Not only can they handle a crowd with their wide and stable layout, they're also great for cruising, tubing, skiing or beaching at the local sandbar. These days, pontoons can also provide sporty performance in both fresh and salt water on par with many fiberglass V-hull rivals. There is so much that pontoons can do that it's no wonder they're one of the most popular styles of boat on the water. Take a look at the latest and greatest pontoons coming out in 2023.
SEA-DOO SWITCH 13 SPORT
Sea-Doo's Switch series boats take aim squarely at the pontoon market, but the diminutive Switch 13 Sport retains a lot in common with the personal watercraft for which its maker is renowned. At barely 13 feet in length, it's only slightly longer than Sea-Doo's flagship GTX three-seater PWC. Grab the handlebar-style controls and punch the trigger throttle as you crank into a turn, and it displays much of a PWC's excitement and quick-reflex ma-neuverability. Approach a dock or launch ramp and Sea-Doo's Intelligent Brake and Reverse (iBR) system provides intuitive, low-speed maneuverability and control not found on pontoons. Truly, you'll load this boat on a trailer or place it into its slip with precision and ease.
This story is from the Boat Buyers Guide 2023 edition of Boating.
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This story is from the Boat Buyers Guide 2023 edition of Boating.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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AFFORDABLE SATCOM
Communications devices using satellite technology are more abundant today than any time in the past. What's more, many are portable, ultra-compact, affordable relatively and designed for boating, dispelling any perceptions that you need a big, expensive dome antenna aloft to access satellite communications.
IN THE BEGINNING
REPOWERING FOUNTAIN HULL NO.1
NAVICO GROUP FATHOM 2.0
Engine charging at 48 volts could be a game-changer.
PROPS FOR INNOVATION
Sharrow MX3 propellers live up to most of the company's performance-improvement claims.
MERCURY RACING 500R
Supercharged power for a variety of boats.
FLIPPING THE SWITCH
Much reporting focuses on reasons why one might choose electric marine power. The issues of range, speed, noise levels, winterizing and ethanol challenges, lake restrictions, environmental concerns and more all must be resolved on an individual basis. Little gets said about how a boater choosing to repower with electric actually gets that accomplished. Is it DIY? And if not, how does it get done?
TOW-VEHICLE TECH
If it's been a while since you bought new tow vehicle, you might be surprised by the many built-in advancements in trailering technology. New tow tech ranges from integrated weight scales and adaptive suspensions to systems that automatically back up your truck to hitch up your trailer. Here are a few examples to look for. -Jim Hendricks
MONUMENTAL TIPS FOR BACKING A TRAILER
Three Boating greats offer advice for a perennial reader query.
STICKING POINTS - Anchoring alternatives, and why you will always need a traditional anchor.
My brother-in-law likes to fish offshore reefs, and the process once entailed navigating to a mark, dropping a float, and idling upwind or up-current to drop the anchor in hopes the set would drop us back to the float.
FOR WANT OF A CLAMP
When 100 miles from shore, home and help, this boater’s preparedness prevented potential catastrophe.
