What is the difference between a pontoon and a tritoon

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Find out more on cookies and how to manage your settings on our Cookie Policy. What is a tritoon? Desired Activity Many consumers will want a multipurpose boat that can match a variety of lifestyles. For example, I would never even consider taking one into the ocean, and you can find out why by clicking here. As the name suggests, a tritoon has three aluminum cylinders, and where a pontoon offers a slow, easy going pleasure cruise, the tritoon is a more precision engineered and high-powered machine.

A tritoon is far better for pulling water skiers and tubers and is more than capable of throwing up the kind of wakes that makes a pontoon boat wobble with uncertainty on its two little pontoons. Tritoon boats have a lot more muscle and can hold more people due to its added buoyancy that the third tube brings. Stripping it back to its more basic of comparisons, the tritoon is a three-pontoon version of the standard pontoon boat.

This added pontoon is what gives it the ability to have a more powerful engine and carry greater loads. As mentioned above, a pontoon is better if all you want to do is spend long relaxing afternoons on calms waters with the family, you can use it as a swimming platform, it can host small parties and you can even throw a barbeque on the deck.

A tritoon is designed to have the kind of increased performance that allows it to cater for those who prefer an adrenalin rush; you can push them hard and fast! Piloting a pontoon is not a very complex process as the current tends to have the final say on any manoeuvres. With a Tritoon though, you have a much more hands-on approach as the extra pontoon improves the handing of the boat.

It also has a much tighter turning circle than its 2-tubed cousin. If this is important to you, then you can still do it with a standard pontoon boat. They are a lot more stable in rougher waters and are going to stand up better when in the wake of something a lot bigger than you.

You also have the added benefit of being able to get from one fishing spot to the next one in double quick time due to the speed available… perhaps giving you more time to do what you love; fishing! A tritoon is a vessel that—you guessed it—is supported by three tubes of air instead of two. Do you really need the larger size? Is it worth it? Water conditions are also a factor when deciding whether or not you need a tritoon—but more on this later.

The minimum requirements for a motor are horsepower and can go up to This is because, with a bigger boat and more people being carried, you need a stronger motor to power the boat efficiently.

That, to me, is a lot of money. So, is the extra money worth it? Like I mentioned above, a pontoon may be just right for me, since I love to fish and cruise around an average-sized lake. A tritoon may be a good option for the ocean , or anywhere the waters are less calm. This is because the combination of the three air tubes and the faster engine allows you to cut through the choppy water more efficiently, with less bouncing around and a much smoother and more pleasant ride.

If you boat on a calmer lake, like I do, you may not require a tritoon and it may not be worth the money, unless you plan on doing water sports which require the extra power see below. That being said, there have been times on our lake where boat traffic is heavy and the water turns pretty choppy. This makes our pontoon bob up and down, and water often washes up on the deck, making it uncomfortable for us on board. I wonder if this would be different in a tritoon or a larger, sturdier pontoon.

Stability aside, a word of caution : The tritoon is known to have more difficulty with handling and steering, so it may be difficult when navigating smaller spaces, making tighter corners or docking.