What You Need to Know About Luxury Pontoons
Pontoon boats are as popular as they’ve ever been. According to a study by the global research and consulting company The Insight Partners, the pontoon boat market stands to breach the $4 billion mark by 2028. The sector has an overall compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7 percent. But let’s put the nerd stuff aside. Many good reasons exist for why pontoons are quickly becoming the most popular type of boat among boating enthusiasts. One big reason is the pontoon’s ability to adapt to almost all on-the-water recreational needs—and that includes boating in luxury. Luxury pontoons? Yep.
What Is a Luxury Pontoon Boat?
Pontoon boats of any type are easily recognized by a pair of twin tubes that keep the boat afloat. The design keeps the boat high above the water and relatively dry. However, even with a high center of gravity, pontoons are stable due to the broad space between these tubes. It’s similar to the difference between the way a car balances on its two sets of two wheels versus how a motorcycle balances more precariously on just one set.
What you’ll find with luxury pontoon boats is that luxury is often in the eye of the beholder. For some, it’s the size; for some, it’s the attention to detail. Others look for fully kitted-out boats that are adapted to specific activities such as watersports or fishing. Luxury pontoon boat builds may feature:
- Exquisitely crafted seating
- An eye-popping array of user options
- Fully molded fiberglass sides rather than aluminum rails
- Luxuriously massive double-decker size
It is buyer’s choice.
One common thread for luxury pontoon boats is entertaining—and doing it in style.
What Makes Luxury Pontoons so Popular?
The entertainment potential of pontoon boats has seen them be labeled “floating living rooms” by some people. If pontoons were a video game character, you’d say they’re maxed out on deck space, seating, and socializing factors. But within that framework, versatility is the key to the pontoon’s success.
For instance, you might look for a luxury pontoon model that features an upper deck. Yes, an upper deck. Many of those have a detachable slide that sends you flinging off into the drink.
For the more staid and sedate crowd, many luxury pontoon lines feature a variety of conversation-enhancing floor plans. Get a quad bench, an L-bench, dual loungers, or scattered seating that features multiple bars and mini-tables. Luxury pontoons feature loungers crafted with high-end materials and stitching that would be at home in a mansion. Builders offer unlimited adjustable settings and even in-seat cooling and heating options.
What Is the Typical Power for Luxury Pontoons?
Power will depend on the design and model. Most pontoon boats feature outboard motors, but you can find watersports-oriented models that have sterndrives and emphasize an unbroken swim platform. We have seen some new developments in electric motors for pontoons, too. Some models that can travel upwards of 40 miles over seven hours and still have battery life left.
Some other factors to consider are that some lakes prohibit the use of gas motors, whereas if you’re going to spend a lot of time in an area with strong currents, having more power is a must.
What Are the Primary Uses for Luxury Pontoons?
Party time, baby! In all seriousness, luxury pontoon boats are the perfect high-end party boats only limited by what you want them to be. You can still find upscale models with many of the features mentioned above, only on boats configured more for fishing, watersports, or cruising. With their broad, flat profile, it’s easy enough to sacrifice a bit of deck area for a couple of dedicated fishing chairs, a movie screening area, an extra bar, or other pursuits.
Definitely Consider a Luxury Pontoon If…
If entertaining in style is your bag, this is the boat for you. Again, you can still have the space and upscale build to host all of your friends but alter the layout for a more fishing-friendly or watersports-oriented model. But whatever you and your guests want to get up to, the luxury pontoon is made for pleasure and comfort.
Maybe Consider Another Boat Type If…
If you’re dedicated to all-out watersports such as wakeboarding or, conversely, you just want a simple boat for low-key chilling out with your friends and family, then luxury pontoons might not be the right fit. There are plenty of boat models with similar attributes that are much less costly and will give you the same simple joys of boat ownership, just without all the bells and whistles.
Photos courtesy of the manufacturers.
Pontoons in the Marketplace
Kurt Brighton
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