What make pontoon's choice?

FreddyQueb

Recruit
Joined
Feb 22, 2010
Messages
3
What make your decision for your pontoon's choice? What did you expect to do with it? Which options to consider?
 

EGlideRider

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
1,000
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

What make your decision for your pontoon's choice?
Price
Two side doors
24 footer
Furniture layout

What did you expect to do with it?
Cruise
Enjoy the company of friends and family

Option considerations
Depth finder
Marine radio
Compass
GPS
Docking lights
Full enclosure
 

jafo9

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 10, 2009
Messages
150
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

after having a non performance 2 toon with the super loud 3.0L Mercruiser I focused mainly on performance. I only looked for Premier, Bennington or Manitou with their performance packages. I also needed at least 24ft with no captains chairs for maximum seating. Ended up with an older premier with a 225 outboard and the PTX package. Had to drive a ways to get it and i've had to put a good bit of time and money in the motor, but it's what i wanted.

don't buy what you don't really want as you'll be looking for that next boat as soon as you have the "new" one on the water.
 

shaeleblanc

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
103
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

mine was price, max horse rating of 175 for the motor i already had, floor layout to allow easy fishing, 2 side doors, 3 pontoons, the design of the pontoon being U shaped giving a better connection to the deck compared to the round pontoon, and the options i got with it.
 

sc_shane

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
167
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

When it came time to chose a boat, my wife was dead set on a bow rider or ski boat so we could ski. I took her to the dealership and we sat in a really nice bow rider. I told her to look around, we'd put this kid there, and this kid there. Now, where are we going to put my cooler? Okay, now is anyone going to come with us? What about a tube, skis, float toys - where's the dog gonna sit?

When then went and sat in a pontoon. I sat down, as did she. Okay, this kid here, that kid there, my mom and dad could come along during their visit. Oh, and our neighbors and their 2 kids. Three coolers, no problem. Tube, ropes, anchors, fishing gear, portable grill, wow. This thing is HUGE.

With 3 kids now, tons of stuff, and tons of friends, we found the pontoon to be the most VERSITLE. I can go fishing, we can go pleasure riding, we can tube, we can beach up on islands easily. The great thing is, we have several friends now with ski boats, bow riders or center consoles. They bring their boat, and if we want to ski, we use those boats for the water sports, and my boat for enjoying time on the water, perfect place for the kids (like a big playpen) and to carry all the stuff. The pontoon is party central - as my dad puts it, a lliving room on the water.

If you're 100% watersports, a pontoon is not for you. If you want to be able to do everything else, bring tons of stuff and tons of friends, a pontoon is perfect.
 

sc_shane

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
167
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

One more thing as for options.

I personally don't care for the "fishing" models. They take out seats that you will want to have when you have a crowd (and who doesn't want to come along if you are inviting people out to the water). So get as many seats as possible.

Bimini top is a must - you will want to shade your living room on hot summer days.

A good stereo is nice to have.

More power. The bigger the pontoon, the more horsepower you'll want. For reference, my rig is 25' long with a 90HP Yamaha outboard - I cruise, loaded down, at 18mph. By myself, with a fishing buddy or not so loaded, I can roll 22mph. Plenty enough most of the time, but when you're going from one end of the lake to the other, it would be nice to have another 5mph.
 

brumbyvet

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 11, 2009
Messages
44
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

For my family it was speed, low horsepower (mpg), and cost. That's why we bought what we did and we couldn't be happier.
 

ezwitter

Seaman
Joined
Dec 5, 2009
Messages
61
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

owned few boats over the years, been own lake with family and see another family with pontoon boat and wife says boy that looks roomy. i guess it was the room for us ( wife, kids, grandkids) speed not a promblem, not going anywhere fast anyway
 

shaeleblanc

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
103
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

the main reason for mine was i liked the pontoon design. i have never seen another toon with them like mine also. i cruise at 22 loaded and by my self with 1 other and e tank on my current prop i am at 43-44 mph, with the new prop i am hoping to see close to 50. here is a pic
 

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OldePharte

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 17, 2008
Messages
633
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

the main reason for mine was i liked the pontoon design. i have never seen another toon with them like mine also. i cruise at 22 loaded and by my self with 1 other and e tank on my current prop i am at 43-44 mph, with the new prop i am hoping to see close to 50. here is a pic

I assume that you are talking about the U-shape tubes. JC Mfg and Playcraft all make U-shaped logs; same for GIII and Voyager. Sundancer all all the rest, except for JC Mfg, are located within 60 miles of each other in central Missouri.
 

Bowser4x4

Seaman
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
58
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

Since the lake we live on is HP restricted/No Wake, the pontoon makes a great family/friend party/fishing boat. Wanted something that I can take the fairly, dog, and a load of friends out for a dinner cruise and something that is easy to fish off of with the kids.

Ours is an older Gruman 20' that I repowered with a Honda 9.9 with a 4 blade power prop. Definitely is not a speedster, but it is smooth, quiet and can handle 12 people without too much problem.

Woof
Bowser
 

shaeleblanc

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
103
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

I assume that you are talking about the U-shape tubes. JC Mfg and Playcraft all make U-shaped logs; same for GIII and Voyager. Sundancer all all the rest, except for JC Mfg, are located within 60 miles of each other in central Missouri.

awsome man i did not know that.
 

imported_John o

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
137
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

What make your decision for your pontoon's choice?
Performance, versatility, room and comfort


What did you expect to do with it?
Cruise
Enjoy the company of friends and family
fish
watersports

Option considerations
Depth finder
GPS
Docking lights
Double bimini

I ended up getting a Manitou Osprey Pro SHP F2 fishing pontoon. Manitou is the only brand I looked at because I wanted the SHP package due to it's better handling. It is among the three fastest and probably the best manuevering hullform out there (for a pontoon). I put a 175 Yamaha VMAX HPDI motor on it. (I should have gone to the 200 but that added weight and I wasn't sure my truck would have liked it). I put a motorguide wireless controlled 74lb thrust trolling motor in the front gate.

I have fishing chairs on all four corners. I removed the front two and replaced them with reclining loungers. I added two boarding ladders (port and stbd) with the port one being 5 steps for ease of boarding. Both ladders are versatrack (They stay attached. Just flip up and slide out of the gate). I have ample rod storage (8 rods lockable) and live wells fore and aft.

I seat 11 and run about 37MPH fully loaded. Able to pull a three person tube while fully loaded at 22MPH at about 1/2 throttle. Can fish 6 men and 2 boys without everyone getting in each others way.

Basically I have a boat that will do almost everything that I need or want it to do.

The only thing I lack is a sundeck and I'm looking at adding an air matress (or something) that will span my forward live well and the two forward benches.
 

shaeleblanc

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
103
Re: What make pontoon's choice?

i looked into the sundeck also i really like them but i would need a collapseable one and that just way to much money.
 
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