Advice on a pontoon boat for tubing/knee boarding?!

  • Chad Luebker
    Annandale, MN
    Posts: 407
    January 24, 2017 at 9:13 am #1668082

    Hello –

    We have been thinking about upgrading our pontoon boat so our kids can go tubing/knee boarding. Our kids are 9, 6, and 4. I have heard mixed reviews that our kids will not be happy tubing behind a pontoon unless it’s a tri toon. Is that true? Can anyone offer first hand experience with tubing behind a pontoon or pulling tubers behind a pontoon? If so what kind of setup do you have? I just don’t want to buy a new pontoon and come to find out it doesn’t do what we need it to do. I also can not trust what all the salesman have been saying. FYI – we would really like to stick with a pontoon because of the space and number of passengers it can carry. Thanks!

    Chad

    404 ERROR
    MN
    Posts: 3918
    January 24, 2017 at 9:47 am #1668089

    My parents are retired and enjoy inviting the family to their place in southern MN for a weekend of cruising and tubing. He bought a Premier Alante 230 tri tube with a 200HP I4 Verado. Even with sea legs, the thing flies! Tried trolling with it over the summer and we had to drop the legs to get it to troll down to 2mph…

    We tube and ski behind it quite a bit and it works very well and we all love it. One thing to think about with a Pontoon, is the shear weight of some. It is much easier transporting a regular boat vs a pontoon. If you will be leaving it on one lake, it is a moot point. But it is something to ponder if you will be keeping it at your house and bringing it to a lake each time out.

    belletaine
    Nevis, MN
    Posts: 5116
    January 24, 2017 at 10:34 am #1668101

    I have a Premier and the quality is excellent. Ours is just a dual toon but is great for tubing. The tritoons provide extra storage under the floor in the middle pontoon.
    To piggyback on the above comment, if you’re going to trailer it get a bunk trailers, don’t even consider a scissors trailer.

    buckybadger
    Upper Midwest
    Posts: 9432
    January 24, 2017 at 8:29 pm #1668284

    It’s all relative between the size/weight of the pontoon and the size of outboard you’re looking at. I’d definitely be sure to either max out the hp, or be quite close. A pontoon isn’t going to be able to “whip” riders like a traditional boat would.

    +1 on the bunk trailer. Scissor style pontoon trailers are not convenient for any regular transport.

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