Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hey guys - new to the forum and sorry if this is not the right place to post!

We are pontoon shopping! We live on a river that is perfect for boating and within driving distance to many lakes and even a Great Lake, so it seems silly that we do not have a boat. We have never purchased a boat before, and I am so overwhelmed. I thought now would be a good time to start looking so we can have a boat for spring (and the boat show is in January!). We are looking for a new one, but if we found the right used one we'd buy it. I was hoping maybe you guys could suggest some boats or brands if I tell you what we're looking for? I'm having a hard time finding a boat that has all of the options we want except for the Sweetwater 2286, but I was hoping for more options as I'm not 100% happy with that one. I'm concerned about brand because I have heard that some are worth avoiding and that is what I was hoping you guys could really help with. A friend specifically told us not to buy anything but Bennington, but it seems to be a little bit out of our price range when we start adding the options we want.

Things that are important to us:

-21-23 Feet.
-115 hp (some manufacturers don't even offer 115 on their boats from what I'm seeing?)
-Full enclosure canopy. This is where we're having issues. We were hoping to get one straight from the manufacturer from the beginning. Do you guys know which manufacturers offer this? We're big on camping and being able to camp in the boat would be .. amazing.
-Our price range is around $30k .. less is better of course. The Sweetwater we were looking at is about $33k and we like it, but not 100% sold on it. We sat on it and it just didn't feel like.. "our boat" for some reason. Maybe I'm too sentimental.

Any other things we should really look for? We want a boat that will last us for the rest of our lives and has the ability for us to use it in every way. Fishing, cruising, and some watersports. We are not super into skiing or tubing, but we like it and want the ability to do it.

I really appreciate any thoughts you guys can offer. I have been scouring the internet for information, but your personal insight is invaluable.

--Abby

This might not sound very help full, just keep looking. Look at all the manufacturers web page, Go to the boat shows for sure. Maybe even local marina's, you might find a great deal on a left over or rental. All brands make boats from entry level to absurd, So don't get set on a brand, floor plan will be very important & personal to you. If you're looking at a 2 tube you can get a real nice one for that price, tri-toon will be much more difficult. With out knowing the specifics of the Sweetwater it's hard to comment, They make good boats but if that's entry level without many options the price sounds high. Of course the full enclosure is very expensive, so that may be why. You have plenty of time, don't jump until you've seen whats out there. You'll need a pretty big boat for the great lakes I would think. Good luck.

I would tell you to wait until the first of the year when the big city boat shows come to town. You can see the differences between the quality brands, and manufacturers often offer their dealers boat show incentives to move'em out. And sometimes you'll get free options or an extra year's engine warranty at boat shows. And anytime you put competitive salesmen under the same roof, the prices are bound to come down.
If you'll be boating on major waterways, you'll find the tritoons the way to go. They're just so much more seaworthy.
Don't count out a major manufacturer like Bennington. Just about all the major players in pontoons have 3-4 different lines of boats that cover virtually every price point--from basic to ultra luxurious. The biggest manufacturers can also build'em for less money due to their purchasing power and most efficient welding equipment/manufacturing resources the smaller manufacturers cannot afford.

The boat show would be best to wait for. I bought our first pontoon this year and wish I would have pulled the trigger 20 years ago. For the record it is a 2015 Sweetwater 2086 with the 90 HP Yamaha. We really enjoy it.

If I could throw my $.02 in, I would start by strongly suggesting 27" tubes. I have been on pontoons with the 23's and IMO the 27's offer a much better ride, especially if it gets a little lumpy on the water. I know of no disadvantage to the 27's but if there is, perhaps a more experienced owner of a pontoon could chime in.

On the horsepower side, you will find dealers with some great price points but they are offering an underpowered craft (not that mine is a super speed boat but the 90HP serves us very well). You should be able to find one with a 115HP without a problem. I think ours is rated at 150HP max.

Changing rooms are great for port-a-potties and storage. "Momma" will be happy about that.

Lastly, don't skimp on a trailer if your going to buy one (perhaps another way for the dealers to keep price point low). Make sure you get one that the capacity far exceed the weight of the one you buy. I upgraded my purchase to a 5K# capacity trailer (our boat weighs about 3K#'s) with loading guides, a really nice ladder instead of what looks like pegs on the front end, and a higher capacity winch. If you want a manufacturer recommendation let me know.

Good point, If you're buying a 2 tube 27" would be much better on great lake's.

Make sure you checkout the South Bay/excursion line made by forest river. Very good toons and the excursion is great both on price and options. I have the 23 xrfc. It comes standard with mostly everything you could want. rear fishing center with bait tank, rod holders, tackle center and two fishing chairs. Changing room for a porta potty the ladies on board love that. Has a sink with fresh water tank and plenty of under the seat storage. My came with a tandem trailer 115 Yamaha 4 stroke full cover price was 31,000. Which I thought for my area was a good price. And they are a great company to deal with after purchase. Example almost 4 years after my purchase one of the chrom covers came off of my nav lights. Contacted the dealer and they wanted 35.00 for the cover. I contacted excursion direct and they sent me the complete set of new navigation light and not just the chrom cover but the whole assembly free.

Just my opinion.

I like my 22' G3 Suncatcher from Yamaha.

I have a 90 hp, but it's rated for 115 and there are a number of them on El Dorado Reservoir here in Kansas with 115 hp Yamaha's on them.

Most of the SunCatchers I've seen given your Specs should fall into your price range.

So far for the last two years, it's been a good boat.

I don't know if they offer a "Full Enclosure", but you could check their website.

I echo the above comments to go to the boat shows and crawl all over the different boats there.

I also echo the comments about making sure you get a good trailer from the get/go especially if you're going to be trailering it to various destinations.

Good luck with your shopping and when you get one, remember that without pics, it didn't happen and we all like good pics here on this site.

Get a Manitou.. here's a nice used one https://boone.craigslist.org/boa/5293246732.html or if I was looking for a pontoon boat I would buy this one for sure...http://ezfender3.homestead.com/Premier- ... 2525624113

Thank you so much for your advice so far! We looked at a lot of different boats you guys mentioned. We are going to the Pittsburgh Boat Show in January, but are thinking we might hit up Columbus or Cincinnati as well. Does anyone know if one is better or bigger than the other? We live similar distance from both cities. Thanks!

My Tahoe came with a factory full enclosure.
We live on it every weekend, from May 1st through September 30th.