On Pontoonopedia I like to answer the questions that you have about pontoon boats, especially if you are in the decision-making process about buying one. Previously people has asked about how much they weigh, but what about width (also known as beam)?
It’s an important consideration if you going to be buying your first pontoon boat and want to know whether or not you will have the space to store it or not. Is it going to fit in your garage, or will it fit onto your house’s drive – it’s important that you find out.
Here are some common examples of widths with some of the current best-selling boats on the market:
- Avalon LS Cruise – 8 foot wide
- Sun Tracker Bass Buggy – 8 foot 2 inches wide
- Sweetwater SW 1880 FC – 8 foot 6 inches wide
- Bennington 30 QSR – 10 foot wide
- Sylvan Mirage 8520 Cruise – 8 foot 6 inches wide
- Avalon GS Fish – 8 foot 6 inches wide
- Bennington 218SL – 8 foot wide
- Sylvan Mandalay 8525 Bar – 8 foot 6 inches wide
- Aqua Patio AP 235 Sport 25 – 8 foot 6 inches wide
- Harris Grand Mariner 250 – 8 foot 6 inches wide
As you can see, the more popular pontoons tend to be between 8 and 8 and a half feet wide across the beam.
There are no set-sizes for pontoon boats generally, as all tend to be very different, with different manufacturers, sizes, and types available. The standard pontoon boat width will typically be set depending on the actual length – but each manufacturer will have their own width to length ratios that they work to.
Handy Hint: If you decide to convert your pontoon boat to a tritoon with the addition of a third tube, the width will still stay the same as before.
Having said that, there are some basic guidelines you can follow for the different classification of sizes, and those are shown below.
I have also included some examples of popular and standard pontoon boat widths from the different manufacturers (see those in the bullet list above).
Small Pontoon Boat Width
The smaller boats on the market, in other words anything that’s less than 20 foot long tend to have a width of 8 foot. If you want to go even smaller, for example with a compact pontoon boat, which might be 12 feet in length, then the width will come down to around 7 feet.
Anything smaller than 7 feet wide will be classified as a mini or compact pontoon which are typically used just for fishing or in smaller waterways.
Medium-Sized Pontoon Boat Width
These are your classic pontoons, and the ones that most people will have out on the water. If the pontoon boat is between 20 to 40 feet long, then you’re looking at a width of 8 to 10 feet depending on the boat brand.
Large Pontoon Boat Width
So how wide is the largest pontoon boat? Well there aren’t too many pontoons commercially available that are wider than 12 foot, other than perhaps the Dodici line from Premier Pontoons.
It’s a massive pontoon which will quite easily accommodate for 26 people. It truly is a beast of a boat.
How Wide is a 24-Foot Pontoon Boat?
One of the more commonly asked questions is about the 24-foot range. Understandable as these are amongst the largest on the market, and people are concerned about storage before they buy.
In most cases, you are going to be looking at a maximum beam width of 10 foot, with the majority of them coming in around 8 and a half feet wide.
Do Your Own Due Diligence
As with any purchase, I do encourage you to do your own due diligence before you buy. Without exception every single pontoon manufacturer lists specifications online.
When you read a boat specification online or in a catalog, it might not mention how wide the boat is, but instead will give a figure for the beam.
What Does Beam Mean?
The beam is the width from the widest point of the boat as measured at the ship’s nominal waterline. The beam is a bearing projected at right-angles from the fore and aft line, outwards from the widest part of ship (read more on Wikipedia).
Did You Know? The standard garage door size is 7 foot wide. Will your pontoon boat fit through that space? If you aren’t sure then get your tape measure out now and start measuring before you put that hefty deposit down, take out a loan, or even make the final cash payment on your new pontoon boat. Double doors are wider at around 14 to 16 foot – more than enough for even the largest boat!
Now that you understand how wide pontoon boats typically are and how to find out how long yours is, you might be wondering: Why does the width really matter?Â
In addition to ensuring your pontoon will fit wherever you need to store it, you should also be aware that the width will affect the performance of the boat, including its speed, stability, and even fuel efficiency.Â
- Speed: Essentially, the longer the pontoon is, the wider it will be, and the faster it will be able to go! So if you’re looking for speed, it would certainly benefit you to go for a pontoon that’s a bit wider than the standard 8 feet.
- Stability: It’s also important to know that the bigger the boat, the more stable it will be. Pontoons are known to be quite stable boats, but they are not necessarily designed for big waves. If you plan to take your pontoon to rough waters, a wider boat is the better choice.Â
- Fuel Efficiency: Luckily, pontoon boats are known as being quite fuel efficient. Usually, you will use about 5 gallons of gas for an hour cruise, but larger boats do take a bit more gas. So the wider the pontoon, the more gas you’ll use, especially if you take advantage of the faster speeds it provides!
What width is best is really up to you, but now you have all the information you need so you can confidently decide!
What About Custom Pontoons?
You might ask a boat designer to come up with something that’s custom-built to your own requirements. If that’s the case with you, then you’re in luck as you can work with them directly on measurements and see if they can produce something that’s going to be just right for you.
