The Top 10 Reasons People Love Pontoon Boats
If you’re considering buying a pontoon boat, but you’re just not sure if it’s the right type of boat for you, learning what pontoon boat owners love about their boats will likely help you make a decision. So what is it about pontoon boats that make so many people love them?
Pontoon boats are a favorite among so many for the following 10 reasons:
- Roomy and large
- Can carry lots of passengers
- Great fishing vessels
- You can use them for all sorts of aquatic activities
- Won’t capsize easily
- Not super expensive
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Customizable to your hobbies
- Last a long time
- You can have parties on them!
If you’re still not quite convinced, then I encourage you to keep reading. Ahead, I’ll elaborate on each of these 10 very convincing reasons why pontoon boats are such a hit among boating fans and why this boat may be the perfect pick for you!
10 Reasons People Love Pontoon Boats
Lots of Space
If you had your choice between two boats of any type, a bigger and a smaller boat, which would you choose? The bigger boat, I’m sure. Do you think most people would pick the same? I do.
This first reason people love their pontoon boats has to do with the abundance of space they have. Having a roomy boat is awesome. You never feel cramped and claustrophobic on your boat, which is good, because a boat is supposed to be all about relaxation and enjoyment.
On a pontoon boat, you can stretch your legs–quite literally–and have your fellow passengers do the same.
You also don’t have to be too picky and choosy about which gear you bring like you would on a smaller boat. If you want to take your whole fishing setup, from tackleboxes to several types of fishing rods to coolers and fish storage buckets, that’s not a problem on a pontoon boat.
You can even have a boat sleepover if you wanted to because a pontoon has that much room. Just bring a space heater, blankets, battery-powered lights, and some board games or even a portable projector and you’ll have an incredible, memorable night under the stars on your pontoon boat.
Imagine trying to sleep on a bowrider. The streamlined design of one of these boats leaves a lot to be desired length-wise and especially width-wise. You would have to curl up into the fetal position to even attempt to get cozy, and you wouldn’t be very comfortable doing so.
With a pontoon, you never have to curl up or otherwise minimize yourself because there’s plenty of space to go around!
Huge Passenger Capacity
Owning a boat is a social experience. Sure, you might sail by yourself at times, but just as often, you’ll bring others with you.
Having people in your pontoon boat can feel like a housewarming party the first time you take it out with friends. Having a larger boat such as a pontoon boat can allow for space for everyone to move around and enjoy themselves.
Yet on a smaller speedboat, the space people will have to enjoy themselves will be at a minimum since you’re bringing maybe three or four other people, tops. If you have a small friend group or you don’t have children yet, then maybe that low passenger count isn’t such a big deal to you.
Once more people in your social circle begin hearing that you have a boat and requesting to come onboard though, you’ll find the logistics of choosing who to invite and when is headache-inducing.
When you buy a pontoon boat, you’ll immediately realize the restrictions of the low passenger capacity of most speedboats.
Being able to accommodate so many of your friends when you go boating is another popular reason people love their pontoon boats That’s because pontoon boats can comfortably fit between nine and 13 passengers on average.
Your immediate family can easily get onboard, even if you have several children, and you can bring your in-laws or other relatives as well.
If you’re a social butterfly with a large friend group or friends, you can accommodate them as well.
There are few better feelings than being surrounded by all your loved ones on your boat, but you’d be hard-pressed to get that experience on any boat smaller than a pontoon.
Great for Fishing
If you missed my post on why a pontoon boat is great for fishing, I’ll recap it for you here. Being able to comfortably fish from a pontoon with your friends is a very common reason people love pontoon boats.
Pontoon boats will let you make some of your biggest catches yet in several ways. For one, the controlled speed of a pontoon boat will prevent you from disturbing the delicate environment of the fish so they don’t all swim away.
Your pontoon boat’s flat hull doesn’t create a large wake, which will again prevent you from scaring off the fish.
As I said earlier in this article, all that deck space you have on your pontoon boat means you don’t have to leave even a single piece of fishing gear at home. You can fit all of it and then some.
Even if you invite a few close fishing buddies on your pontoon, they can bring their whole arsenal of fishing equipment as well with room to spare.
Many pontoon boat manufacturers make fishing pontoons. These include the Sun Tracker Bass Buggy series, the Crestliner Rally series, and Lowe Boats’ SP Series. These boats tend to include wider decks, livewell aeration, fishing seats, and rod holders among other useful features for fishermen.
As Well as Other Aquatic Activities
Not a fisherman? No problem! Not only do you not have to buy a fishing pontoon boat, but your standard pontoon is the perfect setting for nearly countless aquatic activities.
Whether you’re looking for a fun way to spend the afternoon or whittle away an evening on your pontoon boat, you’re at no shortage for what you can do. Here’s a list to get you started (with Amazon shopping links!):
- Floating water mat: A floating water mat is perfect for sprawling out on a lake or river. Attach the mat to a line on your pontoon boat and then spend the afternoon on it. The kids can take turns using the mat as a diving board of sorts while you can sprawl out and work on your tan. This Flotation IQ mat can hold 1,500 pounds max.
- Inflatable pontoon slide: The kids will feel like they’re at their very own personal waterpark when you set up an inflatable pontoon slide for them. This one from RAVE Sports comes with a pressure inflator and deflator, taking five minutes to inflate. When not in use, you can stash it elsewhere on your pontoon boat.
- Inflatable cornhole: Rather than play cornhole in a hot backyard, enjoy this activity in the water with an inflatable version. Driveway Games’ cornhole game is an Amazon’s Choice product.
- Inflatable volleyball: Get a bit competitive with your family or friends with an exciting game of inflatable volleyball! This kit from Intex Pool, also an Amazon’s Choice product, comes with everything you need to get started. You get a shelf box, pole bases, a volleyball net, and an inflatable volleyball. There’s even a repair kit in case you ever need it!
- Tubing: The moderate speed of a pontoon boat makes tubing on the water a safe and enjoyable experience for kids. They’ll love riding on this hot dog towable tube from the Airhead Store. This Amazon’s Choice tube is for one to five riders.
It’s Hard to Capsize
If you’re new to the world of boating, capsizing is when your boat tips over, spilling you and everyone else into the water. A boat can capsize for many reasons. For instance, if you ride in strong winds or other stormy conditions, you’re putting your boat at risk.
Choppy waters can make you more likely to capsize, as can ignoring the weight limits of your boat or doing any improper driving.
No boat is capsize-proof, but pontoon boats are known for not capsizing and being almost impossible to sink.
Lots of design elements of the pontoon boat lend it great stability. Their dual pontoon tubes and hulls are better than having one hull. If you buy a tritoon, which is a pontoon boat with three tubes, then you get the most stability.
The wide, flat shape of a pontoon is also to its benefit, as it’s hard for a corner of the boat to be lifted out of the water, tipping you over. This stability can give you confidence, especially if you go boating with young children.
As a caveat, just because it’s hard to capsize on a pontoon boat doesn’t mean it’s impossible. All it takes is a quick Google search to see that yes, pontoons have indeed capsized over the years, some with even deadly consequences.
Pontoon Boats are Inexpensive Compared to Some Other Boats
How much do you want to pay for a boat? Conceivably around $20k for your first boat? If so, you’ll be happy to know that you can find plenty of pontoon boats in that price range.
I recently wrote a great post on beginner or starter pontoon boats, complete with several models for your consideration. Each of the pontoon boats for beginners is in the $20k to $30k price range, give or take.
Even if you’re looking at a more expensive pontoon boat, at most, you might pay somewhere in the ballpark of $50k to $70k for a pontoon.
Bowriders start at $15k and can go up as high as $50k. The same goes for deckboats. If you want a houseboat, that will likely set you back $100k!
Dollar for dollar then, if you want a boat with the space, passenger capacity, and gear capacity that’s also stable and great for fishing, undoubtedly, the pontoon boat is the best value.
Easy Cleaning and Maintenance
With plenty of boats, when you commit to owning one, you really have to commit. You’ll spend part of your time every week or every couple of weeks going through your boat inside and out to maintain its different parts and components.
That’s not to say pontoon boats are completely maintenance-free, because they’re not. You still have to get into somewhat of a maintenance schedule, but what many pontoon boat owners have found is that this schedule is a lot more relaxed compared to owning other types of boats.
The biggest element of maintenance with your pontoon boat is often just preventing algae from settling on the metal pontoon tubes, especially if your tubes are made of aluminum.
Even that task won’t hog up too much of your day, and that’s true also if the algae have been stuck on the pontoon tubes for a while and are being really stubborn about coming off. You can try pressure-washing the algae away or using a product like Aurora Algex Bottom Cleaner, which is available on Amazon and isn’t super expensive.
Many pontoon boat owners swear by this product, as a few spritzes will remove unappealing algae residue from your aluminum pontoon tubes. Talk about easy cleaning!
Pontoon Boats are Easily Customizable to Your Hobbies
If you already own a pontoon boat and it’s your first one, you may wish you had known more about what you can do with pontoons before you had gone ahead and made your purchase. You wish you could own a fishing pontoon, for instance, or a pontoon with more activities for the kids to do.
Fortunately, you don’t have to live with regrets! Any pontoon boat can become a fishing boat or a zone for fun activities by purchasing relevant accessories.
For example, on Amazon, I found this awesome diving board that’s attachable to your pontoon boat’s ladder. Now the kids can have a blast!
Fishermen, pay attention. Here’s a pontoon boat fishing rod holder that’s very reasonably priced. Buy several so you and all your friends can store your fishing rods at the same time.
If your stomach is rumbling onboard your pontoon boat but land isn’t anywhere in sight, don’t despair. You can always grill right on your pontoon boat with a grill bracket set that attaches to your pontoon boat’s metal railing. As an FYI, the grill itself is not included, so you’ll have to buy a flat-bottomed grill separately.
Those are just a few customizable options of many. As you can see, with the amazing variety of pontoon boat accessories, no matter what activity floats your boat (pun intended), you can do it on your pontoon!
Awesome Longevity
When determining the value of an investment, you’ll want to know how long you can expect to have said investment, right? If you bought a deckboat, it might last you about 10 years.
Pontoon boats have an average lifespan of 12 years or longer.
This doesn’t necessarily mean your pontoon is going to fall apart after 12 years, as some boats have been known to last for 20 years with enough love and care.
Pontoon Boat Parties
I saved a very fun reason for last, and that’s your opportunity to host fabulous parties aboard your pontoon boat. Just remember to be responsible and follow all safety rules and regulations anytime you’re on your boat.
Pontoon boats have the space and capacity to handle floating parties, so it’s easy to gather all your favorite people and share in the joy of boating with your friends and loved ones while you’re out on the water.
You could opt to have a dock party with your fellow pontoon buddies, tying or anchoring your boat near the dock and then letting your guests wander freely onto and off your boat.
You could also host a private party on your pontoon boat as it travels through the sea. Talk about exclusive!
From Memorial Day to Independence Day and even Labor Day and beyond, this year, your friends won’t plan backyard barbeques or trips to a crowded beach. They’ll want to hang out on your pontoon boat and party the day and night away.
Conclusion
Pontoon boats are a favorite not just on this blog, but among millions of fellow pontoon boat owners. I hope these reasons convinced you to give a pontoon boat a try. Once you make the switch to a pontoon boat, it’s hard to go back to any of the smaller boat options.
