Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Please compare a hurricane deck boat with a pontoon boat as far as stability in the open bay. For a 21 foot hurricane, is 115 hp enough?

The shallow V hull of the deck boat is going to give you a rougher ride. 115 HP will get you on a plane.

You will have more deck space,seating capacity and storage capacity on a pontoon boat and more room to move around. Plus it's easier to beach a pontoon and most deck boats will beat you up in moderate chop.Pontoon boats plane off quicker.

Hard to compare the two. It's like a Rolls Royce and a Jeep. Rolls being the pontoon and jeep being a deckboat.

A friend of mine had one of those Hurricanes, 21 ft. with a 150 HP. I didn't like the ride plus when it was somewhat windy it was a wet ride, also it was a real dog. He got rid of it after one season. There are much better glass deck boats in that size range out there. Tri-Toon much better ride and dry.

jimrs wrote:Hard to compare the two. It's like a Rolls Royce and a Jeep. Rolls being the pontoon and jeep being a deckboat.

X2,,,,,,,a jeep without shocks

For me, it boils down to one thing. Fiberglass vs. Aluminum.

I currently own a jet ski (fiberglass), a ski/wakeboard boat (fiberglass) and have owned several fiberglass boats and jetskis in the past. I curse the fiberglass boats each weekend when it comes time to clean up. I cringe each time I see one of my kids pull up to the dock during a thunderstorm knowing there is the possiblity of $500 worth of gel coat damage waiting to happen.

From bow to stern, ALUMINUM pontoon boats are the most pleasurable maintenance free boats known to man.

Slightly more complicated in salt water, but I generally agree.

I have owned both. Pontoon first after 3 yr traded for a deck boat 21 foot 115 hp. Kept it for 6 yrs sold it n purchased a new pontoon. I found the deck boat does not take rough water very good. A waves come over front easy, also had problems with waves over the side when a large boat would pass and I was anchored. Now room much more room on pontoon. Even if they are the same size. Not only seating but also fishing. Pontoon over deck thumbs up.

Never owned a deck boat. However a friend has one and everytime we are at the sandbar, his boat is empty and mine is party city

Four R's wrote:Please compare a hurricane deck boat with a pontoon boat as far as stability in the open bay. For a 21 foot hurricane, is 115 hp enough?

I just went from a 20 foot Starcraft pontoon with a 60hp Mercury to a 19 foot Hurricane Fundeck 196 with a 115 hp Honda. I don't go out when its too rough but on nice days I found the Hurricane's ride to be just a little bit rougher. Doesn't bother me one bit. I've had mine up to 32 mph on GPS with just my wife and i on board. But that was on a VERY calm day with almost no wind, usually tops out around 27-28 with 5-6 people and cruises nicely around 22-23. If you care about things like storage room, depends greatly on the model. MY hurricane has just as much storage as MY pontoon did.

I had a '92 Hurricane 24 Midships. It had a stabbin' cabin with a stand up capable porta-potti. Folks could be standing in the open bow section and I, at the hlem, could see over them. Great little boat with a Yamaha 225 (or maybe 250, don't remember which).

Main problem was that the flat section of the hull made the ride rougher than all get out on our washing machine lake. It would absolutely pound the bejesus out of you. Our triple tube pontoon has a much smoother ride.

I've been kicking around the deckboat idea for years, mainly because i don't have a boat to ski behind and the toon is not a good option. I just really like the leg room on a toon... I just think it's a little more comfortable. I wish they made a deckboat with higher seating like a toon. I sat in a hurricane this summer and felt like me knees were in my chest compared to a toon.

I asked the same question when I got my pontoon in Ocean City, Maryland for the bay. All Dealers said Pontoon boat, hands down. More stability, more room, keep dry, and easy to move around.