Pontoon Boats are very popular these days on lakes and often referred to as "party boats" since they are great for cruising in calm waters and allow lots of people on board for casual fun in the sun. Pontoon boats are available for rentals on lakes and rivers in many parts of the United States. I had my first experience with one a few years back out on a lake in central Oregon. They are really fun if you are not interested in speeding around but rather just relaxing on the water. Renting is one thing but buying a pontoon boat is a whole other ballgame. Which features should you consider when buying one? How much should you spend? How big does it need to be? Will you use it for fishing or just for cruising? These are all common questions that buyers ask and we hope to answer most of them down below in our "buyers guide" area.
The first thing to consider is size. How many people will be on the boat (on average)? The general guidelines for size of boats for the # of people are: 2-6 people = 18' to 20' boat, 6-10 people = 22' to 24' boat, 10+ people = 25' boat or larger. Fishing pontoon boats are increasingly more popular these days, so that is another factor you need to consider. There are dedicated fishing models, cruising models and a mix of both types. If you are looking to pull tubes and water toys or even adult water skiers you will need a powerful enough engine. On the 18 to 22 foot pontoon boats, you'll need a 40 HP engine (minimum) for pulling toys or just cruising. 60+ HP is required for pulling skiers on those boats. On 24' pontoon boats, you'll need 50+ HP for pulling toys or cruising and 75HP for pulling skiers. On the larger 28 foot boats, get at least a 50HP engine for cruising and pulling toys and 80HP if you plan on having water skiers. Some of the larger pontoon boats come with sinks, grills, enclosure packages, and sleeper couches. The new Deck Boats are a great option for those wanting a similar layout of pontoon boats but with sport boat performance. In terms of construction and design, pontoon boats take on great amounts of stress where the rails attach to the decks and you'll adequate fasteners to keep the boat together year after year. Screws are definitely cheaper compared to the bolts, but stainless steel bolts provide the best durability. Experts suggest getting down below the boat to see how the major stress points are fastened before purchasing anything. For decking materials, look for a rigid material to help absorb stress as you go through the water and keep it off the fasteners mentioned above. Look for sound insulation so that the bottom of the decking can resist the constant beating of water on it. Carpet tends to be the deck cover of choice on pontoon boats. The actual decking materials to choose from are aluminum, wood, and composites. Aluminum is often the material of choice for manufacturers since it eliminates the worry of decay. The disadvantages to using aluminum are many though. It's not the best material for rigidity and often self-tapping screws are used as fasteners to but down on costs. Lastly, aluminum does not do a good job at insulating for heat and sound. Wood has only 1 drawback and that is the possibility of decay (which can be a huge problem). Otherwise using wood for your decking material is great for rigidity, panel strength, and insulating qualities. Pressure treated wood should help with any decay issues. Composite decking was created to provide "decay proof" decking. It has superior rigidity when compared to aluminum, but is not as good as wood. Composite decking can be expensive but it should provide a longer carpet life than some of the other options. The 3 pontoon boat designs are round pontoons, foam filled "U" shaped pontoons, and single chamber baffled round pontoons. There is really no best type, so make sure you ask your dealer what the advantages and disadvantages are for each. Other things to consider are: side rails and corner castings that can withstand an impact, tube to frame attachment methods (solid welding, bracket type), keel design (prevent or increase risk of damage), panel systems (will they rattle, are they durable), seat base design, vinyl quality, and transom design (durability). The new outboard motors are definitely quieter and more fuel efficient than there older counterparts. The engine types are cross-charged two strokes and loop charged two strokes. Some of the newer two stroke fuel injected and four stroke outboards are worth a look. It seems that consumers like all the advantages offered from the 4-stroke outboards like better fuel economy, durability, less noise and vibration, and operating costs. Some other features to consider when buying a pontoon boat are ladders (great for swimmers), depth finder (fisherman love this option), changing rooms, mooring cover, individual seat covers vinyl decks, and enclosure packages (keeps the sun off those with sensitive skin and provide shelter for sleeping on the boat). The top manufacturers of pontoon boats are Premier, Bennington, Crest, Bentley, Suntracker, and Sweetwater.
Best Pontoon Boat:
It's hard to say one pontoon boat is better than another as each users needs are different and consumers want different features. For the 18' to 20' pontoon boats, experts say the Bentley 2007 184 4 Point is a great choice with a bolted deck, max HP of 75, handles up to 8 people, and comes with a 9' Bimini Top. There is a built-in live well and Rotocast furniture. You can find more details online at Bentleypontoon.com. Another popular model is the Suntracker Party Barge 20 - an excellent family boat that holds up to 12 people. Fuel capacity is 30 gallons and the 2 stroke engine model will cost about $13800 while the four stroke EFI Bigfoot model runs closer to $17,000. Features include mooring cleats, stainless steel fasteners, dual latching gates, plenty of under seat storage, and lounge seating. Suntracker claims to be the #1 selling pontoon boat in the world and you can see their entire line of products online at Suntrackerboats.com. If you go slightly larger to the 22' foot pontoon boats, consider the Premier Legend Pontoon which is considered an excellent touring pontoon boat. Comes equipped with an 11' Bimini top, playpen cover, polished corner castings, stainless steel hardware, and tilt steering. The Bennington 2875 RLX10 is a great pontoon boat at 28' with convenient floorplans, chaise lounges, camper like enclosures, vinyl flooring, and lots of storage space for the entire crowd. The RLX series from Bennington can handle up to 17 passengers and make for great outings on lakes and quiet waterways. Their website is at Benningtonmarine.com with pictures and detailed descriptions of each pontoon boat along with dealer locations and online price quotes.
Pontoon Boat Fishing:
Pontoon boats have been used for fishing for years, but in the last decade or 2 more fly fishing pontoon boats have been designed that provide avid fisherman with plenty of benefit over the other pontoon boats we are all familiar with. The advantages of pontoon boats made just for fly fishing are many: easy maneuverability, high durability records, versatility lets you use them on rivers and lakes, inflatable pontoon boats are portable, and the interior design allows for convenient storage of reels, rods, nets, bait, etc. Two of the more established manufacturers of fly fishing (fishing) pontoon boats are Buck's Bags and Outcast. The Fish Cat Pontoon Boats from Outcast range from $400 to $1700 and you can see their selection online HERE. Buck's Bags started with float tubes in the 1980's and now has a recognized name for pontoon boats used for fishing and fly fishing. The Bronco Extreme 11 ($1300) is popular model and rates well. RECOMMENDED - We suggest looking online at Amazon.com. They carry brand names like Classic Sport, Buck Bag, Pelican, and Creek Company. You can browse their top rated pontoon boats here.
Mini Pontoon Boat:
The Sunny Days Electric is a mini pontoon boat that retails for about $3700. The electric mini pontoon boat has capacity for 2 and is a little over 11 feet long and almost 6 1/2 feet wide. It's wired for dual electric batteries with battery switch. Made of aluminum the boat is great for fishing, diving, or just sitting in the sun and relaxing. Kennedypontoons.com is another manufacturer of both electric mini toons and outboard mini pontoons.
Used Pontoon Boats:
The used market for pontoon boats is huge with Ebay and boat sites listing 1000's all over the country. If you are not picky about having a "new" pontoon boat, at least take a look at some of the used models available in your area. Iboats.com literally has over 3000 to choose from with top brands like Sun Tracker, Crest, JC, Premier, Fisher, Tracker, and Bennington. It's easy to search by state and boat type in order to focus your search results to your local area.
Pontoon Boat Trailers - Covers:
Two items you will need in order to not only own but take care of your pontoon boat are a quality trailer and a cover for the boat. Pontoon boat covers are priced from about $200-$330 and trailers are $1500-$2000. Pontoonstuff.com has a pretty decent selection of both covers and pontoon boot trailers to choose from. The trailers include light duty, heavy duty, center lift, single axle, tandem axle, and more. You can often get a better price from a dealer if you purchase your pontoon boat with the cover and trailer at the same time. Be sure to ask your salesperson if they will give you a discount.
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BUYING GUIDES
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