I'm thinking of getting one too. Trying to get one by the end of march to launch my 2006 open water adventures. I'm hoping for a beginner pontoon for less than less than $300. Will be mainly used on ponds, small lakes and reservoirs. Too scurred to take on any rivers or even streams. The specs I would want included are the following:
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8 ft
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Dual bladder on each side for an extra measure of safety (preferred, but not a must)
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Light (less than 50 lbs)
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Adjustable foot rest
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Durable (of course)
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Upgradeable (for trolling motor, platform for deep cycle battery, fish finder, camera mounts, bazookas etc.)
- Must be the type that would
fit into the hatch/back of a compact car (disassembled)... And yes I'm willing to go through the hassle of assembling and blowing it up with air every outing & vise versa.
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Cost less than $300
Been looking around and found a few 8 footers that I really like. Can't really decide yet until I get some opinions and hopefully even some consumer reviews from you guys/gals ;D. If any of you own any of these and want to give some input, please let me know. This will be my 1st pontoon. And if anyone thinks I should pick one over the other, go ahead and help point me in the right direction.
[b]Classic Accessorries Arrow Backpacker Pontoon[/b]
This one runs for about a little less than $200 at Sportsman's Warehouse, but I don't know if it comes with the included backpack. This package deal with backpack is from Cabelas.. 42 lbs..
[img]http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Item/31/79/18/i317918hz02.jpg
Classic Accessories Cimarron Pontoon Boat
This one is nice too and it has dual bladders. Runs for about exactly $200 and you can order from Wal-Mart site for less. 46 lbs.. It will probably come down to this one or the one above.
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Here are the others I'm considering...
[b]Creek Company ODC Sport XL Pontoon[/b]
This one is nice too. Weight was not available at site where I got it from (Cabela's). From Cabela's, it runs for about $240.
[img]
[b]Water Skeeter Back Cast Pontoon Boat[/b]
I really like this one, but don't know of a price and cannot find any place with it in stock. I believe this is an older model (like 2004/2005) or something.
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Hey [b]freerange[/b],
I've read some reviews and the [b]Trout Unlimited Colorado River Pontoon Boat[/b] is a nice bang for buck. This one runs for about $400 and has a lot of really nice features. If I could fork up the change and room and back muscle for this one, I'd pick it.
It looks like this:
[img]http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/Item/31/66/84/i316684hz05a.jpg
Thanks,
1eyeReD