The short answer is, yes, you can definitely water ski behind a pontoon boat. But there are some things you need to be aware of which you can read below – potential issues mainly relate to performance and speed.
You might assume that you need a traditional ski boat if you want to take to the water on skis, or in a tube out on the lakes. This is not necessarily the case because a pontoon boat can do a great job. But it will very much depend on the size of pontoon engine and the type of skiing experience that you are looking for.
Anyone who is an avid water skier, and only takes to the water for that purpose, is probably best advised to invest in a ski boat that is more designed and built for purpose. But, if you’re the type of person who just loves being on the water, you love to socialize and even fish a little bit, then you need not look any further than a reliable pontoon boat – it ticks all the boxes.
Believe me, the right type of pontoon boat can provide a decent water skiing experience, but let’s look at this in a little bit more detail.
Table of Contents
What Size Engine Will You Need?
It’s important to realize that not every boat is created equal, and that conditions can affect performance, but generally this is what you can expect from various sizes of engine in a pontoon boat.
- A 70 horsepower engine should enable you to water ski and go tubing to a very basic level. If you want to improve the experience, you may want to use a water glide to increase the speed of your pontoon boat. This has the added advantage of improving the fuel efficiency of the craft (you can read more about fuel economy in a pontoon by clicking here).
- A 90hp engine should mean that you can water ski at a reasonable level. But, if you have five or six other people on the boat with you, the experience will not be nearly as good – there will be drag on the boat, and you might not be able to get up to very fast speeds.
- A 115hp engine should mean that you can take those five people on the trip with you and still have a great time water skiing or tubing. But, the experience is still better if there are fewer of you for improved weight and speed performance.
So, yes, it’s absolutely possible to water ski behind a pontoon boat, but how well you can do it will very much depend on the circumstances and the size of engine in the boat.
How Fast Will You Need to Go?
Most pontoon boats will go fast enough for you to be able to water ski behind them. Here is a generic list of the speeds that are needed for water skiing, and related activities.
- To water ski a speed of around 24mph is pretty normal.
- Tubing can be enjoyed once you reach a speed of 16mph. It can be a bit more difficult to get the experience just right in a pontoon boat, but once you get there it’s fun all the way.
- Wakeboarding and knee boarding can also be enjoyed from 16mph upwards. As most wakeboarders will tell you, slower speeds are often best anyway.
It’s clear that water skiing, tubing and other activities can be enjoyed using a pontoon boat. But, depending on how much of an enthusiast you are, you may find the experience is slightly limited.
What Else You Need to Know
Anyone who just wants to enjoy some water skiing or tubing as a fun social activity should be more than happy with the experience to be had when using a pontoon boat. The situation is very different though for real enthusiasts. Here is why:
How Wake Can Effect Your Jumps
Water skiers who are used to being pulled behind a traditional ski boat know that the wake which the boat produces has a defined hump shape. This is the type of wake that water skiing enthusiasts prefer. Due to their shape, pontoon boats produce more than one wake. There is a hump in the center and two small wakes either side.
What this means for the water skier is that it’s actually quite difficult to get any decent elevation. So, anyone water skiing behind a pontoon boat needs to realize that they are not going to get as much of a jump as they would in a different type of boat. This is fine for most social skiers, but not for people who want a professional level and speed.
How the Boat’s Movement Can Impact Performance
As you probably already know, pontoon boats are not built to zip quickly around the water or lake in the way that speed boats are able to do. But they can actually turn fast enough for most social water sports you want to try out on a lake or river. However, if your the type of person who enjoys the challenge of plenty of whips and turns while skiing, you are probably going to be a little disappointed.
Both of these issues only really apply for people who take their water skiing pretty seriously. If all that is needed is a fun day on the water with family and friends whilst you enjoy some relaxed water sports, then you should not really worry too much about what the wake is like or being able to zig zag quickly across the water.
So, yes water skiing behind a pontoon boat is definitely possible.
For people who enjoy social water sports, and want to be able to use a boat for other activities as well, a pontoon boat is a great choice. Flexibility and durability are both strong attributes of this type of boat, but if you are looking for a boat that you can solely use for water sports I would recommend that you instead look for a reliable ski boat.
