If you are thinking about buying a pontoon boat, then you might have already read the pontoon boat buyer’s guide elsewhere on Pontoonopedia. That will give you lots of hints and tips on what to look for and the kind of questions you should be asking before you open your wallet.
But for top-line advantages to owning a pontoon boat, here’s what I believe the 11 top reasons would be.
#1: Pontoon Boats Are Very Family Friendly
There’s no denying how great these boats are for family. It’s a great relief for me, as it made convincing my wife we should purchase our Pennington so much easier.
But why are they such great family boats?
Family fun on a pontoon boat – great for all ages
It’s down to a number of factors, predominantly due to the large and open deck which gives children plenty of room to move around, play on the floor, and have the space to do the things kids like to do. You don’t get that type of large area in a typical v-shaped hull boat.
People often say that pontoon boats are like floating patios, and it’s kind of true.
Aside from the deck, you can also tow your kids along on inflatable tubes, do some water-skiing, beach up somewhere for a picnic, or even grill some BBQ on board.
Pontoon boats are the great entertainers, and if you have children they are just perfect. Not just for kids, but you can get plenty of other family passengers on board too.
#2: Pontoon Boats are Great for Fishing Trips
Whilst I wanted a family boat that we could all use, I also wanted something that my buddies and I could take fishing. And that’s exactly what my pontoon does.
There’s loads of room on deck to move into the ideal fishing position, and shallow draft that lets you get into those hard to reach inlets. I’ve even got the room to attach rod holders to the side fence rails.
Pontoon boats are a great fishing vessel
I’ve also had a Minn Kota trolling motor fitted, a live well, and fishing rod storage solutions underneath the seats. In fact, there are 100s of fishing accessories you can add to help you get the best catch of the day.
Combined with cup holders snapped onto the rails, I’ve never had so much fun fishing.
#3: Pontoon Boats are Reasonably Economical
If you take good care of your pontoon boat, then it should be relatively economical when compared to faster high-performance leisure vessels. It’s one of the main advantages of a pontoon boat in my view.
Due to the fact that most pontoons don’t travel at high speeds (you can see how fast they go), fuel costs can be kept relatively low.
An advantage to a pontoon boat can be the low running costs
However, I would recommend that you don’t buy fuel at the marina or dock, as those guys tend to place a premium price on gas for people filling up their boats. Instead, buy a fuel caddy and fill her up yourself. You will save money that way.
#4: Pontoon Boats are Relatively Cheap to Insure
There’s no getting around it, boats are expensive, and the insurance costs can soon mount up. But this is the thing, pontoon boats tend to have cheaper premiums. I assume it’s because most don’t actually hit very high speeds (unless of course you opt for a high performance triton or similar).
For an indication on what you might expect to pay annually, take a look at my guide to pontoon boat insurance costs.
Insurance doesn’t always cost as much as you might think
With lower insurance costs, it means you can invest more in the amazing accessories and pontoon boat gear that you will want to customize your ride.
#5: Pontoon Boats Tend to Hold Their Value
If you’re just starting out as a pontooner, then one thing I can almost guarantee is that once you have the bug, you might want to upgrade to a large spec boat in a couple of years.
And that’s another advantage of pontoon boats; they tend to hold their value, and don’t depreciate too badly compared to other boats. But as long as you take great care with them.
Your boat could end up holding a lot of its value before you sell it on
When it comes to selling and upgrading, you should still be able to get a good price for your used boat when buying new or bigger. It makes pontoons a very smart financial investment… at least that’s what I told my other half.
#6: Pontoon Boats are Easy to Use & Maintain
With aluminum tubes, pontoon boats have a great advantage over other types of boat when it comes to damage repair.
If you ding the tubes into rocks, yes, they might dent, but it’s unlikely that they will tear. You can fix and patch dents up far cheaper than it costs to fix things like gel coats found on other boat types.
Pontoon boats are actually quite easy to clean with the right approach
If you have a vinyl flooring, you can wash down the insides of the boat easily after use, and also pressure wash any debris off the tubes, rather than an entire hull structure.
#7. Pontoons Boats are Can be Personalized
No one pontoon boat is the same. They are easy to add modifications and custom parts too, meaning in no time at all you can’t make yours just like a second home.
I’ve put together a list of some great accessories that you can add, and you can see those here.
Customise your pontoon with vinyl decals and sticker wraps
The options are virtually limitless though.
Whether it’s adding vinyl decals, fishing gadgets, slides, grills, or changing up the seating, you can make yours as individual as you wish.
And talking of individuality, how about you give yours a name to remember that means something to you?
Naming your boat can take some time, and most boat owners spend weeks thinking up something suitable that reflects who they are. To help you out with that I’ve put together a list of 101 potential pontoon boat names to give you some inspiration.
#8. Pontoon Boats are Very Comfortable
Depending on the layout and design of your boat, you could have someone sleeping on a couch, whilst your other passengers are having fun rocketing down a pontoon water slide.
Whether you have the Bimini up or down, spending a day chilling in the sun with a cold drink and great company whilst drifting along the water can’t be beat.
I challenge you to find a boat more comfortable than a pontoon
You can even put up a pontoon boat changing room to let people take care of their “personal business” or get changed out of wet clothes before they come back out to sit on a comfortable padded vinyl seat.
If you don’t like your captain’s seat, you can switch that out to something more comfortable too. I’ve recommended an awesome one at the bottom of this page. Go take a look!
#9: Pontoon Boats are Safe
It’s very, very hard to capsize, flip, or sink pontoon boat.
The tubular design of the pontoons gives you a highly buoyant vessel that will glide over the water in a stable and safe manner.
Pontoon boats are designed to be very safe and secure
With average pontoon boat speeds being in the mid 20 miles per hour, these aren’t high performance vessels that come with inherent dangers.
Not only that, but with high side rails, the chances of your kids falling over board are greatly reduced when compared to other boats.
But, don’t take them into rough waters, and always keep an eye on the weather forecasts, in particular wind and storms.
Also make sure that you have the recommended safety gear on board. Click that link for a list of everything you should have on board at a bare minimum to ensure people’s safety.
#10: Pontoon Boats Have Loads of Storage Space
Whilst it might not seem like the most important advantage and benefit right now, once you start using your boat regularly you are going to love how much space there is on board.
Other boats simply just don’t come close.
You will find plenty of innovative storage space on boat this type of boat
There’s plenty of room to store kid’s games, extra clothes, blankets, fishing gear, food, gadgets, and whatever else you think you might need when out on the lake or river.
Most pontoon boats will have space under the seats and helm, with then the large deck where you can also bring more stuff on to for your trip.
It’s very similar to an RV in many ways. In fact, I have almost the same stuff on my pontoon as I do on my RV. I could realistically stay on the water for about a week given how much I can store on board with me.
#11: Pontoon Boats are Fun!
And last but not least… they are quite simply the most fun you will have on a boat.
They are perfect for entertaining, playing games, spending time with your family and friends, and much, much more.
Every year we have two or three parties on board our Bennington pontoon, and I’ve put together a list of pontoon party ideas you can also use.
Once you own your boat, you will be amazed at how popular you suddenly are with your family and friends… a bit like shown in this video below!
Handy Hint: You’ve heard the advantages, and now for disadvantages.
