(Image credit unknown, found shared on Facebook.)
Pontoon lifting strakes fit underneath the bottom and side of your pontoon boat. The reason they are installed is to help the boat go a bit faster, and many owners use them to increase their speed performance.
In most cases, they will come already fitted when you buy a new pontoon boat, but there are some people who will retro-fit them onto an existing boat.
Would I do it?
Probably not, as it will cost around $2,000 and in all honestly the speed gains are not going to be fantastic. If it’s more speed you want, instead I would trim your engine, get a third tube added to create a tritoon, under skin your boat, or even consider a new engine.
Lifting strakes are just not something you throw in a boat.
First of all, it takes an exceptional welder to add them without burning through the thin aluminum on toons. Boat manufacturers will engineer the length, sizes of the strakes and where to place them so that it’s done well.
At the very least, if you do want to do it yourself, then I would copy a factory strakes’ installation. You can sometimes order strakes from your manufacturer. Best of all would be to buy them on your next boat installed.
However, if you are considering installing lifting strakes onto your pontoon, here’s an email I received from a guy who actually did fit them himself, with his views on the type of results he gained in terms of performance.
“Back in 2013, I had spent around 9 months designing and building my perfect dream boat! She had it all, a state of the art surround sound system, the finest quality upholstery, and all the other mod cons you could want.”
“It wasn’t until I took her for her first ride that I realized she was moving through the water no faster than 30mph! It was then that I learnt about pontoon boat lifting strakes.”
“Those who are new to the boating industry are unlikely to know about lifting strakes, I sure didn’t, and it was a costly ignorance to bear in the end. I am glad I fitted mine.”
“I would estimate that I improved the performance of my pontoon by about 15% once the lifting strakes were fitted, so for me it was money well spent and I was very happy.”
Pontoon Boat Lifting Strakes – More Info
If you imagine a 3000-pound pontoon boat being dumped into the water, no motor is going to get her going at any really decent speed. The simple laws of gravity will ensure she is plowing through the water, ultimately removing any streamline qualities from her design.
When you incorporate a lifting strake, it can be a whole different story.
Lifting strakes are usually made from aluminum and go on the bottom and sides of the boat, so that when you kick start, she will be riding on a plane rather than inches deep into the water.
They not only can boost the overall performance of your boat but can also mean you are being much more economical with your fuel consumption.
How Much Do Lifting Strakes Cost?
Adding decent lifting strakes to your boat will set you back around $2,000, but it could be an investment that is well worth making for optimum speed abilities. However, it is worth mentioning here that most boats will come with lifting strakes already on.
How Do I Fit Pontoon Lifting Strakes?
If you have an older boat, perhaps it has come without lifting strakes already intact. Fitting them is complicated as I have already highlighted. But if you are a good welder, and trust yourself to do it, then it’s up to you.
The installation of a performance lifting strakes kit on a pontoon boat. (Image credit unknown, found shared on Facebook.)
If you don’t have welding experience, visit a good local welding shop who have experience with marine installations.
Depending on the purpose of your boat depends on how many lifting strakes you will need, and where they will be positioned.
For the biggest performance boost you are best fitting them both inside and out. If you are looking for a better performance, but still want to be able to bank your pontoon into corners without slowing down too much, then installing your lifting strakes to the inside only should do the trick.
Final Thoughts
Adding lifting strakes to a Pontoon boat may not be for everyone, it really depends on what you are looking to get out of your boat.
As I said, the majority of boats that are sold now have lifting strakes already installed, but a surprising amount of people have no idea what they do or why they are there.
The more strakes installed, the better your boat will perform in a variety of conditions, making it a smoother and more environmentally friendly experience.
In short, pontoon lifting strakes provide the ability for your boat to increase speed by lifting the boat to the surface of the water. Lifting strakes will also support your boats performance in rough waters.
But, I personally would only have them if they are already a pre-installed feature on the pontoon. The reward versus effort don’t really stack up for me.
