Pontoon Options: Which Is Right For You?

So you’re looking for a pontoon boat to take you around the lake, but aren't sure which option is right for you. Before you consider what pontoon is going to be the best choice, think of what you will use your boat for the most. Will you use it to put around the lake, take the kiddos tubing, go skiing or wakeboarding, or enjoy a leisurely day of fishing? 

Whatever your answer is, use our helpful insights below to help guide you, and as always, feel free to stop in and check out the pontoons in person to help you decide. 

Performance/Speed

Pontoons have great handling and a surplus of features. However, tritoons generally can get up to higher speeds. With the third pontoon, tritoons can move over the water better, generally acting like a boat hull allowing you to reach higher speeds with the same amount of horsepower a pontoon might have. If speed is important, be aware if the engines are equal the tritoon will be able to accelerate faster and hit a higher speed overall.

Stability

Pontoons are made for stability. They were designed to be a floating platform for relaxing or fishing and tend to roll a lot less than fishing or skiing boats. They’re also easier to get on and off of than boats. However, the tritoon comes out on top again but only in choppy waters. When waves are high or there is a lot of activity on the lake, a tritoon provides more stability.

Whether sitting still or flying over the water, the third pontoon helps keep the deck from flexing to keep the boat steady and on track. Keep in mind that a tritoon, bigger than a traditional pontoon, will oftentimes require a bigger trailer than normal to transport from place to place. 

Cost

On any boat or pontoon purchase, you know you’re going to be spending $15,000-30,000 for any new equipment for the lake. Be prepared though, as tritoons will run higher on cost than equivalent pontoons due to the extra materials and manufacturing processes. Depending on what you’d like to do with the boat, a tritoon may be worth the extra cash to you, or it may not be and you’ll want to go with a pontoon.

Availability

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing between the two is the availability. Here at Miller Marine, new tritoons tend to make up about 25% of our new pontoon inventory, which is a lot considering our spacious indoor showroom. However, if for whatever reason the pontoon you find is not a model we carry, our salespeople make it easy to locate and order exactly what you have in mind.

Used tritoons are sometimes challenging to find, but for a positive reason: people who have bought them aren't trading them in or wanting to let them go. In other words, they're a hot commodity and people tend to love them! 

Accessories

There are tons of upgrades and accessories available to make your pontoon boat even better. If cost is a big deciding factor for you, having the option to accessorize could be to your advantage. Purchasing a pontoon (instead of a tritoon) for less, being they are generally less expensive, leaves you with money saved to potentially spend on additions. 

As you can see, there are different factors to consider when contemplating a pontoon purchase. The memories you make on it will be priceless, but we know it's still an important factor to consider. When making a big purchase decision, Miller Marine has experts on hand to answer any and all questions to make your decision-making process as painless as possible.