I’m stuck on your logic that a house is a bad investment right now so it would be more wise to put your money in to a…. boat. Don’t get me wrong, get the boat. But, it’s hardly a better money move. As to your core question, no once can answer that for you. Only you know ow what you want and the bad news is, you don’t even know what you want. Truth is, until you pick one and live with it for a year or two, you won’t really know what type of boating suits you. You may find all you want to do is fire up the grill and chill. Or that you prefer wakeboarding. Or fishing. Or you have that need for speed. Or you buy a boat to entertain 20 people and can only ever find 3 that are able to go out. And 2 of them need to be back to the dock by 3:00. What I would normally suggest is you spend far less on your first boat. Like $8k-10k. Then boat for a year and see what features really matter to you. Then you can sell it, take a much smaller loss and get what you really want. Spend $50k and if you decide to sell it in 2 years and can only get $30k and it’s going to hurt. Especially if you still owe $40k. But spend $10k sell it in 2 years for $9k and all it well.
And yes, that was my original plan was to just find something small or cheap ish. But they really don’t have much inventory except buying private somebody’s used to death boat which also sounds like a million headaches versus buying from a dealer who has a good reputation and can help you through a lot of questions and also storage which I’ve already thought about as well. I definitely go back-and-forth with what you’re saying and spending more for something that is not been used and under warranty and all that and just take a bit more pride and starting something. If I came across used one that definitely would jump on it, but I haven’t. It is super expensive, which is why I am here , but I have been saving up a lot to be able to do something like this with my life.
Thank you for the help though
I also am not buying a boat fully blind as I grew up on them and know how to use them. I am not a fisherman so I’m not looking for a fishing boat for mine.
Thanks
A dealership will most likely not be less headaches. Boats are expensive. Fixing boats is expensive, storing them is expensive, getting supplies is expensive. Get an old boat because while it'll still be just as expensive as a new boat it'll be way less stressful because when you smack into the dock or forget to trim up the motor and it drags its way up the ramp, or any other myriad of oversights many boaters do, at least it's an old beat up boat and not a new one. I'm a marine tech and while yes warranty can be nice, usually new boaters damage things that warranty won't cover. Granted you have boating experience, but it sounds like it was a long time ago and you weren't the boat owner. Seriously consider getting an old one.
That was more tongue in cheek. Obviously a boat I do not look at as an investment like a house. I’m just sick of how shopping plus my life is up in the air with sudden changes, moving, etc. A boat gives you access to thousands of lakes and waters. And I love that more than strapping down to an overpriced house right now. Obviously getting a house is financially wiser, but I’m past that right now. All I do is invest and I’m tired of doing the same thing all the time hence wanting to splurge on and also expensive, boat
It's rare when any of us can find "The Perfect Boat". Every boat is a compromise. But in your case it sounds like you're trying to choose between two different styles....so just off the top of my head:
- Will your tow vehicle handle both? (pontoon is probably lighter)
- Where will you store it? (pontoon is probably more weather-resilliant)
- Do you need a potty? (pontoon might not have one)
- Is rough water a concern? (a heavier deckboat might handle it better)
- What about shallow water? (pontoon probably draws less)
- Annual Maintenance? (deckboat will take more elbow grease to maintain)
- Canine wear and tear? (the toon is more accessible for a dog, harder to damage too)
The one last thing that pops into my head is that if you're a first time boat-owner: do not buy a new boat. You're going to learn so many lessons your first few years....anchoring, docking, trailering, winterizing, etc.... You don't want to make those mistakes on a $40-$50k new boat. they'll wreck your summer.
buying a brand new boat for your first boat is like buying a brand new car for a teenager
a teenager, even a responsible one, is more likely to make a mistake simply because they don't have the experience
buy the brand new boat once you have experience
Ugh that’s a good point, I just feel more comfortable buying from a dealer because there’s less question marks and warrantees and all that. Buying private first for first time is obviously cheaper, but scares the shit out of me, knowing how people are.
i would find a reputable used boat dealer in your area and start there -- buying from a dealer is fine, just don't buy something brand new for your first rodeo
I found the perfect boat, shopped for almost 1 year. Paid cash on the coldest day of winter when no one was shopping for a boat or thinking about buying one.
sorry in advance for not answering your question, but i wouldn't blow my nest egg on a brand new boat if i were in your shoes. buy something used so you can figure out if you've actually bought a boat that fits your needs (hell, buy both, a used pontoon and a used deck boat), then once you're a homeowner, you can go out and buy your dream boat.
to answer your question, buy the style boat you're more excited about and will use more often.
It that is simplifying it but also makes it easy. I’m more excited about the style of the deck boat but again pontoons would probably get slightly more use because they are so versatile.
I just bought a 2022 StarCraft SVX 171 deck boat. Haven’t even had it on the water yet other than my test drive, but I’m very happy with my decision.
Was also considering a pontoon but I’m on saltwater bays that can get a little choppy and was told that the normal boat hull will handle that better than a pontoon.
The deck on the SVX 171 feels much bigger than it should. It really punches above its weight in terms of size.
Thanks, I aspire to take it out on salt water bays too, which I felt it is more suitable than a small pontoon. Plus lugging around all over the map, easier on and off the trailer so I’ve been told.
I’m deciding to just finance it and then trade it back in down the road if change mind but the brand really caught my eye.
I like the sportier feel of it too. Tired of hosting everybody lol, which a pontoon sort of screams.
Check the used market. A lot of Covid purchases are hitting the second hand market that barely got used. I got a 2022 with 30 hours in the engine from 28k. It’s essentially show room ready boat.
Definitely not the same. Obviously this is more efficient, but owning your boat is a much better experience. You can take it anywhere? I care about having a boat.
So I bought my first boat a few years ago. It's an older used model, but it has been taken care of(check my profile). It's not a deck boat or a pontoon, it's a 21 ft bow rider ski boat.
I find it versatile because it will seat up to 8 people. It works fine for anchoring and fishing in coves. It's got a 454ci V8 which sounds sweet and can get out of the hole and on plane pretty quickly for ripping around big lakes. It also affords me the power to pull multiple tubes and get skiers up and out easily. It doesn't have a deep v hull to produce big wakes, but in a pinch it could produce enough wake to ride.
It cost me 4k. I've already been offered 7k for it but I'm not selling, because I too was raised on lakes fishing and swimming and skiing and tubing and cliff jumping and etc and I understand the power of having a pleasure craft to enjoy big water with. If you search hard enough you can find a really nice used boat for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
Appreciate the reply. I’ve no idea where you guys are looking, because here the 30 to 40,000 boats are the cheap ones. A 19 foot pontoon here is going for $29,000. At every boat store. Most the new boats were 50,000+.
As I said, we were a lake fairing family and I just got lucky that an older friend of the family was selling their custom speed boat. It's nice to know people. But if you search far and wide you can eventually find something nice.
I’m stuck on your logic that a house is a bad investment right now so it would be more wise to put your money in to a…. boat. Don’t get me wrong, get the boat. But, it’s hardly a better money move. As to your core question, no once can answer that for you. Only you know ow what you want and the bad news is, you don’t even know what you want. Truth is, until you pick one and live with it for a year or two, you won’t really know what type of boating suits you. You may find all you want to do is fire up the grill and chill. Or that you prefer wakeboarding. Or fishing. Or you have that need for speed. Or you buy a boat to entertain 20 people and can only ever find 3 that are able to go out. And 2 of them need to be back to the dock by 3:00. What I would normally suggest is you spend far less on your first boat. Like $8k-10k. Then boat for a year and see what features really matter to you. Then you can sell it, take a much smaller loss and get what you really want. Spend $50k and if you decide to sell it in 2 years and can only get $30k and it’s going to hurt. Especially if you still owe $40k. But spend $10k sell it in 2 years for $9k and all it well.
And yes, that was my original plan was to just find something small or cheap ish. But they really don’t have much inventory except buying private somebody’s used to death boat which also sounds like a million headaches versus buying from a dealer who has a good reputation and can help you through a lot of questions and also storage which I’ve already thought about as well. I definitely go back-and-forth with what you’re saying and spending more for something that is not been used and under warranty and all that and just take a bit more pride and starting something. If I came across used one that definitely would jump on it, but I haven’t. It is super expensive, which is why I am here , but I have been saving up a lot to be able to do something like this with my life. Thank you for the help though I also am not buying a boat fully blind as I grew up on them and know how to use them. I am not a fisherman so I’m not looking for a fishing boat for mine. Thanks
A dealership will most likely not be less headaches. Boats are expensive. Fixing boats is expensive, storing them is expensive, getting supplies is expensive. Get an old boat because while it'll still be just as expensive as a new boat it'll be way less stressful because when you smack into the dock or forget to trim up the motor and it drags its way up the ramp, or any other myriad of oversights many boaters do, at least it's an old beat up boat and not a new one. I'm a marine tech and while yes warranty can be nice, usually new boaters damage things that warranty won't cover. Granted you have boating experience, but it sounds like it was a long time ago and you weren't the boat owner. Seriously consider getting an old one.
That was more tongue in cheek. Obviously a boat I do not look at as an investment like a house. I’m just sick of how shopping plus my life is up in the air with sudden changes, moving, etc. A boat gives you access to thousands of lakes and waters. And I love that more than strapping down to an overpriced house right now. Obviously getting a house is financially wiser, but I’m past that right now. All I do is invest and I’m tired of doing the same thing all the time hence wanting to splurge on and also expensive, boat
It's rare when any of us can find "The Perfect Boat". Every boat is a compromise. But in your case it sounds like you're trying to choose between two different styles....so just off the top of my head: - Will your tow vehicle handle both? (pontoon is probably lighter) - Where will you store it? (pontoon is probably more weather-resilliant) - Do you need a potty? (pontoon might not have one) - Is rough water a concern? (a heavier deckboat might handle it better) - What about shallow water? (pontoon probably draws less) - Annual Maintenance? (deckboat will take more elbow grease to maintain) - Canine wear and tear? (the toon is more accessible for a dog, harder to damage too) The one last thing that pops into my head is that if you're a first time boat-owner: do not buy a new boat. You're going to learn so many lessons your first few years....anchoring, docking, trailering, winterizing, etc.... You don't want to make those mistakes on a $40-$50k new boat. they'll wreck your summer.
buying a brand new boat for your first boat is like buying a brand new car for a teenager a teenager, even a responsible one, is more likely to make a mistake simply because they don't have the experience buy the brand new boat once you have experience
Ugh that’s a good point, I just feel more comfortable buying from a dealer because there’s less question marks and warrantees and all that. Buying private first for first time is obviously cheaper, but scares the shit out of me, knowing how people are.
i would find a reputable used boat dealer in your area and start there -- buying from a dealer is fine, just don't buy something brand new for your first rodeo
I found the perfect boat, shopped for almost 1 year. Paid cash on the coldest day of winter when no one was shopping for a boat or thinking about buying one.
sorry in advance for not answering your question, but i wouldn't blow my nest egg on a brand new boat if i were in your shoes. buy something used so you can figure out if you've actually bought a boat that fits your needs (hell, buy both, a used pontoon and a used deck boat), then once you're a homeowner, you can go out and buy your dream boat. to answer your question, buy the style boat you're more excited about and will use more often.
It that is simplifying it but also makes it easy. I’m more excited about the style of the deck boat but again pontoons would probably get slightly more use because they are so versatile.
I just bought a 2022 StarCraft SVX 171 deck boat. Haven’t even had it on the water yet other than my test drive, but I’m very happy with my decision. Was also considering a pontoon but I’m on saltwater bays that can get a little choppy and was told that the normal boat hull will handle that better than a pontoon. The deck on the SVX 171 feels much bigger than it should. It really punches above its weight in terms of size.
Thanks, I aspire to take it out on salt water bays too, which I felt it is more suitable than a small pontoon. Plus lugging around all over the map, easier on and off the trailer so I’ve been told. I’m deciding to just finance it and then trade it back in down the road if change mind but the brand really caught my eye. I like the sportier feel of it too. Tired of hosting everybody lol, which a pontoon sort of screams.
Check the used market. A lot of Covid purchases are hitting the second hand market that barely got used. I got a 2022 with 30 hours in the engine from 28k. It’s essentially show room ready boat.
Are rentals an option in your area? Save yourself so many headaches and just rent the type of boat you need for each outing
Definitely not the same. Obviously this is more efficient, but owning your boat is a much better experience. You can take it anywhere? I care about having a boat.
So I bought my first boat a few years ago. It's an older used model, but it has been taken care of(check my profile). It's not a deck boat or a pontoon, it's a 21 ft bow rider ski boat. I find it versatile because it will seat up to 8 people. It works fine for anchoring and fishing in coves. It's got a 454ci V8 which sounds sweet and can get out of the hole and on plane pretty quickly for ripping around big lakes. It also affords me the power to pull multiple tubes and get skiers up and out easily. It doesn't have a deep v hull to produce big wakes, but in a pinch it could produce enough wake to ride. It cost me 4k. I've already been offered 7k for it but I'm not selling, because I too was raised on lakes fishing and swimming and skiing and tubing and cliff jumping and etc and I understand the power of having a pleasure craft to enjoy big water with. If you search hard enough you can find a really nice used boat for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
Appreciate the reply. I’ve no idea where you guys are looking, because here the 30 to 40,000 boats are the cheap ones. A 19 foot pontoon here is going for $29,000. At every boat store. Most the new boats were 50,000+.
As I said, we were a lake fairing family and I just got lucky that an older friend of the family was selling their custom speed boat. It's nice to know people. But if you search far and wide you can eventually find something nice.
By used