Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

[slia67]

We are considering the switch from a 20' bowrider to a pontoon. Who has made that kind of a switch and did you have any regrets?

I prefer the speed and flexability of a BR, the rest of the family tend to like the extra room of pontoons. We do alot of tubing, but no water skiing to speak of, and quite a bit of swimming and playing in the water.

Thanks in advance for the thoughts.

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

I made the switch and will never go back. I have a triple tube toon and no matter how rough we cruise in comfort. All the other boats tend to fall in behind me and follow me in when the water gets rough. The only regret I have is not opting for more HP. Get at least a 150hp and you will be happy.

Depending on your budget you can get toons that will outperform most bowriders but HP = $$$

 

[J JACKSON]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

so far we really like the switch from a 19 stingray to a 24 ft pontoon i wish it were faster but the budget only allowed so much right now. I really love all the room and the ride

 

[Jeff-in-PA]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

The only "flaw" with a pontoon is lack of speed. My Starcraft 24' pontoon with a 115 cruises at 16 mph and tops out at 21.6 mph ( GPS verified). My 18' Celebrity with the 4.3L V-6 cruises at 30 easily and tops out at 48 mph.

We fish alot and the extra room on the 'toon is great but when bad weather rolls in, I really miss the "get back quick" speed of the Celebrity.


The extra room makes my wife and our dog happy, so I guess that's good

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

I prefer a pontoon as speed is not a big factor for me, but where you still want speed, maybe a deck boat is worth the look.

 

[OldePharte]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

Don't be too quick to say pontoons have to be slow. I know of one that will exceed 80mph and several others that will run in the 50s+ all day long, well except to stop for gas.

The big issue with pontoon speed is becoming airborne and flipping.

I just switched from a deckboat to a triple tube pontoon. For me the big reason was a smoother ride on a TT. At anything slower than full tilt boogie, the deckboat would pound in the chop that we get from 50+ foot cruisers plowing down the lake.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

I did the switch as I have four kids and we always had the thing loaded and it was tight when hanging out at the sand bar..

I love the pontoon as I can take 16 of my friends along with me and cruise comfortably. It is great to hang out on and to cruise the lake.

I just miss the sportiness of it.. it is kind of like the difference between a Lincoln land yacht and sports car.

 

[Blue Crabber]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

Hope i am not hi-jacking this thread but i just had a quick question about pontoons.

Right now we have a bowrider and the next boat will probably be a deckboat since my wife and I both like the layout better, just wasn't in the budget right now. Although someday I forsee us going to a pontoon boat.

Has anyone ever had, or been on a pontoon boat with an I/O? How did they handle? I was envisioning a triple tube with a 5.7 I/O or something like that. I figured that setup would be quick enough for tubing and sking and satisfy my need for speed, but still be a pontoon boat for the extra space, etc.

So anybody have any thoughts about a pontoon with an I/O vs and Outboard?

 

[smclear]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

Hope i am not hi-jacking this thread but i just had a quick question about pontoons.

Right now we have a bowrider and the next boat will probably be a deckboat since my wife and I both like the layout better, just wasn't in the budget right now. Although someday I forsee us going to a pontoon boat.

Has anyone ever had, or been on a pontoon boat with an I/O? How did they handle? I was envisioning a triple tube with a 5.7 I/O or something like that. I figured that setup would be quick enough for tubing and sking and satisfy my need for speed, but still be a pontoon boat for the extra space, etc.

So anybody have any thoughts about a pontoon with an I/O vs and Outboard?

I had a 26' JC Tritoon with a 5.7 I/O. It was a very nice boat with plenty of power to ski/tube behind. The only drawback was servicing the engine. I did all maintenance myself. It was a royal pain. Bennington makes I/O's that have this issue solved. There may be others, but I am not positive. If you do your own service (winterizing and such) I would advise you to look at engine access. I now have basically the same boat powered by a Honda 135. The only reason for the new boat is the old one got stolen. It is also quite capable of pulling a tube and most likely a skier as well. But, I also have a ski boat so the pontoon is mostly used for cocktail cruises and sandbar lounging.

 

[smclear]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

I prefer a pontoon as speed is not a big factor for me, but where you still want speed, maybe a deck boat is worth the look.

Agree 100%. As my family has always had a pontoon and a speedboat, I never considered "speed" when deciding on a pontoon. Still it needs to be fast enough to get you out of trouble. The first pontoon I remember as a kid was an old 25' Harris Flote Boat with a 18HP Johnson. Took hours just to get anywhere.

It seems to me that if you want great speed, a pontoon is the wrong boat to consider. A deck boat might be a better choice. That's just my $0.02

 

[slia67]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

Great feedback so far. Thanks.

I do like the sportiness and speed of a speed boat, but think for most applications a pontoon may be a good fit for our family. Still not 100% sure I'm still gathering info, and just about everyone I know that ones a boat has a ski boat, a bowrider, or off-shore "go fast" boat.

What is the minimum size engine you would recommend for tubing behind a 'toon?

 

[OldePharte]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

Great feedback so far. Thanks.

I do like the sportiness and speed of a speed boat, but think for most applications a pontoon may be a good fit for our family. Still not 100% sure I'm still gathering info, and just about everyone I know that ones a boat has a ski boat, a bowrider, or off-shore "go fast" boat.

What is the minimum size engine you would recommend for tubing behind a 'toon?

It will depend upon the size of the pontoon. Generally speaking, 150hp should be the minimum on a 25 footer with 200hp a better option.

 

[coolguy147]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

only thing i can really say is that gas on a pontoon sucks. and speed only comes by lots and lots of horsepower but that means lots and lots and lots more gas

 

[rrhodes]

Re: Switch to pontoon from bowrider???

Average speeds I have seen on 24-25' Triple Tube pontoons.

Mine without strakes and a Honda 115hp. Just me on board and 40gal of fuel 29mpg.

6 Adults and 40 Gal of fuel 26mph

Friend with a 24' Triple w/strakes and a 150hp Honda 3 Adults = 38mph

26' JC Tritoon 4 Adults no strakes 225hp Honda = 46mph

Pontoon + Speed = HP

With a pontoon you can go as fast as you can afford. Personally I prefer O/B's . Cheaper maintenance, longer boating season, Self draining...