Types of Pontoons

Our aluminum pontoons are made with type 5052 H32 , an aluminum / magnesium alloy most resistant to corrosion in fresh and sea water. The standard pontoon wall thickness is.125".There are solid welded chambers every 5' and each pontoon has a full length under keel and side keel for added protection.

Pontoons typically can’t match up in handling and rough-water ride with their fiberglass brethren, but ’toon builders are taking steps to even the score. Sweetwater offers a tri ’toon package that, as our tester illustrated, greatly improves performance. Tubers and skiers will love the zippy starts and sharp turning afforded by the 25-inch centerline tube with a 20-inch lifting pad aft. The outer tubes have inner lifting strakes.

Foam filled pontoons typically have to be fairly narrow, as the wider they get, the lower the pontoon sits in the water, which leads to more drag, slower speeds and poor fuel economy. A foam filled pontoon also runs the risk of becoming water logged, which is a serious risk if out on the water and it becomes a problem.

Back in 1952 a Minnesota farmer named Ambrose Weeres welded together two sets of steel barrels and secured a wooden platform on top. When he mounted a small outboard on the aft end, set in between the twin tubes, Weeres essentially invented the modern pontoon boat.