20 Best Pontoon Boat For Water Skiing (2023 Updated)

I purchased this pontoon thinking a few years ago. It was awesome. First problem I had was it doesn’t stir well at all with my trolling motor. But I used it for the first season anyway. If your on the river or lake and the wind picks up without out the bag full of rocks I had to provide you will drift all over the place.

My MAIN problem when I put it away for the winter in the compartment bags above the garage. And took them out again to use. I was very disappointed and angry to find the couplings attached the the bladders were cracked and neither would hold air.

I can’t believe anyone else has had this problem and a recall was inplace. Of course mine was out of warranty. Figures! Not a happy customer.

Classic Accessories does not know that an inflatable boat must stay inflated to float. They really know how to pack a boat. Now, they have to learn how to build a boat. Two out of two pontoons leak quickly.

Two out of two valves do not function properly. I will return the boat. I am very disappointed that Walmart would deal with a company like Classic Accessories subjecting Walmart customers to such a huge hassle! I am “sure” that Walmart will stand behind their return policy.

We’ll see.

We love our boat so much that we bought a second one so my husband I can go out together. He is a disabled veteran and a big guy. He is not the best swimmer and was not comfortable in a kayak or canoe.

Colorado pontoon boat is extremely stable went on the water. The oars are heavy duty and lock in place so they will not accidentally fall in the water. We purchased a trolling motor to attach to the included mounting blocks so that when he need the break from rowing the motor is there.

There is plenty of storage space for tackle and it is easily accessible while on the water. One of my favorite features is that the boat breaks down and will fit in our trunk.

I have two of these pontoon boats. They are now four years old and show no wear and tear. I do properly store them in the winter. My first year I did not like the non adjustable seat or the trolling mount.

I did some research and found a lot of others had the same issues. Searching on youtube I found a way to front-mount my trolling motor. I also put on a swivel seat for comfort. By putting the trolling motor up front it also balanced my boat better.

This also kept the front more stable. I also like by doing this you are trolling out the front and going backwards. Very easy to control speed and direction without the awkwardness of trying to constantly twist around.

As far as quality, I found both of these boats to be high quality and easy to assemble. When I had a problem I called the manufacturer and they walked me through all issues. For people that rate this low, you did not buy a yacht, you bought a one person pontoon boat that if you maintain it properly you should get years of enjoyment out of it.

Check out youtube. Lots of good ideas for this pontoon. Good luck fishing.

The Colorado XT is a well built boat that can accommodate a broad range of needs. I greatly enjoy taking it out and exploring the lakes and rivers near my home. There’s ample storage for my tackle, rods and personal things.

All day fishing trip are easy to pack away in it’s pockets. I frequently spend 5 to 8 hours out on the water. It’s small size, rugged build and shallow depth allows it to get into some great remote and shallow areas.

The portability of the boat, and use of it’s wheel, makes it great to seek out new places to launch from. The wheel is so easy to install and remove that I do so on the boat in the water. I leave most of the boat together and it still packs effortlessly into the back of my sedan.

Assembly, inflation and launching the boat takes me about fifteen minutes. Really can’t say enough about how well built and versatile this boat is.

Disappointing. Boat is VERY VERY heavy and impossible to maneuver when put together, (which is very easy if you follow the instructions. ) Boat arrived with rub marks on the frame, and a hole in the plastic.

Oars are located in a bad spot for casting. it would be better if they were on the side. If I had it to do over, I wouldn’t. But if you want a pontoon that will hold a trolling motor and battery, if you are very close to water and don’t have to move frequently.

this is for you.

I seldom give 5 stars unless I have been using the product long enough to be that enthusiastic. However, I only purchased my boat a month ago and have only assembled and disassembled it. It will be spring before it hits the water.

From what I can tell, it appears to be well made, and the components are of good quality. Pumping the boat up with the foot pump would be brutal. The foot pump really should be considered a backup incase your electric inflator isn’t working.

I found my Milwaukee junior leaf blower works excellent, extremely fast fill, but it won’t deliver full recommended pressure. But sitting in the sun will probably finish the job. Really looking forward to putting it on the water.

I think it will do everything the manufacturer claims it will.

Love my Seaeagle! I particularly enjoy the ability to silently glide across high mountain lakes and watch the various wildlife without scaring them off. It is the perfect platform for all types of fishing whether it be fly or spinning.

Really appreciate that. When the time comes, I will definitely purchase another, and my son and grandson are getting close!.

There are rarely times when I am at a loss of words and this is one of them. I am completely astonished by how big this boat is how comfortable this boat is how stable the floor is, the fabric is extremely thick and durable I have absolutely no worries whatsoever about any punctures at all ever.

This is one of the thickest nicest transoms I have seen on an inflatable boat and I own quite a few. Did somebody say D rings I counted at least 18 on the boat. You will forget that you are in an inflatable boat.

It is definitely a head-turner everyone at the lake we’re inquiring about where I got it and what it was. I like to give honest reviews and really want to find something wrong with this but I can’t. All of the glue and seams we’re very neat, it was very simple to assemble and even with only a 10 horsepower motor in maneuvered extremely well.

Right now I’m so in love with this boat I plan to put it on a trailer add some traditional boat seats and eventually a steering Helm and 40 horsepower motor. With the cost of yearly maintenance on a traditional boat even if it does not break down I will never buy a regular boat again now that I have my 15.

4 ft inflatable outside of the outboard motor I have absolutely no maintenance! This boat will easily seat 9 adults. As a man and an ownerof several different manufactured inflatable boats I will say Bris boat is top quality and probably one of the best companies out there.

Im in LOVE!!.

I have been looking for an inflatable boat for sometime. Found these. Asked supplier questions and they was answered quickly and accurately. I used the boat at the weekend and just love it. Combined weight 2 people and dog 190kg.

I have 3. 5 hp motor and it is just perfect for fishing and the fun activities I need it for. Its easy to inflate and deflate. When its inflated I can comfortably walk and stand on the inflatable floor.

I purchased the seat bags as well and they very comfortable and practical. Thanks for your support.

I was in the market for a Chinese inflatable boat with a rigid aluminum floor and this one seems to be the most popular/had the most information on it available. Also it actually had some YouTube videos of people reviewing it positively so that was good.

So I’ve had this boat out a few times and it’s AWESOME. I have an Evinrude short shaft 15 hp (2 stroke) on it which is the max hp for this boat, and it’s pretty dang fast for this little guy. It seems quicker than it is because you are so close to the water but anyway I used my GPS and I can get going 22 mph on plane! Oh and it planes off no prob if you have the proper amount of HP.

The construction seems good and of quality I foresee it lasting for a long time if you take care of it (just like anything). The PVC is the 1100 denier and once inflated properly it’s like a rock. The material itself has a slight texture to it which was a pleasant surprise as it adds grip for sitting or standing on top of the tubes.

The bottom of the boat is smooth however. Yes you can stand on the tubes no problem once in the water it is extremely stable and solid feeling. I was diving off the tubes into the river and the boat is very stable it does not roll around at all.

Also standing up on the aluminum deck feels great. Again it’s extremely stable. Putting the boat together is a little tricky as expected. It is VERY tight but it’s designed to be that way so don’t get discouraged as you will develope a technique.

It is possible to do by yourself but I’ve had two people every time so far. Once you get the technique down you can expect 15-20 min setting it up. Once setup it is very heavy with the floor installed so even with two people it’s extremely difficult to lift and carry to the water.

So if you’re alone expect to be dragging it through the dirt or asphalt to the water which I wouldn’t recommend doing everytime as it would wear the bottom down prematurely. It does have a rub strake down the middle on the bottom to protect the keel when coming onto a beach but it’s just not meant for dragging through the dirt.

The aluminum floor is awesome as I like the feel of a hard deck and I also have dogs so it’s good for dogs vs a high pressure air deck. The bow section is marine grade plywood however which is not mentioned anywhere but it’s of very high quality finish just like the transom.

The bow and transom are finished in epoxy and a nice coat of marine paint so it’s very smooth/solid and durable to the feel with no rough edges at all. Everything lines up perfect as long as you take your time putting it together and followthe directions.

The valves work perfect and so does the supplied foot pump which you can use on the aluminum deck once out on the water if you need a little more pressure after the tubes cool down after being in the water for awhile.

The only thing that I don’t like and is already failing is the horribly cheap “carry” bag it comes in. It is single stitched and already ripped at the seams when I grabbed a handle to pick it up. This boat is heavy so the bag should be made a little better.

At least double stitched. A better bag can be bought or just have somebody double stitch the supplied bag so just be cautious with carrying it around while in the bag. Using the oars works great and is actually pretty nice sometimes if you want to just float around and paddle with some peace and quiet instead of listening to a screaming 2 stroke motor in your ear haha.

The seats are awesome as well. They are aluminum so they are very sturdy and you can actually slide them fore/aft to adjust how close you sit to the tiller handle for your motor or rowing position. If you are going to register this boat or any inflatable boat really, the hardest thing about it is putting the registration numbers and sticker on the boat.

Inflatables have a plaque kit you can get and hang it off the front on either side but it flaps around in the wind and might be viewed by some officials as not legal/visible at all times so just be advised its a little tricky to find a good setup for the registration numbers as here in NV on Lake Mead they are VERY picky about sticker placement.

Anyway sorry for the long review but there is not very many reviews on this awesome boat so I wanted to share my thoughts. It’s a great deal and seems very durable. I see no glaring issues at all except the crappy carry bag but that can be addressed separately so it’s not a big deal to me.

I love not needing a boat trailer and love not needing to go to a busy marina. Just find a beach/kayak launch area and go. As long as you don’t mind setting it up everytime it’s great. So overall I do recommend this boat I’m sure there are better ones out there but this does the job perfectly and the price can’t be beat.

I didn’t want to spend thousands of dollars so this is perfect.

Got tired of huffin the anchor by hand so I took the plunge. Did lots of research cause everyone has their opinion. Not cheap but it is what it is and at 279. 00 I felt I didn’t pay full boat for it.

On to the review, The quick release mount feature is good because the winch could be in the way when putting the boat on a trailer. The remote switch for the dash (or where ever you want it) is handy but not necessarily a must.

Me being picky with the install took a little extra time but it was worth it in the end. I needed to run wire 25ft to the battery so I overkilled I’m sure and used 8 gauge marine wire (50 bucks), the book recommended 10 gauge min.

for long runs. It operates nicely, and is very quiet. The only thing I ran across is that the anchor I have is a 20lb Greenfield river anchor and the shank is just a hair snug in the holder when stored and I have to kick it loose to deploy it.

My dock neighbors that have this model have larger anchors but they have smaller shanks. Now that I’m not yanking the anchor by hand maybe I’ll get a new larger anchor that fits better. I borrowed my neighbors 30lb, took it out for a spin and boy is it nice.

It operates as it should and is so quite you almost have to look to see if its running. Very happy, hope it lasts, should have done this years ago.

I bought this minn kota 40 pontoon anchor winch. I used it on my tracker 175 twx. I used it for the first time and it performed awesome. I used it in a lake in all depths of water and in wind. I have read other reviews that weren’t very positive.

It was easy to install and if you read and take your time operating it you will have good results. At 66 yrs old with back problems and arthritus this is great. Push the button let it out let it set at the distance u want then shut it off.

It doesnt keep reeling out and you are ready to fish. When finished fishing push button and reel it up. Don’t over spool and pay attention and release the button at right time. Great product.

i had to change from a pontoon anchor. that finally gave out on me. & it was no longer available. however this is a better ancher anyway. its more powerfull. & i like the safety features. with the chain.

but i really like that when you leave it in the anchor douwn position it will aoutomatically let out line until you get it where you need it. when my rear boat ancher gives out on me. i will definatly get another deck hand.

I gave it 5 stars because the value is great. I payed $636. 00 new from academy sports. It’s better than every kayak on the market. It’s strong and water proof, fishes two people with plenty of room for extras.

High weight capacity. Pelican can do better: 1 piece 12 foot boat Forged Ram X four times the thickness, widen the hull, extend and make flush the front water contact areas. include a carpeted floor, lighten the boat using spray in foam for buoyancy.

Include hull protectors, and pelican decals with updated logo. How about calling the boat something that makes sense, Pelican Bass Raider 12X. Storage compartments, coolers, live wells, rails, rod holders, elaborate carbon fiber reinforced hull and motor mount design, integrated remote controlled trolling motor, with options from the factory! Comfortable, adjustable noise free seats.

Your customers like to customize these types of vessels. Give them options to choose from the factory! The 10e is a good boat but it’s not good enough. It’s not near good enough, you pry won’t negotiate wider more efficient pickup beds to keep that luxury without sacrificing the increased size capacities.

Don’t even get me started on the waste of space storage crap on the 10e. You are going to stand there designing a boat with the word bass on it and not include these things? Let’s kick it up a notch Pelican, my gosh! Shock the nation.

The star rating for these boats should 5 all across the board. However, there does seem to be issues when these get delivered to your house vice picked up at the store. I got at BPS and it was flawless.

But getting it at the store also gave me a chance to go over it with a fine tooth comb. I also think, when reading reviews about this boat on other sites, that folks have a poor expectation of what a pond boat is, how it’s made, and the materials it’s constructed of.

Yes, there is a non-water tight seem that joins the the top to the bottom. however, if you are getting water through this seam then the operator is taking the boat in conditions it wasn’t designed for.

It’s a pond boat, not a lake boat. It will take on water and hold it inside without draining. However, the hull is foam filled to meet certain federal and state boating safety standards. For most users, it’s design isn’t an issue with the seam, so don’t let that deter you from purchasing.

My recommendation is watch some videos about the boat. I feel it’s a great purchase for small lakes and ponds and well worth the price. I also recommend getting it at BPS or Cabela’s so you can inspect it.

My first boat. Sturdy enough. Problem is mfg. didnt seal seam where top attaches to hull with non ss staples. Leaks through this seam. Spent hours ressearching sealer to fix but all say dont use on polyethlene.

i tried 6 different kinds anyway and none adhere to the P E. The black vinyl banding around seam doesnt keep water out of seam because it is not sealed to boat. Staples are rusting. Hull drains are on bow pontoons rather than stern so you have to stand 140 lb boat up vertically on bow to drain the water that always collects in leaky hull.

Should have put drains in stern. All in all I should have bought a metal jon boat.

Ordering was easy and the price the best out there, received in 3 days. The dollys are very sound and the heavy duty wheels make a big difference. One dolly had worn through the box and one corner of a bunk was damaged, but not enough to send back, very happy with the purchase, thanks.

an aluminum, having had my share of bent and dented seats after dropping weight belts, etc. The wood is bullet proof. Shipping was super fast, and communication with the seller was 5 star also. Like I said, this isn’t my first inflatable rodeo, so I have a pretty good idea of what works for us.

It’s has to be tough, easy to install aluminum floor, easy to assemble and disassemble, and hold together in the worst ocean conditions. For the price, it’s the best value on this size and spec inflatable, with a large company with a whole lot of accessories for this boat, from trolling motors, to under-seat storage, to complete canopy for winter use.

Consider using a low cost, light trolling motor instead of feeling you need an expensive, heavy and messy outboard. The trollers are the bomb these days. Highly recommend for fishing, diving, family fun in small, affordable package from known manufacturer.

Kevin T.

Very good quality and very affordable boat. Takes about 15 min to inflate and lots of hours of fun. I’m using mine with gas and trolling motor and it can go so fast. Usually I install both motors. It also has rod holders that is very useful.

Using this boat for a long time already and has no issue. Super boat, I love it.

Assembling the mirror wasn’t difficult, but you do need to be careful. Some reviews complained that the mirror vibrated so much under travel that they couldn’t see in it. The mirror mounts to the frame with a set screw.

The set crew gets tight, but the mirror still moves easily within the mount. The mirror base is made of a soft, white metal (lead?) and it sits in a triangular slot in the mounting arm. However, the set screw does not hold it tightly in place when the screw first gets tights.

I had to continue to tighten, check the stability of the mirror and tighten some more. I was almost to the point of thinking I am going to over tighten and strip the threads when the mirror finally sat tightly in its fitting.

I used a thin piece of rubberized material to wrap the rail of my boat and mounted the mirror on that so as not to damage the railing itself. Once in place and tightened down, it worked really well. No wobbling, no vibration, just a good steady view to the rear.

Given the cost of some other mirrors on the market, this one is a good deal. Just be careful with your installation and make sure everything is nice a tight.

Delivery was quick and ahead of schedule. Quality is great, solid materials all around and well constructed. Fit my pontoon well. Had to make two adjustments based upon loose connections; drilled small holes in mount and used longer metal screws to resolve loose connections.

Had to add metal washers to mirror connection as mirror vibrated and turned too much upon rpm acceleration. Great visibility and placement based upon design of product.