5 Reasons a Pontoon Boat is the Boat For You

Stable, spacious and long-lasting, pontoon boats can go the distance for boaters looking for a combination of fishing, entertaining and family fun. Whether you’re a first-time boater, upgrading your current pontoon or changing your #boatinglife view, pontoons are a great choice. One of the fastest-growing boat types in popularity, pontoon designs are constantly being updated, increasingly customizable, and evolved to be faster and even more versatile. Let’s talk about the top benefits of a pontoon. 

Pontoons are known for their maximization of deck space. Boaters who prioritize entertaining should always look at pontoons as an option.

A stable ride, stretched out on ample seating.

Built as flat decks atop two hollow tubes, pontoons enjoy a lightweight yet stable ride. This design generates a shallow draft, which means pontoons can easily travel shallow waters, along coastlines, trolling inland waters or shuttling passengers or cargo short distances from dock to shore. Their unencumbered flat deck design is a blank slate, allowing ample, luxe seating and other furniture to be placed in entertaining-focused layouts that allow guests to relax, spread out and enjoy their time on the water.

Space to accommodate a few more family and friends on adventures. 

Because of their stability and aforementioned deck space, pontoons can accommodate more guests than single-hull boats of similar length. This is how they get their party-boat name. While every boater must mind their vessel’s weight capacity, have a life jacket for everyone on board, and generally use common sense and safety, it is true that most pontoons can carry at least a third more passengers than a single-console powerboat. The coast guard has a recommendation of how to calculate weight capacity for any boat. That being said, many boats won’t even approach that capacity because they simply don’t have enough seating. With pontoons, seating comes aplenty, whether every seat ends up taken, or your family gets to sprawl out while you cruise at sunset. 

Lean into a wide range of activities with ease.

Lots of boats boast versatility. The pontoon delivers. Anglers can cast completely unencumbered with near-360 access as the pontoon trolls at a pace it’s made to move at. Entertainers can safely host a group of friends or family for food and drink, short cruises or long lazy days in the sun. And when it’s time for watersports, pontoons still deliver, offering swim platforms, ladders and towing capacity for infaltables, wakeboards and more. These boats are highly customizable, should one of these activities be your emphasis, or you can just flex your boat’s use daily.   

The stability of a pontoon’s dual hull gives it easy shallow passage and a safe, stable ride, making it a family freshwater favorite.

Lower priced than powerboats, and lower costs to maintain.

On average, due to less complicated hull design and engineering, pontoons come in less expensive than powerboats of the same size. Of course due to their rising popularity, there are luxury pontoons that raise the price of the boat much higher. Pontoons should be maintained annually like any other boat, but due to their popularity and simpler design, parts are more affordable and more readily available. Based on their popularity and low maintenance, you can expect to get a good rate of return if and when you sell your pontoon. 

Lower priced than powerboats, and lower costs to maintain.

Pontoons have been documented to be safer than powerboats of the same size. This is mostly due to their stability in the water. And in slightly rougher waters, the double-hull of the pontoon continues to prevail, though the shallow draft means passengers will feel a bumpier ride. Of course pontoons are not made for open ocean, and ultimately the safety of a vessel falls on the captain’s commitment to boat maintenance, boating safety, and fully understanding the boat’s capabilities, as well as informing and educating their guests of the rules. But if you’re a responsible boater seeking a vessel that is more stable and safe for your family aboard, you’re not alone—safety is one of the main reasons why pontoons are so popular. 

If you’re searching for a versatile boat that’s easy to drive and entertain, a pontoon could be for you.

Pontoons on our site range from a few thousand dollars for a 50-year old but well-maintained party barge, to as high as $200,000 for larger or decked-out pontoons built for speed and luxury. Browse our pontoon boat listings, or filter our entire marketplace by “pontoon” and some other contenders to search for your new boat.