Ski Boat or Pontoon

[wiegs]

So here is our dilemma. About 5 years ago my wife and I purchased a 2003 glastron gx185 ski boat. We love the boat and it is in great condition. After having a couple kids we realized we needed more space and opted to find a larger boat. We fell in love with the space and comfort of the pontoons and purchased a 20' sweetwater tritoon. Now we are a family of 5 and we know it does not make sense to own two boats. I really enjoy water sports and I'm sure when our kids get older they will get into watersports also.

Pontoon or ski boat? I am leaning more towards selling both in a couple years and getting a 24' ski boat.

Thoughts?

 

[no704]

Keep the toon and get big enough "ski" to pull the toys?

 

[Fastatv]

So here is our dilemma. About 5 years ago my wife and I purchased a 2003 glastron gx185 ski boat. We love the boat and it is in great condition. After having a couple kids we realized we needed more space and opted to find a larger boat. We fell in love with the space and comfort of the pontoons and purchased a 20' sweetwater tritoon. Now we are a family of 5 and we know it does not make sense to own two boats. I really enjoy water sports and I'm sure when our kids get older they will get into watersports also.

Pontoon or ski boat? I am leaning more towards selling both in a couple years and getting a 24' ski boat.

Thoughts?

Unless your barefoot skiing, or skiing tournament speeds, why can't the tritoon 20 foot pontoon do the job? I have had four pontoons..all were triples, and all of them could pull slalom skiers, kneeboards, tubes...etc

 

[agallant80]

I see pontoons pulling skiers all of the time. I had a 21 foot ski boat before and it was tight with 4 adults.

 

[haulnazz15]

Get a deck boat, problem solved. I loathe pontoon boats.

 

[Stumpalump]

Pontoon. Two many $$ ski tugs hauling around beginners that can't even jump a wake board or ride a slalom. It's like all the city folks that drive jacked up pickup trucks and wax the unused bed. A pontoon will pull tubes and boards just fine.

 

[haulnazz15]

Pontoon. Two many $$ ski tugs hauling around beginners that can't even jump a wake board or ride a slalom. It's like all the city folks that drive jacked up pickup trucks and wax the unused bed. A pontoon will pull tubes and boards just fine.

Wow, interesting observation. Problem is, I don't think the OP was contemplating getting an inboard tournament boat. It's possible to find 24' Wakeboard boats, but I doubt that's his intention. A 23-24' runabout will do just fine, and plenty of deck boats in that size if he prefers the open layout of a pontoon.

Pontoons can pull tubes, but they don't generally have much of a wake, so that takes a bit of the fun out. If you want to pull a 200lbs guy up on a slalom with a 'toon, you better have some decent power hanging off of the back (200HP+). I hate pontoons simply for the way they handle, especially in chop. I suppose if all I wanted to do was putt around the lake at a slow cruise and fish one spot on the open lake they'd be fine. Yes, they make 65mph+ tri-toons, but they are $$$ to get the same performance as a runabout.

 

[H20Rat]

Pontoons are fine for a little bit of weekend rec. Slalom skiing and wakeboarding SUCK behind a pontoon, doesn't matter how many tubes or how big of engine.

 

[garbageguy]

If skiing is your priority, skip the toon

 

[jestor68]

Take a look at the Hurricane line of Sun deck boats. 18-23 ft "deck" style boats with a real windshield for those times when you don't feel like having the wind in your face.

Most manufacturers produce some sort of deck style boat. The best of both worlds; bow rider performance with pontoon style all around seating.

 

[wiegs]

Thanks for the feedback. A couple of things. We went with a 115 merc on the toon. We pull a tube but it does not handle that great. I don't think I would kneeboard or wakeboard behind it. I like jumping the wake. A couple of the bow riders we like are the glastron 245 and bryant 233x and bryant 210 walkabout. These are all nice and have nice amount of room. Oh and they will fit in our garage which saves storage cost.

 

[haulnazz15]

Don't forget about the Chaparral Sunesta line. Pretty nice boats like the 232 to be had, and a bit of a step up from Bryant and Glastron.