You can argue until your blue in the face about the pros and cons of pontoon boats. Personally, I love them, and I wouldn’t have set up this website otherwise.
But some people still need a little persuasion, which is why I published what I believe to be the main advantages to owning a pontoon previously on Pontoonopedia.
As I am a fair guy, I thought I’d best also publish what I believe the disadvantages are to buying a pontoon boat. After all, there are some things that these boats aren’t great at.
So, in the spirit of fairness, here are the cons sorted from the pros which should help you make your mind up should you be thinking about buying one.
#1: Pontoon Boats Generally Aren’t Fast
The majority of pontoon boats that you will see on the lakes and rivers near you will have an average top speed of between 18 and 28 miles per hour. Speed demons they certainly are not!
That’s not to say you can’t buy high performance models. You can, and they can hit in excess of 50 miles per hour, as you can see from this list of fast production pontoons.
But be prepared to pay in excess of $100,000 dollars for those fast models.
Most of us will be settling for an average sized pontoon boat, and that’s fine if speed isn’t massively important to you.
But if you do want something to race and speed along with, generally speaking a pontoon boat isn’t going to cut it for you.
Don’t think that means you can’t pull tubes and water skiers though. You still can do that, just not at breakneck speeds catching good air.
#2. Pontoon Boats Aren’t for Rough Water or the Ocean
Pontoon boats offer a very comfortable ride. But that can soon change if you hit rough water. These aren’t the boats you want to take out in high wind, and I’ve previously answered a question on Pontoonopedia about safe boating on Lake Michigan.
But don’t let that put you off.
The majority of the time, a pontoon boat will offer a very comfortable and stable ride. I just advise that you avoid very bad weather, in particular where waves are exceeding one foot in height. I’ve got into trouble with three-foot waves and definitely didn’t enjoy the trip!
If big waves hit the fore of a pontoon boat, it’s more dangerous than a v-shaped hull vessel. The pontoon boat can nose dive into the wave, rather than going over it.
If there’s a storm approaching, get off the water. You might regret it otherwise.
#3. Pontoon Boats Don’t Make a Great Wake Shape
If water sports and towing are your thing then this could definitely be a disadvantage and negative point.
When travelling at speed, the wake behind you is similar to that of a typical ski boat. However, the pontoon tubes will also make their own wake.
For the skiers or tubers being pulled, that means they won’t get the best “hump”, and the wake will also be wider than you would get on a different type of boat.
You can tow inflatables behind a pontoon, I do it all the time with my kids, but for real serious water sports people and experienced adults, it might not be quite enough to catch that awesome air you want to hit.
#4: Pontoon Boats Don’t Handle Too Well
It’s been well documented elsewhere on the Pontoonopedia website that these boats aren’t the best at handling. The turning radius is huge!
If you want a boat that you can make tight hair-pin turns with then a pontoon definitely isn’t for you. High performance motor boats they certainly aren’t.
This negative disadvantage is mostly relevant to people who want speed and handling, those who want really serious water sports towing, and perhaps fishing enthusiasts who want to get into tight inlets and channels.
As an example, a 24-foot pontoon boat probably has a turning radius of about 26 feet.
#5: Pontoon Boats are Very Susceptible to Wind Drift
The dealers never tell you this, and in most cases, other pontooners won’t too. After all, they are very proud and defensive! Just like me…
But honestly, pontoon boats do tend to drift on the water which is why it’s essential that if you want to stay in one place, you double up on anchors.
#6: Pontoon Boat Engines Can Be Loud
Most newer pontoon boats will come with modern outboard motors that aren’t too noisy, but even so, at full power you are going to hear a lot of noise.
Conclusion
So that’s my honest assessment over.
I would never not recommend anyone in buying a pontoon boat. The hours of fun my family and friends have had with our Bennington has just been insane.
But, there are some downsides as you can see from the above points, but truly, not too many of them.
If you are in the decision-making process right now, please carry on looking around Pontoonopedia. You should find every single conceivable question about pontoon boats answered here, and you might find the buyer’s guide really useful.
See you on the water!
