The Five Fastest Pontoon Boats on the Market Today
Pontoon boats have always had the reputation of being the leisurely water ride. They’re essentially floating decks that many people use to lounge on in various bodies of still or mellow water. However, pontoon boats have changed a lot in the last decade or so. With some pontoons able to top speeds like never before, the reputation of these boats is changing rapidly. More and more people are opting for pontoon boats in order to get a mix of speed and relaxation on the water. If you’ve ever wondered about how fast pontoon boats could get, here are the five fastest pontoon boats on the market today.
5. Manitou X-Plode XT SHP – 62.8mph
Manitou has set the industry standard on pontoon boats with over 30 years of manufacturing the best. The goal of the company is to impress, and they certainly do that with the amount of power they put on their boats. Manitou’s X-Plode line all have the ability to ride in the 50mph range. However, the XT SHP takes it just a bit further. Using an all fiberglass perimeter allowed Manitou to contour the X-Plode XT SHP for extreme performance. The Twin Evinrude 300 E-Tec engines can take this pontoon from 0mph to an impressive 62.8mph in just over 5 seconds. The handling of the XT SHP is just as notable. The SHP (Sport Handling Package) is designed to mimic a V-hull for more aggressive cornering. This pontoon has a seating capacity of up to 13 persons and a weight capacity of up to 1,775lbs.
4. Harris Crowne SL 250 – 63mph
You can pull of 60mph easily with this Harris Crowne pontoon boat, but you could easily hit up to 63mph on this ride at 6,300rpm. There are rumors that an experienced Harris driver could get this pontoon boat to 66mph, but 63mph is fast enough for us. The Harris Crowne line is an award-winning design for innovation. Every single pontoon is handcrafted with exquisite mastery and finesse. There’s nothing else better to expect from pontoon boats. The Harris Crowne SL 250 offers 27ft of performance riding. It has a stunning layout for both lounging and speeding, which is ultimately possible because of the boats agile handling capabilities. You can also spend more time on the water with the SL 250’s fuel capacity of 93 gallons. You’ll get all of the luxury bells and whistles you could ever think of—an optional arch for a Bimini top, a glass touchscreen dashboard, a JL Audio Diamond sound system, and even a rear-facing lounge area for a change of view.
3. PlayCraft Powertoon X-Treme 3110 – 65mph
This PlayCraft pontoon boat requires no upgrades in order to hit 60mph. The PlayCraft Powertoon X-Treme 3110 can easily pull that off even with a stock pontoon. PlayCraft has been building boats for 40 years now, and that kind of experience is evident in every single pontoon they have on their fleet. When it comes to high-speed pontoon boats, the Powertoon X-Treme 3110 offers up something unique. Instead of using traditional tritoons, Playcraft uses a standard two-tube design. The tubes are designed to create lift for the pontoon by trapping air in between. The result is performance on the water like no other—smooth gliding and excellent handling. The X-Treme 3110 is a big vessel at 31 feet 6 inches. With proper maneuvering, you can propel up to 15 passengers at an impressive 65mph. The Twin Mercury Verado 400R engines certainly have the power to do all that work, and the 100 gallons of fuel capacity will allow you to stay in the water all day long. While you may never feel like you’re on a high-speed chase with this PlayCraft boat, you’ll get close enough.
2. PlayCraft Scorpion Extreme 2800 – 70mph
It’s no surprise that another PlayCraft made it onto this list. After all, we already know the company to be one of the best in pontoon boat manufacturing today. PlayCraft decided to up the ante when it created the Scorpion line. The PlayCraft Scorpion Extreme 2800 has a twin 400-hp 383 Scorpion powerplants. The pontoon also utilizes the two-tube design that the Powertoon line uses. This means faster gliding and speed. In fact, the Scorpion Extreme can hit 30mph in just 6 seconds. But even more, this pontoon boat has the capability of hitting speeds of up to 70mph, which is basically the speed limit on many state highways. This PlayCraft boat is also designed to eliminate excess weight to help further with the speed. The Scorpion Extreme functions much like a modern powercat, and it’s what makes this model so functionally efficient.
1. South Bay’s Super Sport 925 – 90mph
While you can never go anywhere faster than the upper 40s with a stock model of South Bay’s Super Sport 925, adding just a bit of rigging will allow a boater to get speeds of up to 90mph. There’s nothing more spectacular than what the Super Sport 925 can do. Another business giant—Berkshire Hathaway, also owns the South Bay Company. What this means for South Bay is amazing financial backing, something that many recreational companies can provide customers. You’ll only need twin 300-hp outboards to hit that goal, but we’ve actually seen the Super Sport 925 go even faster. During the 2012 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, a South Bay Super Sport 925 rigged with a triple engine 900 Mercury horses hit up to 112mph. South Bay is able to achieve this speed not just through the supplementation of power but also through some structural enhancements. It’s what sets the company apart from the rest; they pay attention to details that other pontoon boat manufacturers take for granted. None of us would probably ever ride the pontoon at sustained speeds of 112mph, but 90mph is enough to definitely make us feel the thrill.