A pontoon is a metallic tube, flotation device with buoyancy sufficient to float itself as well as a heavy load over it. Boats using pontoon as a floating device are called pontoon boats. Pontoon boats are typically cylindrical and do not have inside access; they are simply for flotation.
Generally pontoon boats are comfortable fishing boats while whiling the time way the nearby lakes or ponds but today they have become much more that. Today, pontoon boats come in different shapes and sizes with different features, offering everything from small in house bars to wakeboarding towers to underwater lights. Most of the people love their pontoon boats for the comfort, space, amenities (which can be added such as lounge chairs, and even water slides). But now, they can be really fast as well! Modern technology has allowed pontoon boats to turn into these high performance and super fast boats that are safe as well as fun.
Fast pontoon boats today are a reality, and data below, gathered across many websites, show us how fast the pontoon boats are running in the present times:
- G3 Suncatcher 22′ V22RF with a 115hp engine and medium load can go about 25 mph
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- 22mph with a 90hp engine and medium load
- With 11 people in the boat (max capacity) and a 115hp engine, it gets about 22 mph
- Under perfect, ideal conditions and only one person in the boat, it can hit 31 mph
- 21′ with lifting strakes and a 90hp engine and perfect conditions gets 36 mph
- 18′ Bass Buggy with 60hp engine can go up to 18mph
- Suntracker 22′ with a 70hp engine can get 21 mph with a light load
- Gigantic 30′ Pontoon with a 115hp will only get around 15mph
- 24′ Pontoon boat with a 115hp and a medium load got around 25mph
- 18′ Party Barge with a 75hp engine can get around 24mph
- 20′ Bass Buggy with a 60hp motor only gets around 13-17 mph
- 20′ Starcraft with a 75hp engine and with no load can get 23 mph
- 26′ Crest III with a 90hp engine and medium load can get around 28mph
- 24′ 2006 Sweetwater with a 90hp engine can go around 18mph, or 20.5mph with a 115hp engine
- 26′ Tritoon with a 175hp engine and a medium/heavy load can get up to 35mph
- 21′ Tritoon with a 90hp engine and only two people on board can get up to 27mph
Certain factors which affect the speed of the boat are:
- Weight Effect : For every 1000 pounds added to the boat, the boat loses 15% of the speed
- Bimini Effect: Folding down the bimini can take the speed up tp 36 mph from 32 mph
- Prop Effect: Lower the prop, higher the speed
- Dirty Pontoons Effect: If there is algae or barnacles on any other crud on the pontoon boat, the boat might slow down upto 2 to 6 mph
