Pontoon Options: What's Right For You?

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

And as always, if you'd like to experience them in person, feel free to stop in and check out the pontoons for yourself. 

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. This allows you to reach higher speeds with the same amount of horsepower. If speed is important, be aware that with equal engines, a 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 and are a lot less to roll than fishing or skiing boats. They’re also easier to get on and off of than boats. However, the tritoon does have greater stability when waves are high or there is a lot of activity on the lake.

Whether staying still or cruising across the water, a 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 larger trailer. 

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, and that's something you could discuss in greater detail with one of our watercraft experts.

Availability

Another thing to keep in mind when buying a pontoon is the availability. Here at Miller Marine, new tritoons tend to make up about 25% of our new pontoon inventory, which is still 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 pontoon options, 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 works to your advantage. Buying a pontoon (instead of a tritoon) leaves you with money saved to put toward any additions you may want. 

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 these are still important factors to consider. When making a big purchase decision, Miller Marine has experts on hand to answer any and all questions to help you with your decision-making process.