Skiing, Wakeboarding and Tubing behind a Pontoon, What You Need to Know

One of the absolute greatest attributes of a pontoon boat has always been its versatility. There is no other boat on the water that lets people do as many things as a pontoon boat does.

Cruising with family and friends, of course, fishing, yes. Socializing, swimming, dining/entertaining, or anything you want to do on your floating sanctuary.

And yes, you can wakeboard, waterski and tube behind a pontoon boat. Well not every pontoon. You need certain aspects to dramatically change your wake to make it ideal for watersports. Some factors that would dramatically change this equation are things like a tritoon that usually goes a bit faster, a boat over 22′, and horsepower. In this article we will go over the most important characteristics of a pontoon to create the optimal wake.

Performance Package

Any pontoon can float but increased speed and handing performance packages are what make the boat fly.  We recommend Bennington Pontoons Sport Performance Plus Package (SPS+) or the Elliptical Sport Package (ESP), here’s why;

SPS+ hulls offer handling and performance characteristics similar to ESP in a lighter, more affordable package. SPS is designed for engines 200 hp or less and SPS+ for higher hp applications. Both SPS packages include 3 full-length 25″ diameter pontoons, lifting strakes on the center pontoon, performance foils on the inside of the outer pontoons, solid round keels, under deck wave shield, SeaStar hydraulic steering, and a 32-gallon transom fuel tank on select models.

The Elliptical Sport Package transforms any ordinary pontoon boat into a high-performance, agile, responsive, smooth running vessel that outperforms many runabouts and deck boats. ESP is the top of the line performance package for boats with 8′ 6″ beams. Boats equipped with this package benefit from enhanced stability and water displacement with quick planning and handling characteristics that rival a fiberglass sport boat. Designed for high horsepower applications, ESP is optional on outboard models and comes standard on all I/O models. It includes two 25″ diameter outer pontoons with performance foils, splash fins, and .100 gauge aluminum, a patented 32″ Elliptical center pontoon with lifting strakes and an under deck wave shield. The Power-assist steering option and a center fuel tank upgrade is recommended for boats equipped with engines rated at 200 hp or greater and is required on full windscreen models.

Horsepower And Speed

You will need to have a pontoon with an engine capable of producing the power and speed required to get you up and out of the water.  In general, for someone to waterski or wakeboard, the boat needs to be moving at least 21 miles per hour, usually closer to 26 or 27. Tubing doesn’t require quite as much speed, and you can start to have fun at around 16 miles per hour.

A pontoon boat with a minimum of 70-90 horsepower will give you the ability to get you tubing. At that level, you might be able to get up on skis too, but 115 HP will serve you much better. After that, the more HP in your engine, the more adventurous you can get with your water sports. To give you a better idea;

• A pontoon with a 70hp to 90hp engine will give you the ability to do very basic skiing and towing on tubes. But you will want to keep the weight onboard light to stop things from getting sluggish.
• If your pontoon boat has a 115hp engine you’ll reach speeds of about 23 mph as long as you don’t have a full boat. This will give you better ability to pull you of the water for water skiing and tubing.
• A pontoon with 150hp engine or more will be ideal for wakeboarding, skiing and tubing without having to worry about how many people are on board.