Not sure that we need this forum.

[RazorCat]

I'm a first time pontoon buyer. I would appreciate any advice any current owners have.
Looking at 2015 Landau Island Breeze 232. 22' pontoon with a Suzuki 115 4-stroke, or that smme boat in a tri-toon configuration with a 140.
Looking for used in that size range in order to be able to pull tubers, and have plenty of seating.
Any thoughts or comments on brands, size, OB size would be greatly appreciated. Not too concerned about OB brand as long as it's a 4-stroke.

[danwill12]

This question is being asked by a guy that used to own a bass boat? Dan

[LittleRiver MSports]

Rasor, you'll have a blast with a pontoon. Mine is a 24 foot , I trick out everything. Added double tops, stereo creates waves, customized a grill, even have torches on it for evening slow cruising. You can see them in my photo to the left.
Electric anchor is a must, added a remote dash switch raise and lower that puppy from the dash. LEDs or the thing just ain't happening, () and have a 86 pound laser guided trolling motor on mine, I can fish with the pontoon as good as I can the bass boat if the wind is not blowing. Mine had the flip up bathroom so ladies love it, and took out the captians seat, added a bench seat, GF, ladies, someone elses wife, long as its a lady can cuddle up and buddy, Gals, love that.
Might just be a very productive day for you. LOL With or without fishing.

Four sets of lights on the boat. Bluewater LEDs circle the boat, then hot pink by the pontoons that reflect off the water.
Floor lights even the cup holders have LEDs in them and skinny dipping lights. Added a vhf, ordered a transducer, mount and power cord the Lowrance 7 does double duty on the pontoon boat. Just another way to save money. Look around on Craigs list or e bay. Mines a 2008 found it less tha 20 miles from the house was looking to ride to Del. to get one I had found on e bay, stole it for 8600 dollars. I"ve put about 3000 in the boat with all the custom work, and building the grill but with just you and mama or and many as you can cram on the thing its a hell of a fun toy to enjoy a day on the water. Honestly its the cheapest toy I own other than the guns, and have far more fun on that thing for less money than any of the rest.

That boat your looking at will run as to speed about 30. My 24 with a 115 is rated at 28 mph. Have a 50 is all i have on mine, and I don't even run that hard.
24 gal tank will last me at least two full days of playing on the water. No kidding. Why I won't change up or move up to another motor.

My advice buy a used older boat, and build it like you want it. Its striper season now, added 6 rod mounts on the rails I can troll 6 rods while snuggled up to a mama jamming to music, killing a cigar, let them pull them in, when ones bites , goes back to that productive day thing.

Get a trailer. I added poly to the rails, so it will slide better loading, and one set of guides for under the thing for loading made a world of different.
Live near the coast, have a date with a lady who owns a 5500 square house this sunday , she sounds excited I have a pontoon already ask me if I could bring it over there, I said yes, shes tickled to death. NOW which one you think I rather haul over there . The bass boat or the pontoon.

Less than 12 thousand in the thing , no its not the newer styles but then I ain't spent 50,000 dollar on it either and it does everything their's will do and so much more. .
Take your time, look around, now is the best time to make a offer on one. Guy wanted 12g for the one I have. Dropped his price this much, he wanted it gone for he could get a speed boat. Something You guys and I already had... The BB. :)

I watch the weather on the android so know whats coming at me and I have the vhf on the boat.. Figured out a custom place to put that antenna picks up better, so fire away about any questions you have with the pontoon or wiring on a boat. Just get one. You'll never be sorry and never look back and wonder why you waited so long.

GRILL. LIttle bass boat high tech red neck fixings right there. LOL
Took the grill up town had a shop build a base. Added to gas adjustable pedicials, I can hit the switchs on both ends the grill rises by itself to cooking height. Lay a towel on the grill after it cools, lean over with my body push the two levels it goes back down so it does not block the view. IR grill so it does not flair up while cooking and if your into grilling, IR's clean themself. No mess.

Have fun with it. Its a whole new world in enjoying the water.








Lights.




Just enough light to enjoy the night. LOL
You will be loading and unloading if you don't have a dock at night. Ain't nothing sets the mood any more than slow cruising at sunset with mama beside you. Why I put the head rack on the truck. LOL



You thought I was bull shitting didn't you. Even got the red light so its official. LOL









On the stereo.. Think!!!
Your going to be anchored , wading around in the water, enjoying the day with others. I mounted 4 speakers, two on the front of the boat, two in the back and added beer holders for when your in the water.
Those speakers run off the stereo itself so you have your music on both ends of the boat while in the water.
The speakers mounted in the front seat and behind me are on the low pass to a 700 rms Kicker amp under the dash suppose to have 400 on the sub. . 10' free air sub, Kenwood and the speakes on the outside of the boat are Kenwood, with JL audo speakers inside. . The boat shakes when its on. LOL
Common sence, you don't run the batterys down while your parked, and when running you use the amp for the inside speakers. Best of both worlds.

Added two 18w work lights, for docking at night. You can see those on the front photo.

[LittleRiver MSports]

Take the XM out the truck, have it adopted where it works on the boat. See that little tiny transducer on top the vhf speaker. Thats the small xm receiver. Plug it into the stereo, your rocking.
Would not let me load any more pictures above. LOL




Now I have all that storage under the bench seat. Little things you can do have double meanings to. LOL




I"ve added 6 rod holders for trailering on the inside of the swinging door. Will get a picture of those, if I remember.

Lots of things you can do to have fun and turn the boat up a notch or two.
Trailer gives you the advantage to move from river to river. There is a pontoon party crowd at Edenton 30 miles away and its to far round the top of my river then back down the next river north of me, if I want to get over to the coast guard base to spend a day with that crowd. Just trailer it over and hoping to do a whole lot of beach cruising this year.

Need to get you one of these things AL. Ya might look forward to summer a little bit more up there in cold country. . LOL
Leave the forum. Change the name to Pontoons , offshore and other boats. You'll open up a little more advantage for those of us that enjoy a little more than Just a BB. Who knows,, we might teach you something to. You helped me out with shorting the name to get it on here. LittleRiver Motor Sports. You might just be a pontoon owner one day. Never say never. LOL

Buy used, build it like you want it. You won't have hardly any money in it, just a little of your time and who on here hates projects? We live for the stuff. Adding the Bling to our toys..
Pontoons are hard to beat for a fantastic day on the water and everyone loves them. Expecially the ladies when their is a bathroom on board. Sun, fun, music women and water. Does anyone here not like that combination. . Whats not to love.

Nuff Said. LOL

Serious Al, make it a three way forum. Pontoons, offshore and other boats. That enters pleasure boats like ski boats, and one forum would cover everything else.
Most on here might get a pontoon before getting a ocean boat, but i'm sure a few have pleasure boats.
Have not lost my love for offshore. If I ever move to the beach if I can hook a rich one. LOL I'll go back to offshore fishing.
I say keep it just make it a everything else boat forum.
My views.

[fly by night]

Thanks for sharing, nice read, pictures, and boat. I also like you enthusiasm. ENJOY!

[Bass AHolic]

I've been on them in a show room, but never on water lolo.. But I'd be too tempted, to stretch out on that sofa and snoooooze the day away

[LittleRiver MSports]

There the best all around boats for a family there is. Adults can chill and grill, kids.. Park them in 3 foot of water and forget them. They will entertain them self all day long. Drink and a sandwich, their in heaven. Slow enough to let the kids drive them to. Talk about Super dad, take a picture of them driving the boat, send it to them, you just surpassed Superman as the coolest pop there is.
Crappie, there does not get much better boat than that. Reds, stripers, trout, white perch, fluke and catfish. Bass and the brim take a little more doing but try and get 4 couples on a bass boat for a fun cool day on the water with a grill, music and cooler. :)

Let someone else drive, lay back on those cushion seats. Looking up at the sky or stairs, Man its all over but the snoozing. LOL

Best part is folks keep them a few years then get rid of them but when they go for sale, they want them gone. Dicker. . Your on the water with a right good size boat, that does not cost a lot to own or operate and does a whole lot of things so well.
For speed like sking, or tubing stay under a 22 foot. For class, room and comfort man pick your poison. Next one if there is a next one will be in the 26 to 27 foot range. Played so hard on the pontoon last year racing almost went totally on the back burner.

You guys have at it. Look around. Its something the wife or GF and the kids if you have them all can do and have a blast. Single guys. Just get one. Don't ask. LOL
later.

[Grandpa]

we sure do love our pontoon, it's still in the water too, in Jan. but it's been a warm and the water level on the lake is full, usually down and the boats have to be taken out. One of the best purchases we have ever made.

[pattece]

I just found out we had a Pontoon Thread. I will be checking it out frequently now.

FYI LittleRiver that is one heck of a rig.

[RazorCat]

I've narrowed my search down to a 22' Landau with a 115 Suzuki 4 stroke, or a 22' Southbay with a 115 Honda 4 on it. They have a ton of 2015 rental boats for sale around Hamilton and Greer's Ferry with less than 50 hours on them. They all come with a 5 year engine warranty, and the boats are still under warranty. Prices range from low 20s to 30K with a new trailer. I'm still exploring the used market, but these look like a good bet with the warranty. The Landau and Southbay both look like well built boats. They're not a Premier or a Bennington, but nice enough for my purposes.
Anyone have experiences, good or bad, with either brand?

[fly by night]

Crest is one of the top four brands according to the research I did before purchasing my Crest pontoon boat.

[RazorCat]

Well we pulled the trigger this past month on a 22' South Bay pontoon with a 115 Honda. Motor had about 80 hrs. on it and came with 5 year warranty on the motor plus the full factory warranty on the boat. Came loaded with all the covers, Bimini top, bumpers, dock and tow ropes, and the turbo ring for skiing/tubing. Putting it in the water tomorrow for the Summer. Can't wait to try it out.
I'll post some pictures as soon as I get some.

[pattece]

We ended up getting a Sylvan with a 90 merc 4 stroke and love it. Band new 2015 year end model.

[Joe20Toon]

We ended up getting a Sylvan with a 90 merc 4 stroke and love it. Band new 2015 year end model.

I have a 20 foot (8520 RPT tubes). Did you get the RPT pontoons? Those pontoons plane out quick. I've got a Yamaha 115 on the back.

Hope the site owner keeps this pontoon area...

[pattece]

Joe20Toon not sure which tubes I got but can tell you it is an awesome rig. Pulled everybody I know this past weekend from 6'8" 315lb male to 5 kids on tubes. Get's on plane like a rocket, as a matter of fact I had to take of slowly with the girls skiing so I didn't pull their arms off. My merc has the command trust lower end so it jumps on pad.

[Fidgetcranker]

Hope you keep this going.
First time on this page and already see things that interest me.
Thinking about adding a pontoon to my boat lot (driveway) for family use with grandkids.
Shhhh...don't you dare tell them Al, it's a surprise.