Keep in mind though that the size of the boat and engine only tell half the story! There are a number of factors that will determine how fast a pontoon will go, including the size of the motor, the size of the pontoon boat, the number of pontoons, and how heavy your load is, etc. If you stumbled upon this article then speed is obviously a concern that you have, but do you really need to go as fast as you might think.
Sure some people just have a need for speed and want to go as fast as possible no matter what. With that being said, 16 to 20 mph is usually enough to pull kids on skies and tubes.
If by some chance you find yourself on the fence whether or not to go with say a Yamaha 50 hp or a hp motor, always go with the bigger engine.
After going out on the water a few times, you quickly realize that you should have gone with the bigger motor. Boats and their engines are like new cars in that once you drive them off the lot, they immediately lose their value. I know this seems counter intuitive, but dealerships will often outfit their boats with the smallest motors possible in order to bring the sale price down, making them more attractive to potential buyers.
If you do decide to go with a smaller motor and find out that you need to go just a little bit faster, you might want to try one or all of these tips in order to get that extra boost of power.
Without going into full detail, different props can produce different results. For instance, choosing a prop with a different pitch can help you get on plane faster perfect for pulling skiers but will bring down your top speed a bit.
Alternatively, you can choose a prop with a pitch suited for achieving top speed once on plane, but getting on plane will take a little longer. They make 4 blade and 3 blade props, which both have their pros and cons, as well as stainless steel and aluminum props.
If you would like more detailed info on boat props, West Marine has a great article here. In short, they are strips of metal that are welded directly onto the pontoons, helping to create lift on the water. This helps the pontoon to basically glide through the water instead of lumbering through it. Lifting strakes not only help with speed, but will also help with fuel efficiency as well as providing a smoother ride.
But will effect how fast your pontoon goes. On Facebook recently a pontooner conduced an experiment, recording his speed with a GPS app on his smartphone. He found that by folding down his Bimini his top speed increased from 32 to 36 miles per hour. The best improvement I have had once taking down the Bimini was around 1 mile per hour.
Not as impressive, but still an improvement! Other items you might want to remove if speed is important is things such as fishing rod holders , a rail-mounted grill click here for my top grill recommendations , cooler boxes and live wells… in fact, anything that could provide resistance when looking to go faster.
Most new boats come with a safe prop and nothing too fancy, unless you have asked the dealer for an upgrade. Safe props are designed to operate under easy and typical conditions. Many boat owners will upgrade over time themselves and buy a smaller prop that provides increased revs per minute. By changing out the propeller for one that pushes higher RPMs, you can get faster speeds depending on the recommended range of your pontoon motor. Every boat owner is going to get algae, scum, and some kind of barnacle attaching to their pontoon tubes over time.
Because of that it pays to clean your tubes regularly, and I have put together a handy guide for algae removal which I recommend you read.
By having clean and polished pontoons, you might increase to faster speeds of between 2 and 6 miles per hour. Handy Hint: Read additional tips on how to make your pontoon go quicker in this speeding up guide. If speed and how fast yours will go is important to you when buying a boat, then here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself, and the dealer.
Due to the aluminum multi-hull design of pontoons, they are able to travel through the water surface at a shallow draft. And when taking off, they will achieve plane virtually from the off as they climb the water. Boats with a v-shaped hull are designed to cut through and displace water, meaning they can plane at faster speeds. Unlike pontoon, these types of boats are designed to be more aerodynamic, with resistance reduced and no open deck space.
Therefore, anyone that is purchasing a pontoon boat understands that it is slower than most watercraft. However, some people like the speed, so they find it important that their boat can keep up with the rest of the boats around them. If you would like to read about motors that are even slower, make sure you read the Electric Trolling Motor review. Well, in all honesty, trolling motors are meant to be quiet and not fast.
But in any event, check it out if you get a chance. What will surprise you about pontoon boats is that they are more than fast enough to be used for most water sports. In fact, they are so fast that you can use them for waterskiing.
A typical pontoon boat will be able to reach speeds between mph. However, the speed of your pontoon boat depends on a few factors. The load of the pontoon is certainly a factor. For example, having too many people will lower the speed of your pontoon boat.
Another factor is the size of the engine, size of the pontoon, horsepower, and the number of tubes that is beneath the deck. When buying a pontoon boat , the most important part of the process is asking questions. Below are a couple of questions that will help you better gauge the process. These questions are meant to be asked to a dealer or private seller. As we said, the load will determine the speed of your boat.
Now, the load does not only refer to people. It refers to objects on the pontoon, such as grill, coolers, and extras. One of the major causes that slow down a boat is a bimini top. If your Bimini top is not aerodynamic, it can drag the boat by up to 2 mph, depending on how windy the day is.
Also, the material of the Bimini top can cause a slight drag. This may not seem like much of a speed difference, but you might notice lesser performance if you are a speed enthusiast.
You can also add pontoon changing room to this list as it is not very aerodynamic. It will drag your boat down about the same as a bimini top. You may also have a pontoon grill or umbrella on your boat. Those are additional items to take into account.
You might want to take down your umbrella if you are on the go, if for nothing else but safety purposes. The stock propellers are not designed to reach the top speed of a boat. Therefore, many pontoon owners will switch the stock propellers to reach a higher RPM range and obtain more speed. Although stock propellers are designed to work great with your engine, achieving the top speed is nearly impossible.
This propeller has great reviews from the people that tested it and will definitely increase your speed and power by a couple of miles. One of the factors that slow down your pontoon that surprised me the most was algae and dirt deposits. If you are used to leaving your pontoon in the water for long periods at a time, microorganisms, and other marine life, will begin to grow on your pontoons.
In fact, it can lower the speed of your pontoon up to 6 mph. Therefore, it is important to hose down your boat after every use. Another major influence is if you take your boat out in saltwater often.
Corrosion will eventually begin to deteriorate the bottom of your pontoon boat, including the engine and electrical wiring. This will definitely reduce the power of your boat.
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