Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

[olsode]

I am looking to buy a used boat to use on Rehoboth Bay In Delaware. What is the difference in a deckboat and a ponton bost? Is a deckboat better in salt water?

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Do you want to do water sports, ski, tubing, Ect Ect. Want to go fast as well. Deckboat is your boat of choice.

Ponton is for mostly Lounging around in one spot mostly. Not very fast.

Oh nothing looks worse then a rented Pontoon boat with a bunch of people with Orange vest in Docker Shorts and Polo Shirts.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Extracted from the Web.

#1. Pontoon boaters are huge gas wasters, this is because they plow through the water and not on top of it. This method is very poor in efficiency and results in poor acceleration and lower top end speed.

#2. Underpowered. Most pontoon boats are equipped with an outboard that is underpowered for most people's usage needs. It takes 15 to 20% more horsepower outboard on a pontoon to do roughly the same on a ski boat with same HP engine (except lower top end speed on pontoon).

#3. Limited options. Guess what when you pick a Pontoon with a typical outboard of 60 to 90 HP with 4 to 5 people onboard, you can say goodbye to any chance of pulling a full sized skier or wakeboarder with it. You MIGHT be able to do it, but it will be a terrible experience because you won't be able to get enough speed quickly to get them out of the water.


So, you are going to have a make a choice here. Do you want to mainly just haul people around and just do tubing and possibly kneeboard some? Or do you want to the full opportunity to do all towable watersports?

If you will require the ability to do skiing or wakeboarding, then a deckboat or ski boat is mandatory with a 115 HP or better engine.

Make sure you pay attention to your capacity limit, especially with ski boats. Having 80% or more of max capacity weight tends to cause performance to suffer.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Wow, these are some very bias answers. SO let me fill in the missing parts.
Yes Pontoon require more HP than a Deckboat to reach the same speed but Pontoons are only slow if you put small engines on them. Modern Pontoons with 150+ HP and strakes run anywhere from 30mph up to 70mph. A very few can hit 100mph.

Most Pontoons you see have small motors. I pull tubes behind mine all day and throw people off. I have a friend with a 225hp O/B that runs 50mph and pulls anything.

The other big plus to a Pontoon is how well they handle rough days on the water. On our lake when the chop is heavy I pass everyone at 27mph with 4 adults and a kid on board because the deckboats and bow riders are getting beat to death. Modern Pontoon with strakes do not plow. They actually plane. Mine does not have strakes and I do Plow but it is a smooth ride no matter how rough the water is.

I will admit that my Honda 115hp will produce a good bit more speed on a deckboat than it does on my Pontoon.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

The main difference - Deckboat has a normal V type boat hull and a pontoon has pontoons. Both offer a lot of space, either could have an inboard or outboard - the pontoon is more likely to have an outboard. In general the deckboat will be for people who want to go a bit faster and handle better and pull more than just a tube. Pontoon is going to be a ton less expensive unless you want a powerfull one.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Extracted from the Web.

#1. Pontoon boaters are huge gas wasters, this is because they plow through the water and not on top of it. This method is very poor in efficiency and results in poor acceleration and lower top end speed.

#2. Underpowered. Most pontoon boats are equipped with an outboard that is underpowered for most people's usage needs. It takes 15 to 20% more horsepower outboard on a pontoon to do roughly the same on a ski boat with same HP engine (except lower top end speed on pontoon).

#3. Limited options. Guess what when you pick a Pontoon with a typical outboard of 60 to 90 HP with 4 to 5 people onboard, you can say goodbye to any chance of pulling a full sized skier or wakeboarder with it. You MIGHT be able to do it, but it will be a terrible experience because you won't be able to get enough speed quickly to get them out of the water.


So, you are going to have a make a choice here. Do you want to mainly just haul people around and just do tubing and possibly kneeboard some? Or do you want to the full opportunity to do all towable watersports?

If you will require the ability to do skiing or wakeboarding, then a deckboat or ski boat is mandatory with a 115 HP or better engine.

Make sure you pay attention to your capacity limit, especially with ski boats. Having 80% or more of max capacity weight tends to cause performance to suffer.

Very biased answer, and for the most part, incorrect. You, my friend, need a re-education. But then again, if you read it on the internet, it MUST be correct.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

I will admit that pontoon do not create a huge wake so wakeboarding may not be as thrilling but tubing and skis with enough HP can be done with ease. I don't know many sane people that tube and ski at over 30 mph.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

I don't know many sane people that tube and ski at over 30 mph.

LOL, speed for a slalom course is 34-36 damn hard to keep the ski above water at under 28

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

OKAY I have never tried to use one ski. We pretty much tube, kneeboard and we ski once in a while but not much at all.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Very biased answer, and for the most part, incorrect. You, my friend, need a re-education. But then again, if you read it on the internet, it MUST be correct.

OK that is what I found on the internet and I agree with most of the statements. Every pontoon I have seen looks like its plowing threw the water at a nails pace. Maybe going 15 mph. Or at least that is what it looks like when I speed by at 35mph. Most I have seen is rentals as well with crappy outboards making a stink. Sorry don't mean to be Bias but that is what I have seen. I don't see Pontoons being used for water sports however.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

I will admit that pontoon do not create a huge wake so wakeboarding may not be as thrilling but tubing and skis with enough HP can be done with ease. I don't know many sane people that tube and ski at over 30 mph.

Rick AKA Toontime your Toon looks Modern with a powerful Motor. You experience may differ from what I seen. Do you have Picts of your toon other than your avatar.

 

[RIDEPATE]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Like I told the wife. When you see me with a pontoon. Life is over, I've given-up..............LOL.
Really to me it's the safety-factor. A toon will loose everytime when invloved in a collision with another boat. It's just a ramp for a glass-boat and the deck and people will be cleared. I've see it happen twice in my life, and it was not a pretty sight.
No way I'll every put my family on one.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Rick AKA Toontime your Toon looks Modern with a powerful Motor. You experience may differ from what I seen. Do you have Picts of your toon other than your avatar.

Mine is not a speed demon by any means. Only opted for the 115hp but it is smooth and pulls tubes all day. Also nice to load her up with 12 people and still cruise just under 25mph. She runs about 29mph with the wife and I.

Speed does cost more since you need more HP. During raft up all the friends tie up the go fast boats and climb aboard.

 

[riptide09]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Oh nothing looks worse then a rented Pontoon boat with a bunch of people with Orange vest in Docker Shorts and Polo Shirts.

You just insulted my last company outing.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Thanks for the Picts. Your toon look nice and modern with a Modern Motor. Im sure it serves its main purpose as a Floating patio just fine. Not really as efficient as a ski boat pulling what ever. If you happy with it, Then I happy for you.

PS Im envy one thing. You have a big mimini shade cover.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Party Boat. Nice Picts.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

I did not buy mine as a ski boat but there are tons out there that have. They are not for everyone but basing a decision on the fact that people say they are slow is the wrong reason. I have had 30" Center Consoles one with twin Merc 250's but the Maintenance and cost of ownership is less with a toon. Never have to remember to put the plug in.. Smooth ride in rough water and a great way to spend the day on the water with the family make it the right boat for me. (I will admit I should have gotten the 150hp) but that is my fault not the boat's.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Like I told the wife. When you see me with a pontoon. Life is over, I've given-up..............LOL.
Really to me it's the safety-factor. A toon will loose everytime when invloved in a collision with another boat. It's just a ramp for a glass-boat and the deck and people will be cleared. I've see it happen twice in my life, and it was not a pretty sight.
No way I'll every put my family on one.

I have seen the same thing happen with Bow riders. Most of which sit lower in the water than my toon. I don't think anyone wins in a boat collision. If I was basing my decisions on danger factors I would not ride a motorcycle or take the family on the interstate. But I do understand your concern.

 

[Art Bernard]

Re: Deckboat V's Pontoon Boat

Wow, I just got thru with the same decision. I went with a deck boat over a toon for several reasons. First a deck boat, to me, is much more solid feeling, uses less fuel (less gass planing than plowing), uses a more traditional trailer (I use a bunk system with mine), seams to be better suited for watersports. Maybe I should say it's more versatile. I can plow along and do the party-barge thing or I can crank her up and pull skiers (150 evinrude). I'm down here in panama city florida and I see allot of both types running around. The toons do seam to have more trouble with rough water but like I said I live on the gulf so not to familiar how they are in a lake environment. I will say that if your running in saltwater consider fiberglass for whatever you get, or make sure you do good washdows after each run, salt water will devour neglected aluminum (15 years in the Navy and I've reworked ALLOT of aluminum). It really boils down to you deciding what you want to do with your boat and getting one that will do it. No boat is a bad boat if it does what you ask of it and you like it. I went with a used 1977 Viking. She has plenty of deck space, nice beam, great storage, and sits 10 people.

Art