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Author Topic: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?  (Read 4894 times)

allwaysfishin

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so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« on: January 21, 2007, 04:50:41 PM »

i am going to be buying a pontoon boat in the near future and i wanted some feedback from some of you that own and actually USE your boats. I have been involved on the retail side with selling bucks bags, Outcast(fishcat) and Water Skeeter but i have never used any of these products.
I need a boat for up to class 3 waters, rivers like the chilliwack, maurice, the copper, stamp/sproat/somass, fraser, harrison ect. ect.
so let's here what ya'all think
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pinkwool

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2007, 06:07:13 PM »

how about this one? You can go biking and then on the water in 10 minutes.

http://www.shuttlebike.com/

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jetboatjim

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2007, 06:16:19 PM »

Pac 800 out cast been using it since 93, thompson,vedder ect. I think you should step up and buy from the companys that know whitewater,like outcast.........I remember when clint d busted his on the vedder( bucks bag, frame) and weeks before I seen him with it on the T.........is your life worth a few hundred bucks......
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Geff_t

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2007, 07:10:04 PM »

why not just get a drift boat. would that not be alot safer. nothing will puncture or break. it can carry more than one. I got a pontoon and I would never think about doing rapids. I guess I am just getting too old  ;D ;D .
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Sterling C

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2007, 07:13:32 PM »

I've drifted the Atnarko in a fishcat streamer and IMO it was greatly under gunned. I can't really comment on any other models as I've only ever taken that boat out into any sort of currents but I won't be making that drift again any time soon. For those of you who don't know the Atnarko is a medium sized river very comparable to the Vedder.
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jetboatjim

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2007, 07:19:24 PM »

Mines here to borrow if you want Thomas, it's pumped up and ready to go......jim
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Xgolfman

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2007, 08:21:45 PM »

I got a Watermaster, they can handle class 5 supposedly...My nuts aren't big enough to try that or this for that matter...X getting to be an old sissy :'(

glx

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2007, 09:01:47 PM »

I have a Bronco Extreme 9 (single chamber).  Stainless frame, 7 foot oars, padded seat with arms rests, lots of pocket room, rear hard cargo deck and anchor system.  Havent used it in white water yet but I did use my old Bucks Bronco 8 in a section of the Chilliwack from Thurston down to the Cedars before I got the new Extreme 9 footer.  For extra safety you could always go with the double air chambers. 

glx
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rln

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2007, 07:17:07 AM »

........I remember when clint d busted his on the vedder( bucks bag, frame) and weeks before I seen him with it on the T.........is your life worth a few hundred bucks......

Jim
you may find that Clint broke a Fishcat not a Buck's bags. He has/had a boat with an aluminum frame that broke on the Vedder and Buck's bags at the time were all stainless.
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allwaysfishin

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2007, 09:32:35 AM »

hey jim, that's awesome, thanx.... i may just be in touch ;D

having retailed bucks , outcast and skeeter.... the outcast frames are the simplest to set up and they have larger dia piping. I was formerly a steel fabricator by trade and from a craftsmanship point of view... looking at material and most important the welds, I probably would personally feel more comfotable in the outcast.

hmmm decisions decisions hehehe
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Xgolfman

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2007, 06:43:07 PM »

hey jim, that's awesome, thanx.... i may just be in touch ;D

having retailed bucks , outcast and skeeter.... the outcast frames are the simplest to set up and they have larger dia piping. I was formerly a steel fabricator by trade and from a craftsmanship point of view... looking at material and most important the welds, I probably would personally feel more comfotable in the outcast.

hmmm decisions decisions hehehe

No frames on the watermaster. You can stop and stand up at any point to fish...you can also pack it up in a wet bag with straps and hike it in and out...(though I'll tell you this, with oars etc. it's a heavy m.f. pack) The Alaska, Montana, Washington state rescue teams use these..they carry heavy weight and are nearly unsinkable....Just my .02

J.G.

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2007, 06:52:02 PM »

Check out Dave Scadden's pontoon boats.......you pay for what you get!
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THE_ROE_SLINGER

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2007, 07:02:04 PM »

I got a fishcat 9. Awsome boat! no problems
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keithr

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2007, 07:15:30 PM »

I have a bucks bags eight foot, I I think, boat that works great for me, but I just use it on lakes.
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Sandhead

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Re: so... which pontoon is the best.. safest and why?
« Reply #14 on: January 22, 2007, 08:53:00 PM »

Who sells the watermaster locally (GVRD?) and how much do they go for.

I was thinking of buying another pontoon but since i've heard of the watermaster last summer i've been thinking thats the way to go. Especially if your going remote or using a helicopter...
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