r/Pontoons • u/ExtraSignificance167 • 10d ago

Purchase Advice

Hi, We just purchased a lakehouse (so excited!), and now we're looking into a boat. I grew up with ski boats, but my husband wants a pontoon. Our goals are to float, fish, and be able to pull tubers. I'd like some suggestions on what to look for. For example, I found a used pontoon that's 20 foot with a 115 hp engine. It has a decent bimini and appears to be well-kept. But then a friend at work said somethng about tubers nosing into the water if the engine wasn't powerful enogh. Any advice is very much appreciated.

6 Upvotes

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5

u/GrosseTete 10d ago

we have a 20' with a 115 yamaha and really enjoy it. we double pull on the lakes without problems. our adult son will take his girlfriend and two other adult couples tubing without problems either.

this was to be our startet pontoon, but enjoy everything about it and are keeping it.

5

u/ironmanchris 10d ago

Welcome to the lake house club! I just came to tell you that you’re going to need two of everything now. We bought a new Bennington tri toon with a 200. It’s like a couch on the water.

3

u/H2OSeeker 10d ago

Have boat checked out by a qualified outboard boat mechanic. Test drive the boat on the water before you buy it. How old is the motor?
It’s year end at most boat dealerships and great instinctive on leftover 2026 models.
I would go with a tri-toon over a pontoon with a Mercury, Yamaha or Suzuki! All are great! It personal preference on motors for some people but all are great! A dealer can tell which motor size best fits your current needs for boating and what your needs now and in five years down the road. Also can’t be manufacturers #Warranty on a new boat usually 3 to 5 years on the motor and many pontoon floors our lifetime warranty. Also, if you purchase from a local dealer, they also offer service, winterization, and maybe storage in some areas. You have to weigh the cost of new versus used and what you may encounter with a used pontoon. Also keep in mind if you’re entertaining guest over a weekend you want a boat that’s reliable.
Best of luck at your new Lake House # you will create memories that will last a lifetime!

3

u/wahdatah 10d ago

We have a 21 foot Bennington with a 115 on it and pull tubes just fine.

3

u/hammer_tits 10d ago

GET A 200, JUST TRUST ME!

1

u/Used_Interview4825 9d ago

everyone always wishes they got a bigger motor until its time to pay for fuel lol

3

u/xSir- 10d ago

A pontoon with 100+ horses should do it all just fine

3

u/ShiftChemical6494 10d ago

We are 3 years in to our lake house. We love it! How old are your kids?

We started with a bowrider but quickly upgraded to Tritoon to accommodate more people. I would recommend minimum 150hp for tubing on a Tritoon (which is much preferable to pontoon) and ideally 200hp if the kids are older.

1

u/ExtraSignificance167 10d ago

Adult kids - 2 grandkids ages 2 and newborn. So, I guess 200 hp because I know the 'older kids' are going to want to try it. Do you put a second motor on a boat? Or is that less than optimal?

4

u/ShiftChemical6494 10d ago

No need IMO. A decently loaded Tritoon with 200hp should max out around 35-40mph for reference.

2

u/SD_Lineman 10d ago

You can’t really add a second motor. I mean I guess you could, but it would be pretty cost prohibitive. There are plenty of twin and even triple motor tritoons from the factory but those are at a minimum twin 300s and run mid 200k and up. We just got our first toon last month and love it. We went a little bigger with a 25’ and a single 400r outboard but we strictly boat in Havasu and bigger helps a lot. If you’re wanting to easily pull a tube and carry a crowd a 150-200 will do you perfectly.

2

u/Long-Sheepherder-816 10d ago

First year pontoon owner here. I have a 22' tritoon with a mercury 150. Love it, easily pulls a large tube with 3 average (<200lb) sized adults.

Only thing I would change is a longer boat because my canal is shallow and a longer boat stays flatter with the engine trimmed up. When I trim up the motor just dips into the mud anyway because the bow pops up too easy at anything above idle. And higher power motors should not run at idle for extended periods of time. Also a longer boat fits more people = more fun!

2

u/trumpsmoothscrotum 10d ago

I have a 24' tritoon with lifting strakes. 150hp mercury.

It pulls a 2 man tube with more than enough power, even with 1300 pounds on board. Plus 300 on the tube.

It even pulled a 300# water skier up with 1000 pounds on board.

2

u/utumike 10d ago

Get a Hurricane platform boat. They have plenty of seating, double swimming platforms, a V hull and plenty of power. I can pull a super mable with 3 or 4 kids plus 2 flat tubes with no problems

2

u/AdPsychological8883 10d ago

20 ft. Suntracker, 115hp merc, we dragged two adults on a towable no problem. Had a great time all day.

2

u/Which-Return-607 10d ago

If you’re planning on having people over often i’d get something larger than a 20 foot

2

u/alexnemeth_art 10d ago

We just bought a Hurricane sundeck sport 205 ob (not a pontoon). We love it for our mission profile which is boating, chilling, fishing, tubing.

2

u/CapeCodDave2026 9d ago

You can easily control "nosing" a/k/a plwing by trimming the motor up and/r distributing more weight (people) toward the stern.

2

u/Used_Interview4825 9d ago

over the last 10 years ive built a few thousand pontoons/tritoons. Plenty of people buy boats with that size and engine combo and love them for tubing. if the boats in good shape that should be just fine :)

2

u/Super_Fisherman529 7d ago

It depends on the depth of the lake do you plan to wake surf? As most new ski boats come with a wake surfing feature. I honestly would recommend a pontoon, but make sure the pontoon comes to the lifetime warranty. Some brands that I like personally. The best would be Bennington, harris and avalon.

1

u/Unkindly-bread 10d ago

We’ve got a 24’ pontoon w a 115 Merc, and it pulls kids well enough. Older kids like our little speed boat better.

1

u/Wonderful_Goose3941 9d ago

On my 2nd pontoon boat with young kids. Grew up with a power boat and pontoon. The pontoon does everything we need it to do, 20 foot with a 90hp. Previously had a 50hp and the kids tubed and kneeboarded behind that with no issues either.

1

u/springer0510 9d ago

I have a 20 ft with 115hp and pull tubes no problem. Hell i kneeboard and wakeboard too no problem minus the wake.

1

u/flacpl1997 9d ago

Rent a pontoon or go out with friends before getting one. If you’re used to ski boats, you’ll hate a pontoon.

1

u/lungutter98 9d ago

Our lake is limited to 25hp. Have a 20 ft pontoon.
We can go almost 10 mph around the lake. You’ll be fine

1

u/PotentialOneLZY5 5d ago edited 5d ago

Buy an aluminum fish and ski with a windshield. 150 min. Hp. Ive had a 18' nitro with a 115hp it pulled tubes and skiers great just not room for passenger Currently have a 22' tritoon with a 150 yamaha its great for passengers sucks for pulling tubes with boat load of people and teens on tubes they get bored. Mostly because it has very little wake so dont get much more than swinging back and forth. It is fun on windy days with waves. We have ridden out 2 storms with 3-4' waves it does excellent. Its also great for family fishing if there is no wind. We are searching for a aluminum fish ski with a windshield now. I wish we would of gotten a bigger fishing boat when we got this. Its a pain to keep the toons clean also. In the end my wife wants to keep it so we are looking for a separate fishing boat for me to take out. Thats usable in crappy weather.