoon in 1998 with a Mariner 75 on it. If you are accomplished skiers a combo like this will not make a very exciting ski boat. It will let you ski at a somewhat boring pace and give and get a decent tube ride. I would also call that a bare minimum power to length combo. My current 19 foot pontoon with a 55 hp makes for no skiing at all and a boring 12 to 15 mph tube ride. It doesn't take long to get crowded on a 20 foot boat, believe me 6 people with all their stuff and ski gear and tubes will make for a very crowded 20 foot boat. I would look at a 21 foot or so boat with a 90 minimum motor on it to give you a decent amount of room and a decent amount of power for your water sports, a 115 or even 150 would be fantastic on that boat.
 

Jeep Man

Commander
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Oct 17, 2008
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2,803
The shorter the pontoon, the less likely you will reach the speed you want. You may be better to look at a deck boat, similar in deck layout but with a conventional hull, allowing decent speed without having to go to high horsepower.
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
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Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
I think speed has been covered pretty well. Slalom 19-36, 36 being for experts,tubing 8-25,Wake board,kneeboard 16-19.
Look up some testers on the etec site or Yamaha performance reports.
Note the speed with given hp in relation to size.
I feel the longer toons do as well as the smaller toons with the same hp. in other words the bigger boat 24' will be about as fast as a 18' or 20'.
Even if at only 50 hp.
A 90 on a 22 or 24 probably run about24 mph. Check the pontoon tests.
 

HotTommy

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Mar 15, 2013
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1,025
Eric,
I just got in from a day on the lake in my 24' pontoon boat with a 150 HP outboard. We had four adults and two tiny children on board. We cruised at 18-20 MPH with a top speed towing a small tube of about 25 MPH. I've pulled skiers (not slalom) and kneeboarders int the past and it seemed fast enough. It also had enough UMPH to pull a medium size skier up out of deep water. The downside is that pontoon boats create very little wake. So crossing from side to side does not provide the skier with the same opportunity for air that a V-bottom boat provides. I'm too old to ski now, but frankly, the skiing looked a little boring to me. ... I used to have a 90 HP motor on this boat and it seemed inadequate for how I use it.
 

WaterDR

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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May 8, 2012
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730
This is my advice for a long time pontoon owner with kids and I have had three toons over the years.

Water skiing with a pontoon is really a horrible platform. You can do it....but it's like racing with a suburban. Tubing is one thing but skiing is another.

First of all, don't waste your time with any pontoon smaller than 20ft. 22 to 24 is more the norm and to ski you will need a 150 motor.

Pontoon are great family fun but be careful asking too much.

This is what we do....I have a 24foot toon but we use a jet ski for the nutty stuff. The Waverunner pulls tubes and skiers great without tossing everyone around on the pontoon.
 

WaterDR

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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May 8, 2012
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730
goor luck BTW! Getting a family boat is the best gift you can do for your kids!
 

ahicks

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Sep 16, 2013
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An idea, just something to consider. Realizing full well that the pontoon may be the greatest all around boat, it's darn sure a compromise for skiing. Why not get the pontoon with reasonable power (100hp?) and see where that leaves you? If you hate the boat because it's a dud when it comes to skiing, get a ski boat! While these may not be so great carrying the entire family and friends, they sure make for some great skiing.

My point is that it needs to be understood that a pontoon does one thing well, and that's cruising with a ton of people in a degree of comfort that's hard to beat. Doing anything other than that is going to be a compromise.

Deck boats (sit in or sit on) may be another option that would work well - though they're not perfect all around boats either....
 

MaPaHa

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Jul 6, 2012
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239
I've spent 5 years or better getting to the point of skiing with a pontoon using the piece-mill idea and the bottom line is that the folks that are recommending the 22'-24 foot with a 150 HP are correct. I started out with a 22' pontoon with an 85 HP and we had a good time but you could not ski behind it. Yes I did get up behind it but it was no fun. It wouldn't go fast enough to ski nor would it turn good enough to sling a tube around. I went to a crank rated 140 HP (125 HP in reality) and a Pontoon Water Glide and started to get where I wanted to be but did not do a slalom well. Now I'm using a 150 HP prop rated motor and a center toon with lifting strakes on all three toons and I can tell you the turning is great and the speed is around 40 mph. With several folks on it and a skier it's around 35-36 mph.

If you wind up with a 125 HP on a 22' two-toon boat then I would put a pontoon Water Glide under it and it will get you the speed and turning you need for two skies and a struggle on one ski. Tubing will be great. If you find a two-toon with lifting strakes with a 150 HP then I would still install the Water Glide. A good part of the pontoons with 150 HP will already be tri-toons but try to find one with lifting strakes.

I've spent my whole life on the water doing water sports and some fishing (now at 54 years old) and when my wife wanted a pontoon boat a few years ago I thought I was done skiing. It took me several years to make a go-fast pontoon boat that would do water sports well. There's a reason that the pontoon manufacturers build a tri-toon boat with lifting strakes and a 150 HP motor. It takes that to do what I think you want to do. Save yourself the time that I spent figuring it out and buy a 22' foot or so tri-toon with lifting strakes and a 150 HP ++ motor and be done with it. Adding HP to a two-toon boat without strakes or a Water Glide is just increasing fuel usage without any real gain. Once you hit the speed limit of a displacement hull then more HP is somewhat pointless. You have to have something to get on top of the water, and something to make it turn better for tubing.
 
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ahicks

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I think one's budget needs to be considered as well, and whether thinking new or used.
 

Bamaman1

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May 15, 2011
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This is an old post, but I'll give you my opinion. Forget trying to pull skiers with a pontoon boat.

But a tritoon with lifting strakes and a 150 hp will do the job--22' to 24' in length. With tritoons, they'll top out at about 40 mph, and they'll do anything you need them to do.

I just got off the lake in my Bennington 24' tritoon, and it's a 100% different machine from an old pontoon boat with 75 hp and 19" toons. I can get up and cruise with just about any boat on our lake. And it takes waves, etc. really well.
 
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