Newbie help needed on compact pontoons

[fuzzybub]

I am a newbie just getting started in the market for a pontoon boat with an expected purchase around the Christmas Holiday. I live in central Florida with access to a chain of 16 lakes right around the corner. I am looking for something that will allow my two boys to fish and tube as well as give myself and my wife some time out on the water. Between year round travel sports and working towards Eagle Scouts, school activities, etc., we are already on the go the majority of each week . Taking into consideration that this pontoon will not be the only thing we are living and breathing at this point, I am looking for something that will do a quality job meeting its purpose without breaking the bank.
I have started researching the internet to try to get familiar with things. Talk about making your head spin?.Based on our needs and budget at this point, I am considering maybe a compact pontoon that is 14-16ft. As I indicated it will primarily be used for fishing and tubing for our 12 & 13 year olds.
Who are reputable manufacturers of compact pontoons???? There seems to be a good many of them. Also, I notice that many of these size pontoons top out at a max 40-50 Hp motor. Will this be enough to give the boys a decent tubing experience? Does anyone have experience with compact pontoons? Any advice and direction would greatly be appreciated!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Newbie help needed on compact pontoons

You don't want a 14 foot pontoon with four of you. That is simply too small. A 16 is even a bit on the small side and I would highly recommend an 18. Thiose smaller toons are HP limited and towing a tube would create a major power issue and the kids would soon be bugging you for a bigger engine. Don't make the HP mistake. You can always throttle back with a bigger engine but you cannot throttle up with a smaller engine when it is already struggling. An 18 footer will have a 75 HP rating minimum and depending of floor plan, will provide plenty of space.

 

[BobGinCO]

Re: Newbie help needed on compact pontoons

Avalon/Tahoe have small toons like that.

http://www.avalonpontoons.com/info/catalog.html

Page 34 and 40

 

[Old Screwball]

Re: Newbie help needed on compact pontoons

We just (last month) bought a Sun Tracker 18' Party Barge. They make a similar fishing barge (Bass Buggy) I optioned the hp motor and vinyl floors. With upgrades and a trailer, a killer stereo and Bimini top, the unit was nickels under 20 grand. A few things I learned....

Everyone, well almost everyone, lies about how fast their 'toon' is. The dealer said 40 mph, give or take. Well, take about 20 mph and you got it. Best I've done is 24mph. Not sure how thrilling a tube ride your kids will get at 24mph.

Don't get me wrong, we LOVE our barge, makes a perfect platform for the River. Plenty of room for the grand kids stuff. Last trip out we had 6 adults and 4 kids. Plenty of seating room, and still had enough deck space to dance! The last 3 boats were 'go fast' boats with much more limited seating. I just need to get used to taking a bit more time getting to and from. Guess if I want to go fast we will take the 'Doo's.

Happy hunting and good luck

 

[WaterDR]

Re: Newbie help needed on compact pontoons

Anything under 18' is REALLY small for a pontoon. You will run out of space really fast and not be able to do much with it.. Rather than go that route, I bet you could spend the same amount of money on a much more capable used toon.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Newbie help needed on compact pontoons

Go used in the 20' range and at least a 90, you won't regret getting the extra space or engine, it will do everything you want and you won't outgrow it immediately, I think a 14-16 with a 50 would have you looking for a new boat almost right away.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Re: Newbie help needed on compact pontoons

I have a 22' Sun Tracker, which is more than enough for a family of four. I was originally looking at their 18' and the dealer advised me that it couldn't hold a big enough motor for tubing. I have been told by others that tubing creates more drag than skiing, but I have never done either, so I don't know. I ended up deciding to fore go the idea of skiing or tubing with my toon and decided on just using it for cruising and socializing. As a result of that decision, I decided to get a toon big enough to hold a lot of friends too. The 20' would have been a good size, but honestly I picked the 22' simply because the bow seats are long enough for me to lay down on. I have a 60HP motor and it is great for cruising and great on gas.

That being said, there are a few manufacturers that make smaller toons, but I don't think you are going to be able to go tubing with the HP options available. I saw a decent maker in the FL area, but I can't remember the name. I'll hunt it down, if you want. Have you thought about a deck boat? You can get more power with a smaller boat and still have a similar social experience to a toon.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Newbie help needed on compact pontoons

+1 on pontoons in the 20-22' range. Compact pontoons are for old people on restricted lakes--not for families with teenagers. Putting the largest engine on a pontoon that the boat is rated for is best--since your kids will want to do water sports (Tubing).

You can go online @ IBoats.com or Boattraders.com and look for new and used pontoons that would fit the bill in your retail market.