Skinz4 Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I am new to boating and would like to get some opinions on how deck boats compare to pontoon boats. I will be using the boat in the Bay at Ocean City. I like the amount of room that pontoon boats have, but some deck boats that I have looked at online seem to have plenty of room also, such as the Hurricane FunDeck models.... The pontoons seem like they would be a lot cheaper than a deck boat. Any advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I am new to boating and would like to get some opinions on how deck boats compare to pontoon boats. I will be using the boat in the Bay at Ocean City. I like the amount of room that pontoon boats have, but some deck boats that I have looked at online seem to have plenty of room also, such as the Hurricane FunDeck models.... The pontoons seem like they would be a lot cheaper than a deck boat. Any advice? I am almost in the market for a boat as well, deck boats are typically dual haul, see "Hurricanes". I have wake boarded behind a deck boat many of times. They are typically a little sportier. Pontoons are typically called a party barge, more comfortable, more room for walking around and the majority of them are designed for cruising. I am leaning more towards a pontoon with a changing room for our place at the beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I always thought this was a pontoon which is what we are thinking about getting. and this was a deck I guess they fall into the same category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseBlitz Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Pontoon boats are no good for tubing or skiing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I always thought this was a pontoon which is what we are thinking about getting. Judging by the pictures...getting a pontoon sounds like a great idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedlightG20 Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 The pontoons are easier to hook up with other party boats, which I'm sure you know there are plenty of in OC. They'll be nice to have since their hauls aren't deep, which is ideal if you want to make landfall on the little "islands" on the bayside in OC. If you want to pull tubes or skis, you have to go with the sport boat. Personally I'd go for the sport boat. You'll have a little more versatility when you want to tug people around. But if you plan on taking out a bigger group, obviously the pontoon is more spacious and comfortable for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HogNose Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Pontoon boats are great for long lazy days filled with drinking, eating, and jumping off the side to cool off. My uncle owns a Suntracker like this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Pontoon boats are no good for tubing or skiing. They have new tri haul that actually manuever a little bit, they say you can ski behind them, I would imagine the wake would suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseBlitz Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 They have new tri haul that actually manuever a little bit, they say you can ski behind them, I would imagine the wake would suck. I cant imagine trying to ski behind one of them would be fun for anyone over the age of 12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 The pontoons are easier to hook up with other party boats, which I'm sure you know there are plenty of in OC. They'll be nice to have since their hauls aren't deep, which is ideal if you want to make landfall on the little "islands" on the bayside in OC. If you want to pull tubes or skis, you have to go with the sport boat.Personally I'd go for the sport boat. You'll have a little more versatility when you want to tug people around. But if you plan on taking out a bigger group, obviously the pontoon is more spacious and comfortable for that. The problem is with Hurricans and water skiing in the Assawoman bay, is that it sucks, tubing isn't bad. I have been on a Hurricane with significant speed in the usual chop, it's brutal, I imagine the pontoon is the same way except they are a lot slower, so you get less of a concussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I cant imagine trying to ski behind one of them would be fun for anyone over the age of 12. boarding behind a Hurricane type of deck boat isn't that exciting either, if you put a lot of weight in the back, they make a small wake, tubing is pretty fun though. Either way if he is going to keep it at the ocean, wakeboarding and waterskiing should be the last reason for getting a boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjah Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I didn't even know people used pontoon boats on the Bay. Any wake or good set of waves sends those things bouncing and rocking like... well, like an aluminum platform balanced on two canoes. We used to have a pontoon boat on a large lake in North Carolina, and it could get rockin' and rollin' out there when there were lots of boats around sending wakes all over... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I didn't even know people used pontoon boats on the Bay.Any wake or good set of waves sends those things bouncing and rocking like... well, like an aluminum platform balanced on two canoes. We used to have a pontoon boat on a large lake in North Carolina, and it could get rockin' and rollin' out there when there were lots of boats around sending wakes all over... There are actually quite a few of them, people use the to putz around the bay, party, bar hop, clam, fish, etc. There isn't a whole lot esle you can do with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocketCitySkins Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Pontoon boats are no good for tubing or skiing. Not in our case. We had a poonton boat for years and used it all the time for tubing and skiing. It did everything we wanted since one of the guys in our family can one ski and ski barefoot.We did pay a couple of hundred dollars extra to get a 110 hp engine but it was worth every penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinz4 Posted July 30, 2008 Author Share Posted July 30, 2008 Thanks for the advice. I am leaning towards a pontoon because we will mostly be using the boat for cruising/fishing/bar hopping. The majority of Pontoons that I see for sale have somewhere between a 50HP and 90HP motor. Does anyone know roughly how fast a pontoon about 22 feet long with a 90HP engine can go? Also, I have heard that it is not a great idea to buy a used jet ski because people tend to ride them hard and you don't know what kind of ware and tear they have on them. Is this the same with a Pontoon? I would like to buy a used Pontoon that has low hours on it, but I am worried about getting a boat that is going to give me problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Thanks for the advice. I am leaning towards a pontoon because we will mostly be using the boat for cruising/fishing/bar hopping. The majority of Pontoons that I see for sale have somewhere between a 50HP and 90HP motor. Does anyone know roughly how fast a pontoon about 22 feet long with a 90HP engine can go? Also, I have heard that it is not a great idea to buy a used jet ski because people tend to ride them hard and you don't know what kind of ware and tear they have on them. Is this the same with a Pontoon? I would like to buy a used Pontoon that has low hours on it, but I am worried about getting a boat that is going to give me problems. Don't buy used, boats are chea p right now and getting cheaper by the day. From what I understand, you can do a thirty year loan on a new boat and pay next to nothing per month. Look at new pontoons, you can get really nice ones for around 20k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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