Pontoon vs. Deckboats

[hostage]

My old man is looking at buying a boat for their small lake. They have looked at a few different boats. There requirements are:

1) Comfortable with lots of room for people
2) Be able to tube and ski, they have 2 grand kids

They took a look at some different boats including some Tahoes, but I advised against Tahoes after reading some negative reviews about them. They are looking at a Premier 24' tri-pontoon boat w/ a 240 i/o motor on it. They told me they want the versatility of a pontoon boat, which imho I think tri-hull deckboats are more versatile.

While knowing my parents very well, I have the feeling they will be doing less of bringing friends out and more water sports with the nephews. Also with the new fad of wake-boarding, it looks like the nephews would have more fun on the deckboat.

I do have a couple more questions:

1) Can pontoons plain?
2) How is gas usage on a deckboat vs pontoon?
3) How is the resell value of a deckboat vs a pontoon?

Thanks in advance,

Hostage

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

1) Can pontoons plain?
2) How is gas usage on a deckboat vs pontoon?
3) How is the resell value of a deckboat vs a pontoon?

1) Plane... yes, a tri-tube will plane up, but it is still a huge compromise for water sports, ESPECIALLY wakeboarding. The wake just isn't useful for anything other than a beginner. (a double tube pontoon will plane up given enough power, trust me, i know! Its only a matter of horsepower to turn a pontoon from an old persons cruiser to a hydroplane racer! The airspace between the tubes can do wonders...)

2) A pontoon will be harder on gas when run under identical conditions for water sports. A pontoon on plane is a displacement hull design that is forced on plane by brute power. Not exactly the most fuel efficient design! A deckboat is generally fairly good on fuel for a planing hull. They usually have a fairly shallow V.

3) Depends entirely on your local market. At least in my area, and I suspect this holds true for most, is that pontoons will hold value much better. At the far end, boats can reach a point where they are worthless and not worth salvaging. A pontoon can ALWAYS be rebuilt unless someone puts it up on the rocks. (and even then, a good aluminum welder can do wonders)

 

[soaringhiggy]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

This months issue of Boating had information on fast 'toons. Over 60 which is fast enough for most things.

 

[cwhite6]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

Depends on how much money they want to spend. Look at this month's Boating magazine (I believe it is Boating). They have a high performance pontoon shootout in it. They are folks making planing hull pontoons by using lifting strakes and different shaped pontoons. They had one that was factory built to exceed 70mph. But, they also showed a bunch that would go in the mid 40's and put out nice wakes. Check the article out, it is really cool.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

For watersports, speed doesn't mean much. Waterskiing max speed is 35 mph, and barefooting, which nobody under the age of 30 seems to do anyway, is 45 or so mph.

I've wakeboarded behind a couple different tri toons, none of which had anything remotely close to a nice wake. They ranged from non-existent to mediocre at best. All the tri-toons produced a frothy, double wake, instead of one nice solid well formed roller. Even my 1976 15 foot glastron tri-hull had a bigger and nicer wake than any tri-tube pontoon i've ridden behind.

For learning to wakeboard, it is fine. All the tri-tube companies bring out professional wakeboarders and show them doing flips, keep in mind these guys don't need ANY wake to do a flip!

 

[Divecaptchris]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

Go deckboat! Handles much better, more wake, faster, just better in my oppinion! course everyone hase one of those

 

[g4olfer]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

Tri tune will ride smoother in rough water and fuel consumption is about the same. I have a 5.0 MPI in mine and camping partner of mine has same motor in a deckboat, have used both boats for all watersports and fuel useage is almost identical and my pontoon is 4 ft longer. I like pontoons better with the exception of no wake for wakeboarding.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

I don't see deckboats holding their value any worse than a pontoon. I'd take a deckboat any day over the pontoon just for the ride quality in 1' chop!

 

[2ndtry]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

I don't see deckboats holding their value any worse than a pontoon. I'd take a deckboat any day over the pontoon just for the ride quality in 1' chop!

I'm I deckboat guy (own a hurricane), and I am pretty sure the pontoon will take 1' chop better than the deckboat. Mine will knock your fillings out.

 

[Divecaptchris]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

Realy i run mine in 1' chop all the time! never see anything less! I have a 22' hurricane with a 150 yamaha, if u sit up frount u bounce but on the back "L" or in the drivers seat at 35mph its smooth!

 

[lunkerv16]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

when i was younger some friends of my parents had a toon, not sure how big it was but it had a 90hp mercury, and we pulled two water skiers behind that thing all day, it didnt like it but it was pretty neat. Back then I didnt think much of that but now a days I rarely see a toon pulling one skier but two is unheard of.

 

[hostage]

Re: Pontoon vs. Deckboats

Sounds like you are telling us what you want, not what your parents want.

heh, I already have what I want, a 19ft Cuddy. If I was down where they were it would be an open bow. They can be very indecisive about things like this and can take up to a decade to decide. They live on a 200 acre lake, so even this 24ft seems a bit mammoth. They also have a fully climate controlled boat house attached to their house. They are interested in trailering it to my grandfather's house who lives on a lake as well. It doesn't seem that it would be that much fun to transport a boat that large ~100 miles.

Granted I might be partial to a deckboat, but I think it is mainly because I think that would be the best fit knowing them. I know my mom is partial to a pontoon.

How hard is trailering a pontoon vs a deckboat?
IMHO I think their best fit is a deckboat v-hull type hull and a pontoon floating living room like top. You will get the performance of a fish and ski boat with the comfort of a pontoon.