How Much Does a Pontoon Boat Weigh? 8 Examples
There is something about being in the sun and feeling the cool water on your skin that allows you to let loose, and spending the day on a pontoon boat could be one of the best ways to get on the water.
Most manufacturers let you make the boat your own with a variety of sizes, seating configurations, and other options like water slides and fishing pole holders.
When looking for a new boat, there are a lot of exciting things to consider, like how you will spend your days on the water. You’ll also want to think about how much the boat weighs, especially if you plan to tow your boat.
I’ve researched the weight of a few pontoon boat models to come up with the answer, so you don’t have to.
How Much Does a Pontoon Boat Weigh?
How much does a pontoon boat weigh? Between 1,382 lbs. and 6,801 lbs., not including a trailer and depending on the model.
Why is weight important, though? One of the main reasons weight is important is for towing purposes. Every vehicle has a limit to what it is able to tow, set by the manufacturer.
Staying well below the limit will help keep you, and others, safe on the road. We are going to go over all the aspects that go into a boat’s weight – dry weight, gear and fuel, trailer weight, and gross trailer weight. By the end, you should have a great understanding of what various pontoon boats weigh.
Avalon Venture Fish – 14 Ft.
Avalon has been manufacturing pontoon boats for a long time and they have an extensive lineup offering boats from 14 Ft. to 27 Ft. with options in almost every price range.
Even in their Venture line, they have boats from 14 Ft. to 22 Ft. Fishing features on the Venture Fish 14 include rod holders, a live well, and plenty of room to cast from, as well as plenty of storage for your gear.
- Dry Weight – 1,382 lbs. including a 40 HP outboard, though a smaller outboard would decrease the weight.
- Gear and Fuel Weight – approx. 450 lbs. About 36 lbs. from fuel and the rest of the weight is for gear (fishing poles, tackle, life jackets, paddle, batteries, etc.).
- Trailer Weight – approx. 400 lbs. for a single axle galvanized trailer.
- Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) – approx. 2,232 lbs.
SunTracker Bass Buggy 16 XL – 16 Ft.
The SunTracker Bass Buggy 16 XL has a 16 Ft. deck that’s 8 Ft. wide, offering great stability while you cast. There are also two fishing chairs on the bow, rod holders, and a live well so you can keep your catch fresh until you get back to the dock.
As one of the most affordable pontoons on the market, this is a great option for an entry level boat.
- Dry Weight – approx. 1,565 lbs. including a 50 HP outboard. 50 HP is the max allowable HP for this boat, but if you chose a smaller motor the dry weight would decrease.
- Gear and Fuel Weight – approx. 340 lbs. The SunTracker comes with a smaller fuel tank (6.6 lbs.), keeping onboard weight to a minimum.
- Trailer Weight – approx. 450 lbs. for a single axle galvanized trailer.
- Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) – approx. 2,355 lbs.
Crestliner 180 Sprint – 18 Ft.
Crestliner has been around for a long time, and the boats they produce stay around and reliable for years. Crestliner builds both v-hull boats and pontoon boats, all out of aluminum.
They pride themselves on building boats of the best quality that will last for years in some of the “harshest of waters and the worst weather conditions,” according to their website.
The 180 Sprint has a couple of configurations available – either four captains chairs and a lounge in the rear or two captains chairs and a lounge in the bow and stern. There are also options for rod holders and live wells if the boat is going to be used for fishing.
- Dry Weight – 1,672 lbs. including 40 HP outboard. There is the option to have up to 75 HP, which would increase the weight by about 100 lbs.
- Gear and Fuel Weight – approx. 335 lbs. The 180 Sprint has a 6-gallon fuel tank, keeping the fuel weight to only 36 lbs.
- Trailer Weight – approx. 630 lbs. for a single axle galvanized trailer.
- Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) – approx. 2,637 lbs.
Lowe Boats Ultra 200 Cruise 20 Ft.
With space for 11 people and plenty of under-seat storage for the gear you bring on board, the Ultra 200 Cruise could be just what you are looking for in a pontoon boat.
At just under 20 Ft. this boat offers comfortable seating through lounges in the bow and the stern, plenty of room to move around, a four rung swim ladder, and a large platform on the bow.
- Dry Weight – approx. 2,020 lbs. including a 40 HP outboard. If you were to go with the max HP for the boat (115 HP), the dry weight would increase to 2,170 lbs.
- Gear and Fuel Weight – approx. 340 lbs. The Ultra 200 Cruise has a 6.6-gallon fuel tank keeping fuel weight low. The rest of the weight is based on other gear you might bring on board.
- Trailer Weight – approx. 780 lbs. for a single axle galvanized trailer.
- Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) – approx. 3,140 lbs.
Sylvan Mirage Cruise 822 LZ – 22 Ft.
Sylvan has dedicated itself to the pontoon boat market since 1948 and has positioned itself as a leader in the market. They have been innovators since the beginning and their commitment to excellence has kept them around.
The Mirage Cruise 822 LZ offers spacious wrap around seating in both the bow and the stern and two captains chairs in the middle, with plenty of room to move around. You will be on the water in comfort and style on the Mirage.
- Dry Weight – 2,417 lbs. with 115 HP outboard. If you opted for a smaller outboard, the dry weight would be less.
- Gear and Fuel Weight – approx. 530 lbs. With a 38-gallon fuel tank, the fuel weight on this boat will be higher than on some of the other models we’ve looked at.
- Trailer Weight – 890 lbs. for a single axle galvanized trailer.
- Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) – approx. 3,837 lbs.
Godfrey AquaPatio 235 SDB – 24 Ft.
Godfrey is another builder that’s been around for a while and has dedicated themselves to building some of the best pontoon boats on the market. The line up from Godfrey offers a few more extravagant models, like the AquaPatio 235 SDB, as well as more standard pontoons.
This boat includes all the standard lounge seating you find on other pontoons, it also has an upper deck, complete with water slide, and a solid surface bar top with bar stools.
- Dry Weight – 4,502 lbs. including a 425 HP outboard, the max for this boat. Less HP would power this boat well, and you could save several hundred pounds on the dry weight.
- Gear and Fuel Weight – approx. 670 lbs. – includes 270 lbs. of fuel.
- Trailer Weight – 890 lbs. for a single axle galvanized trailer.
- Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) – approx. 6,062 lbs.
JC Manufacturing Sporttoon – 26 Ft.
JC Manufacturing is the designer and builder of high-quality pontoon and tritoon boats.
They have an almost all in-house construction process where they design and build most of their components in-house, meaning they have better control over the quality of what they produce than manufacturers that rely on outside suppliers.
The Sporttoon is built for speed and performance and has a design that certainly catches the eye.
- Dry Weight – approx. 3,742 lbs. including a 300 HP outboard.
- Gear and Fuel Weight – approx. 794 lbs. with 294 lbs. coming from the weight of fuel and the rest coming from gear. There is room for 16 people on this boat, so the gear weight could add up quickly.
- Trailer Weight – 1,160 lbs. for a tandem axle galvanized trailer
- Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) – approx. 5,696 lbs.
Bennington Marine 30 QX SB – 30 Ft.
Bennington Marine builds some of the best-looking pontoon boats on the water. Bennington uses high-quality materials and they incorporate fiberglass where other pontoon manufacturers would opt for aluminum (i.e. the walls around the deck).
They also do a great job of making everything on their boats flow seamlessly together, letting you know everything was done on purpose. The 30 QX SB (Swing back) even has a rear-facing lounge on the stern.
- Dry Weight – 6,801 lbs. including twin 450 HP outboards. 900 HP is the max HP, but less would push the boat through the water easily, and you would shed some of the dry weight.
- Gear and Fuel Weight – approx. 1,000 lbs., with about 500 lbs. coming from fuel.
- Trailer Weight – approx. 1,300 lbs. for a tandem axle galvanized trailer.
- Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) – approx. 9,101 lbs.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to the weight of a pontoon boat, there is a lot of variation and a lot that goes into calculating the correct weight. Knowing just how much your boat weighs will help when it comes time to tow your boat.
Some of the boats we talked about can be towed behind a smaller vehicle, but others will require a larger truck or SUV to tow them safely. When it comes to towing, the number you want to know is the Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), the total of everything on the trailer.
Your vehicle will have a maximum GTW it is able to tow that will be mentioned in the owner’s manual. Stay well below the max and you should be okay.
Choosing the right boat for you will help maximize your time on the water. Get out there and have fun making memories!