BUYERS GUIDE
What type of pontoon should I get?
Lifestyle. Start with thinking about your lifestyle, does it include a lot of friends and family with entertaining on the water? What size of lake or body of water do you plan to use your boat? Is it going to be your only boat? Do you plan to ski or pull the kids or grandkids tubing?
Lifestyle really helps determine how your pontoon boat is going to be used. You may already have a pontoon and are looking to upgrade to key features because your boating lifestyle has changed.
Floorplan?
Floorplans are the #1 decision maker when looking at pontoons and has driven the marketplace. Does it have a changing station? Does it offer a lot of seating for those Holiday weekends? Do you primarily just cocktail cruise? There are floorplans to meet your changing lifestyle.
2 Pontoons or 3 Pontoons?
Remember your lifestyle is the biggest determining factor. If you are on a smaller lake and use it primarily for fishing, cruising, and occasionally pulling kids or grandkids tubing then 2 pontoons are perfect! 2 pontoons can typically handle up to 115 hp. If you are looking for one boat to do it all tubing, skiing, cruising, etc. The triple pontoon is probably the best option.
Motor Size HP?
Horsepower is always a "HOT" topic to buyers. It can vary the price tag of a pontoon by thousands of dollars. 4 stroke outboard technology has made motors whisper quiet making it even more attractive to put higher horsepower on pontoon boats. If you are considering a Triple Pontoon and want to pull skiers of all sizes a minimum of 150 hp is recommended, but please remember there are many factors that contribute to overall performance (length of pontoon, load of people, etc.) If you question the minimum horsepower then make the jump to a higher horsepower motor. There is an old saying in the boating industry, "you can never have too much horsepower".
Not All Triple Pontoons are created equal
The increase in demand for Triple Pontoon Boats or Tritoons has created a confusing marketplace for someone new to the market. Here are some key items to look for and understand.
Construction
Overall construction of a triple pontoon boat can vary greatly. Pay attention to how the pontoons are constructed and the chasis (cross channels under the deck). What's the spacing of the cross channels? What is the thickness or gauge of aluminum of the pontoons and cross channels? Was the third pontoon a dealer ad on or was it built with it? Adding a third pontoon has become more common these days.
Aluminum Underskin
The Aluminum Underskin is aluminum shielding the cross channels making the pontoon boat more hydrodynamic and prevents surging from water hitting the cross channels. This ensures the water flows smoothly between the 3 pontoons decreasing the drag. Aluminum Underskin is critical to superior performance.
Lifting Strakes
Lifting strakes are aluminum extrusions that are welded onto the pontoon to help create lift. The goal of the lifting strake is to act like a chine on a fiberglass boat. It provides lift and stability and better performance. Lifting Strakes are very common on triple pontoon packages.
Cable Steering, Hydraulic Steering & Power Assisted Hydraulic
Traditional Cable steering has came a long way and is common with engine horsepower up to 115 horsepower. Cable steering systems can vary greatly on quality, so if it has higher horsepower, ask about the ease of steering. Hydraulic steering is like power steering (but it's not powered) uses hydraulics to steer the boat easier. Hydraulic steering is common on pontoon boat packages with 115 hp up to 200 hp or 250 hp. There is also power assisted hydraulic steering which becomes more common on 250 hp plus triple pontoon packages.
In Floor Ski Storage
In Floor Ski Locker or Storage area are more common on high end triple pontoon boats. They can be optional though because it adds a lot of cost to the boat to have this storage intergrated into the pontoon boat. If a lot of storage is important, then this is a must have feature!
Integrated Transom
An integrated transom is where the third pontoon (middle pontoon) runs the entire length of the pontoon boat and has the transom built into it. It is common on 200 hp and up. The benefit of an integrated transom is longer running surface creating more lift and better hydrodynamics. The 115-hp to 200-hp triple pontoon boats can vary on this construction.