I can't believe all the pontoons
 

People are towing them around as their primary boats now. They are on the Great Lakes. There is no getting away from them! WTF is up with this pontoon madness? They used to be second boats for lake front dwellers to take out in the evening or to anchor and swim off of. I hope it's a passing fad because I think they are more annoying than PWCs! :panda::doggy::chick::crazy:

Fuel costs!

Just like center consoles, the country is getting older and need things to board and move around in easier.

Not older......fatter!

Padraig

Those aren't pontoons, they're slow moving aluminum catamarans... Congratulations, all your boats are now cat killers! :cartman:

What's wrong with pontoons? :)

I don't disagree with you on pontoon owners but for everyone I see driving slow and in the way of faster moving boats I see some a-hole in a bow cruiser doing stuipd things also. Case in point just this last week. My wife and I along with some other friends are having a few cold ones cruising the shore line (less then 100ft from shore) and here comes a guy pulling skiers between us and shore. The old paint ball gun came out on that one.

Also they are more popular today because they aren't these slow moving vessels anymore. A 24ft tri-toon with a 250hp+ outboard will easily do 45mph with 8 people on it. Not to mention they are comfortable seats.

I totally get the pontoon craze. I hate to say it but I wish I'd picked up a pontoon I looked at before I bought my boat. It was a Playcraft Powertoon Xtreme with twin 300 Mercs that a local guy put up for sale in IL. It was faster, better fuel economy, and easier to dock than my 29' MCOB with a single.
Even Brad Rowland considers his 38' Scarab his family boat and his toon his go-fast.

Speak for yourself.

My wife has a rule: All toys must be paid for with cash, no financing. I have a 242 Formula, but if I wanted a $50k pontoon she would sign on the dotted line for one. She says they are so practical. I find the 242 to be very practical though. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Now that's funny shi$ Third. I was out last weekend and it seemed like every other boat was a pontoon. That being said they aren't my grandfathers pontoon anymore. I'm still astounded they get into the 6 figures.

I would rock the **** out of a toon too if I lived on a lake.

Since it is salt / Gulf her a CC will do.

Next time you are out on the water, just look around. Us old folks can get around a boat.....don't need no stinking floating porches. It the fatties who need them. Most folks I see in pontoon boats won't fit in a bolster.

Padraig

Vodka / Tonic and a Cigar (or weed) has a different reaction than Tequila and Cocaine ? Hah !

Come down here all the dealers selling glass carry a wakeboard boat line. Take bass pro out of the mix for / pontoon boats sales and the # 1 selling boat in my area is the wakeboard boats and next is Yamaha jet drive boats. Nothing else comes close except pontoon boats.

Bass Pro sell boat lines to a one time entry level buyer. Tracker Pontoons is very poor quality and so is the Tahoe Rec family boats. Junk but they sell a crap load.

I remember when 45 mph on water was considered pretty fast. If I boated in smoother waters I'd definitely own one.

Tons of room, comfortable seating/lounging, very stable, economical and none of my guests (read freeloading friends) would ever complain as they enjoy the ride and a few amenities. Easy to keep the family happy and if you can dump the family for the weekend they're still a great party boat!

RR

P.S I am oldish but not fat..........yet!

I know some of them are faster but I still don't get it for a primary boat. If you need the space you can buy a deckboat and have a real boat. Save the toons for the evening or partying at anchor. I also understand they aren't my daddy's 'toons but very few are really fast and those seem like a waste. They really clog up my local lake sometimes so that the boats that want to run around the lake can't even run their boats because 'toons are idling around all over the lake!

im goint to tell ya .. ive seen some dam nice looking people on pontoon boats .. and usually lots to choose to look at .. id say ive seen more hot *****es on party toons than any go fast boats .. .

by the way im looking for a new toon to park the go fast next to n lounge around on .. bring my newfies , crank some toons .. and enjoy the day .. i must be too fat for the fountain .. dammit honey quit with the beer .... already

I can't tell you how much I hate pontoon boats trying to go fast. We have been blessed to have a cottage on an inland lake and we have a number of higher horsepower pontoons -- what the major problem IMO are the drivers don't seem to have a sense of how much real estate they are taking up. Most of the time it is someone pulling the kids around on a tube or skiing. I really don't care -- let everyone have a great time - but when they try to go back and forth they take such a huge swat of lake that no one can get around them safely. Instead of staying closer to shore- within reason-- they do these gyrations in the middle of the lake. DRIVES ME CRAZY

Another issue that we have is that they "raft up"-- great!!! They have found a quiet cove and have a great time swimming etc. The problem that we have experienced is that they will spend a good portion of the day like this - get liquored up and then try to drive to their dock -- Lord knows that I've hoisted a few - but NEVER when I know that I'm going to get behind any kind of wheel -- It is never worth the risk.

Just this Saturday- my daughter and I were going around the lake not fast about 30 mph. A jet ski was dead in the water and before I knew it - he was within 10ft of my bow. Luckily I pulled back on the throttle and was able to turn to avoid hitting him. The guy had no concept where he was at nor what he just did. We slowed way down and watched him make it to shore -- Needless to say he had one heck of a time getting off the jet ski and walking up to his house-- He was loaded.

Boating during the week is my preference - No one is around!

3pointstar

I don't have a problem with toons. Different strokes for different folks.

Why not a deck boat?....the 3 log pontoon boats will perform equally if nôt better and it will definety ride better than a deck boat

"my lake"? I see the issue now. :)


Obviously more people think pontoons are more desirable/practicle than some. Been to a boat show lately? Times a changin'


We just reserved a pontoon for 8 of us for a week on Cumberland for next month. Leaving the power boats home. I expect we will have more fun puttin around. :D

I'll never stand on my head to change impellers again. Or to do any other maintenance for that matter. I'm shopping now for a tooner. 24-25' range. 250-300 HP. No more waxing. Great MPG. Kids, grandparents, dogs. Light and simple to tow. Don't need a 1 ton truck sitting around rotting that gets used a handful of times per year....the list goes on and on.

I don't miss lugging around 12k lbs of fiberglass and screwing with all the maintenance, fuel and storage costs.

Now those two stories I can relate to. Lake Shelbyville in IL is terrible about having pontoons pulling tubes clogging up the main channel with no clear way to go around. The BEST part of LOTO is that it's too rough on the main channel for them to drag tubes back and forth all day.

On the Great Lakes where ? Ive seen one on the calmest of days once. Not too many people are that dumb to take a toon on Lake Michigan.. wait I take that back.. they will probably not twice thou.

Pontoon = Minivan for the water. To be serious, I see a lot of them and I understand how useful and practical they are but I will never own one. We have no children or a lot of friends I want to take out one the water so I am perfectly happy with what I have.

Up here in Canada, they're not legal to drink on.

So I don't see the point in pontoons......

We have the family 'toon on one lift and my Check on the other. Good combo for me.

I rather get around the lake doing this than drive a pontoon boat all over the lake or actually driving a pontoon seems like this. http://www.endlesspools.com/


IMO they are so boring to drive. its like being a long time hardcore motorcyclist and trade all of your high hp sportbikes and Harleys to get a Moped Scooter with a loud horn

OK in my book..
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I have seen them on Lake Erie a lot and on Lake Huron. They stay closer to shore. There are quite a few on Lake St. Clair and the channels around Harsen's Island. While I was launching my boat on Lake St. Clair last Friday I saw two of them being launched. It used to be that just lakefront people had them and they paid to have them hauled in the spring and in the fall. Now people tow them around. The good thing is that they will never clog up the Great Lakes like they do the inland ones but it still makes me smh. Like I said, there are days that I and others can't even run our boats around the perimeter of the local lake because it is packed with toons idling around. Most full of old people in full street clothing. . . . . . .

Did you see post # 30??

I am super impressed with the options and features they have put on the new ones.......then again I am stunned at the prices they ask also!

I don't see a ton on S. Florida waterways but that might be due to the salt water vs. the aluminum tubes/decks/hardware. I did see on a boat tv show that there is a product made to protect the aluminum tubes and preserve their "shine" but not sure how long that lasts.

You can't beat the simplicity, the layouts or the shade (when bimini top is on)!

http://www.tahoepontoons.com/wp-cont...ini.pdf?59e26d


Take one to the Bahamas?

Twin 300s, joystick controls out on Lake Michigan! :food-smiley-007:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh44sWcd-Gs

With that power on the back you could justify a nice tie bar but it would knock the edge off his joystick docking. lol

I love mine. Stress free...you can drink, eat, spill stuff on it and I can just hose it down. No worries when people tie up (i do have big bumpers to protect their boats) of someone scratching mine.
I have a 28' w just a 115 on the back. 18 speakers, 2 Bimini tops.....and most important of all....a Stripper Pole. :)

was on the toon all weekend the Donzi is just a one function boat I love it but when you are not out to tear up the lake it makes all the other boating functions too tough. rafting off on a weekend with rougher water banging the crap out of it people walking on the interior. storage space everything needs to be packed in smaller so a full day of supplies is tough to get onboard. not wanting to beach it the sand here is more sand pebbles . we pack up for a small expedition and get 15-20 people on two toons beach raft drift and hang all day . the only downside is when the ladies want to get to a powder room or weather rolls in quick getting off the water takes a lot longer than the donzi but I guess twin rudes would cure that.

The Nor Tech 42 Monte Carlo is probably the best multi purpose hybrid I have seen and would handle most any boating situation, go fast ,lounge in comfort, hang with friends but If I had one the rafting and the beaching would still be a no go but getting the girls to the powder room would be a lot quicker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiTIOiT_uVI

sooner or later we will have to accept our sport died many years ago sure there are a few flashy million dollar go fast but the 25-35 foot range like the old checkmate or donzi or baja starter go fast boat are gone......

Boost
agreed that starter segment in the go fast market is gone the investment is to large to get into a 22 donzi for over 100k or a 23 baja for about the same price. the boat budget must go farther now, so the faster toons or deck boats meet everyone in the families needs .