Scuba Has Gone Crazy....

[SCUBA STEVE]

Ok Guy's & Gal's. I need your thoughts on pantoon boats. Since my new toy (The aftershock) was damaged last weekend. I am thinking about picking up a used pantoon for the "crazy" weekends on the lake. This way my aftershock wont look like a tornado hit it after the "crazy" weekend.
1. Who has 2 boats and is a just a pain in the ass to maintain both?
2. What is a decent hp for a 21'-24' foot pantoon? everything I see is 90hp or below.
3. SHOULD I SHUT UP AND STOP BITCHING ABOUT MY BOAT DAMAGE. cry
4. Any pros & cons on pantoons. Besides having no speed and no performance.
5. Forget the entire 2 boat idea and just wait until I can afford the new rig & the performance deck boat?(chevy hd 2500 4x4 crew cab & advantage party cat :D )

[mbrown2]

SCUBA STEVE:
Ok Guy's & Gal's. I need your thoughts on pantoon boats. Since my new toy (The aftershock) was damaged last weekend. I am thinking about picking up a used pantoon for the "crazy" weekends on the lake. This way my aftershock wont look like a tornado hit it after the "crazy" weekend.
1. Who has 2 boats and is a just a pain in the ass to maintain both?
2. What is a decent hp for a 21'-24' foot pantoon? everything I see is 90hp or below.
3. SHOULD I SHUT UP AND STOP BITCHING ABOUT MY BOAT DAMAGE. cry
4. Any pros & cons on pantoons. Besides having no speed and no performance.
5. Forget the entire 2 boat idea and just wait until I can afford the new rig & the performance deck boat?(chevy hd 2500 4x4 crew cab & advantage party cat :D ) We have two boats, but one of them I share with my best friend. It is not a hassle or to expensive if shared.
I would look for a beater Pontoon with a good outboard engine, so you don't have to worry about it running, but you don't give a shit about beating it up inside and you won't have to worry about the party spots. :)

[SCUBA STEVE]

My thoughts exactly, I am trying to get one of my friends to get in on it with me. Why should I have to handle the entire expense of 2 boats for everyone elses enjoyment. Then comes the storage issue. :(
mbrown2, did you make it to the finals last week?
if so was it party central? what a game though, I though ku was done in the first half. :D

[JetBoatRich]

Should put this under a POLL and take a vote.
Drop the dime and get both. :D

[mbrown2]

Yeah, we went to Final Four and the Championship game on Monday...best sporting event I even been to...the energy the college kids bring to the arena with their cheers and such, and 54,000 people made it crazy....Also, the town was just going off like Margi Gras....I am still hungover..we were sitting in the Syracuse section and it was absolutely nuts...

[572Daytona]

I have several boats and the maintenance question would depend on how "anal" you would be about the maintenance. If everything always has to be shiny, clean and polished a second boat is going to be a lot of work. I have a cheap outboard bowrider that I use a lot for water sports, cruising, fishing, etc. My maitenance schedule for it is basically chaging the lower unit oil once a year and washing it maybe twice a year and fixing anything that is broken. It sits at the dock uncovered all summer. After 10 years the interior is showing some signs of wear but the boat is still usable and a lot of fun. I prefer to use my boats rather than work on them all of the time. I have a friend with a tournament ski boat that pretty much washes and waxes after every outing...he probably wouldn't be able to handle having more than one boat. Your mileage may vary.

[SCUBA STEVE]

mbrown2:
Yeah, we went to Final Four and the Championship game on Monday...best sporting event I even been to...the energy the college kids bring to the arena with their cheers and such, and 54,000 people made it crazy....Also, the town was just going off like Margi Gras....I am still hungover..we were sitting in the Syracuse section and it was absolutely nuts... Sounds like blast! I would love to make it over there for Madri Gras... but I have some fear of just me & the wife going. Now an all guys trip thats another story.

[SCUBA STEVE]

JetBoatRich:
Should put this under a POLL and take a vote.
Drop the dime and get both. :D The dime may get dropped soon :D

[SCUBA STEVE]

572datoyna, If I do go with it, as long as the pantoon is running I will be happy, and not give a rats ass about the look or how clean it is. It will be the "PARTY" boat. Outboards are easier to keep running then I/0's or Jets right?

[572Daytona]

Yep, 2 strokes are great for pontoons, fishing boats and yard work wink ...just stay away from the Nitrous and high revs and an outboard is reliable and pretty much maitenance free. I've got a 93 90hp Johnson and I've changed the plugs and fuel filter twice in addition to the lower unit oil every year.
Personally I would look for a carbed or maybe an EFI model. I've heard that the newer DFI motors such as Ficht and Optimax have more routine maitenance and are much more susceptible to problems from bad gas and lower grade oils. Also while the 4 strokes are great from a low noise/low smoke point of view, they will require more maitenance and in my opinion still getting the bugs worked out of them and they are quite a bit more expensive.

[GlastronGuy]

Get a pontoon boat that has tall pontoons. Then you can tow the main boat between them and shoot out from the front of it.
wink

[superV]

Here at LOTO it is common to see 24'-30' toon with BBC and Bravos or twin or triple 2.4s :D Last year at the shoot out a guy ran a 24' like 89.? MPH. They are f'ing awsome and ride good too! wink The company that builds them is LOTO and they finish them like a PartyCat.

[beyondhelpin]

You might look at a deck boat instead of a pontoon. You can put more power on them. My dad has a metal 23' deck boat with a 90 HP that runs about 35mph with 7 or 8 people on it. It is set up like a pontoon with the wide open deck. It just goes faster. Not hauling ass but it can take forever to get anywhere on a pontoon. Throw in a stereo that bumps and you have a party barge.

[beyondhelpin]

Hey Super V
Wheres a good place to stay at Loto. We may want to make a trip up there this year.

[Seadog]

From long experience with toons, the best ones to get are in the 24' range with at least 24" diameter toons. You can't go wrong with a 90+ 4 stroke outboard on a toon. Brands, layout and the big one; foam filled u-logs vs round logs are personal choices. I personally would never have foam filled. You don't have to have a putter, if you are willing to spend to get it. Mine does 40+ and several are rated at 60+. Also please stop calling them pantoons, it is just wrong. If you have any questions about options or features to look for, just ask.

[superV]

beyondhelpin:
Hey Super V
Wheres a good place to stay at Loto. We may want to make a trip up there this year. Thier are Lots of Places to stay. What are you looking for in a place? We have ex. camping with boat slips in state park and it is right by Party Cove wink

[mud duck]

Currently I have three boats. The only time it really is nice is with a big group. Then you can put more than one in the water at a time and everyone gets to play. Maintenance only gets to be a hassle when winterizing all three at once, or when something breaks. I thought pontoons were ugly to trailer around, may be wrong on that, but that is what I heard. They made a Merc inline four cylinder I/O in pontoons, that might be nice.

[beyondhelpin]

Not for sure if I would want to camp out or stay in a motel. Probally depends on the temp. But I do have an AC for the tent!

[Seadog]

Mud Duck, a lot of people remember the old toon trailers that had the wheels inside the toon. These trailers were designed for launching only and would flip going around a curve. The trailers today are no problem to haul, but if you are going over 65 down the road, you need to remember that you have a lot of wind area with a light weight, just like an RV. I recommend avoiding the 13" wheels that a lot come standard with because they are turning a lot of RPMs at speed. OK for local runs, but go 14" w/Marathons if you want to haul. As far as the 3.0 in toons, I feel you are better off getting an outboard if you don't get a v-block I/O. Now twin 3.0s would be cool.
[ April 11, 2003, 12:56 PM: Message edited by: Seadog ]

[dcb carrera]

I have two boats because I'm leaving one in Havasu and one I use locally. I use one to go fast in and one to ski behind. I really don't have problem keeping them clean, it's just another reason to drink a beer. I also have three 40 foot deep garages :D

[SCUBA STEVE]

Seems like there is a lot of info to take in, here I thought it was going to be a simple task.
Here is what I would use this toon for, the 3 major holiday's, and maybe a spring break trip.
used & stored in havasu, and I need it to accomodate 8-12 people. (ice chests, & bbq)
I take it a 22'-24' should do fine. a cruising speed of 25mph is good for me. I would love to keep it under 15k. I just want to keep it simple since I wont be using it too much. With that said will a 90 hp 2 or 4 stroke outboard fit the bill?
One more ? does anyone know of cheap outdoor storage in havasu/parker?
Thanks for everyone's input.

[SCUBA STEVE]

beyondhelpin:
You might look at a deck boat instead of a pontoon. You can put more power on them. My dad has a metal 23' deck boat with a 90 HP that runs about 35mph with 7 or 8 people on it. It is set up like a pontoon with the wide open deck. It just goes faster. Not hauling ass but it can take forever to get anywhere on a pontoon. Throw in a stereo that bumps and you have a party barge. I havent seen a metal deck boat. can you give me a name brand so I can check it out?

[superV]

15K eek! For what you want I would not spend more tham 5K and you will get a nice one. You could bye a Brand new 28' Party Barge from Bass Pro for that its has a top deck and a inclosed room! wink

[SCUBA STEVE]

superV:
15K eek! For what you want I would not spend more tham 5K and you will get a nice one. You could bye a Brand new 28' Party Barge from Bass Pro for that its has a top deck and a inclosed room! wink oh 15k was including the 10k stereo & dvd system. :D
I was looking at the boat trader and it seems like there is nothing in there for less then 9k. your probably right though if I am patient I will find a hell of a deal somewhere.

[Seadog]

You need to remember that pontoons are more sensitive to the number of guests than many boats. A 90 HP should max at least 25-30 mph with 25" logs, but only with 2-3 people. 6-8 guests and you may drop 10 mph. If you have a model you want to check out, they may have a review in Pontoon and Deckboat Magazine (http://www.pontoon.net)

[SCUBA STEVE]

thanks seadog. :D

[68campbell]

Two boats are almost required these days. These are mine:
http://www.mavericksaloon.org/pon.jpg

[SCUBA STEVE]

I hear that, 1 for a good time and the other 1 for a real good time. :D

[beyondhelpin]

SS
I thought it was a Monark but I looked on their web site and dont see a metal one. Dads is about 5 years old so they may not make it anymore.

[SCUBA STEVE]

beyondhelpin:
SS
I thought it was a Monark but I looked on their web site and dont see a metal one. Dads is about 5 years old so they may not make it anymore. thanks for looking into it. I'll be out this weekend checking to see what is out there. I am in no rush, but monday you might see a post with the newest editon to the scuba family. :D

[Mandelon]

I think that when you are out there on your old rusty pontoon boat, you would be just jonesing for your shiny go fast. frown

[77charger]

I have two boats one is a slow family cruiser with room and a stereo the other is daddy rocket-A flat that i will race next month at phoenix and the best part is my boss owns it and pays the funds for it i just drive it.But it is also my new river rocket.(guess i have the coolest boss)
If i had to buy another a pontoon will be it.Motor wise i dont care as long as it gets me to where i am going since it is a moving party speed is of no concern

[bordsmnj]

hey steve,the boat show has them for new 15k and less! let me know if yuh wanna check it out sunday i may get us in for free plus parking(8 bucks! yuk )

[SCUBA STEVE]

Mandelon:
I think that when you are out there on your old rusty pontoon boat, you would be just jonesing for your shiny go fast. :( Your probably right. But I just cant stay away from copper canyon. I guess you can compare it to a work truck and a sport car. One handles the grunt work, the other is for show & fun. :D

[SCUBA STEVE]

bordsmnj:
hey steve,the boat show has them for new 15k and less! let me know if yuh wanna check it out sunday i may get us in for free plus parking(8 bucks! yuk ) Jason thanks for the invite. What time are you going? I have a few things to take care of on rainy Sunday, but maybe I can change some things around to make a quick dash out there.

[bordsmnj]

check your PM :D