Last reviewed: 2026-06-19 > Quick answer: For most families on Rice Lake and the Kawarthas, a pontoon is the best all-around boat: safe with kids, roomy, stable, and great for cruising and swimming. It pulls a tube too, with enough power (115 hp and up). What it isn't is a...
Last reviewed: 2026-06-19
Quick answer: For most families on Rice Lake and the Kawarthas, a pontoon is the best all-around boat: safe with kids, roomy, stable, and great for cruising and swimming. It pulls a tube too, with enough power (115 hp and up). What it isn't is a dedicated ski boat. If hard watersports rule your summer, look at a tritoon or a V-hull. Not sure? Rent one first.
Every spring we get the same question at the counter, usually from a parent with two kids hanging off their leg: "We just want something the whole family can use. Is a pontoon the right move, or are we going to regret it?"
Fair question, and the honest answer is "usually yes, but it depends what you actually do on the water." A pontoon is the best all-around family platform we sell. It is not the best at everything, and anyone who tells you one boat does everything equally well is selling you something. Here is the straight version, the way we would explain it to a friend.
Who this is for
Families on Rice Lake, the Kawarthas, or anywhere in cottage country trying to pick one boat that handles cruising, swimming, lounging, a bit of fishing, and tubing with the kids. If you are choosing between a pontoon and a bowrider, a runabout, or an aluminum fishing boat, this is for you.
What a pontoon does better than anything else
This is where pontoons earn their reputation, and it is not hype.
Safety with kids. The high rails and wide gates mean little ones cannot easily bounce overboard, and the flat, non-slip deck is far more forgiving than the tippy floor of a small runabout. For a lot of parents, this alone settles the decision.
Space and stability. A pontoon is a floating living room. Wraparound seating, room for a cooler and gear and a dozen people, and a deck that barely rocks when everyone stands on one side. Grandparents get on and off easily. Nobody is crammed in.
Swimming and lounging. A boarding ladder off the back, a wide deck to towel off on, and shade if you add a bimini. For a family that mostly wants to anchor in a bay, swim, and have lunch, nothing beats it.
It handles the everyday stuff. Cottage errands, sunset cruises, a few rods over the side for the kids. A pontoon does the calm, social 80 percent of family boating better than any other boat on the lake.
Where a pontoon falls short (the honest part)
We would rather you hear this from us than find out in July.
It is not a dedicated watersports boat. You can tube behind a properly powered pontoon, and plenty of families do. But for serious skiing, wakeboarding, or teenagers who want to get launched off a tube, a dedicated ski or wake boat will always do it better. A pontoon is a compromise here, a good one with enough power, but a compromise.
Wind and chop. Rice Lake is calm a lot of the time, but it is a long lake and it can build a real chop when the wind comes up in the afternoon. A two-tube pontoon gets pushed around and pounds more in that slop than a deep-V hull does. It is rarely dangerous, but it is less comfortable.
Speed. Even a strong pontoon is not fast by runabout standards. If your idea of fun is a quick, sporty ride, a pontoon will feel sluggish.
Tight fishing. It is a fine casual fishing platform, but for a serious angler chasing walleye into tight spots, an aluminum fishing boat is the better tool.
"Can you actually tube behind a pontoon?" (the real question)
Yes. This is the question we get most, and the answer is yes, with a caveat about power.
Towing a tube takes roughly one horsepower for every 40 pounds you are pulling, and you need to comfortably reach about 20 mph. In practice:
- Light tubing with younger kids: a 90 to 115 hp pontoon handles it fine.
- Comfortable all-day tubing, a loaded boat, bigger kids: you want 115 hp and up.
- Skiing, wakeboarding, teenagers who want speed and air: 150 hp and up, and ideally a tritoon (more on that below).
The most common regret we see is not overpowering. It is underpowering. A family buys the smallest motor to save money, loads six people and a cooler aboard, and then cannot get a tube up out of the water on a windy day. Buy the power for what you will actually do, including the teenager years coming.
Two tubes or three? The tritoon question
A standard pontoon rides on two tubes (pontoons). A tritoon adds a third tube down the middle, and it changes the boat.
A third tube buys you three things that matter for a family: it carries more horsepower (so it can actually pull skiers and bigger tubers), it gets up on plane and runs faster, and it handles Rice Lake chop noticeably better, less push from the wind, a drier and more planted ride.
If your summer is mostly cruising, swimming, and light tubing, a two-tube pontoon with the right power is plenty, and it saves you money. If watersports are a real priority, or you spend a lot of time out when the wind is up, the tritoon is worth it. We will tell you honestly which one fits how your family actually boats.
How much horsepower on Rice Lake
For most family pontoons in the 18 to 22 foot range we rig Mercury FourStroke power in the 90 to 150 hp band, usually with the Command Thrust gearcase. Command Thrust is a bigger gearcase with more low-end grunt, and it is exactly right for a heavy, load-carrying pontoon. (Worth knowing: Command Thrust belongs on pontoons and heavy work boats, not on standard V-hulls. Some dealers mis-rig it onto V-hulls claiming more torque. That is the wrong application, and it is the kind of thing we will steer you away from.)
| Your family's main use |
Boat |
Mercury power |
| Cruising, swimming, light tubing |
18-22 ft two-tube pontoon |
90-115 hp Command Thrust |
| All-day tubing, loaded boat, some watersports |
21-23 ft pontoon or tritoon |
115-150 hp |
| Skiing, wakeboarding, teens, windy-day running |
22 ft+ tritoon |
150-250 hp |
Pontoon vs the alternatives
| Boat |
Best at |
Weak at |
Right family |
| Pontoon / tritoon |
Space, safety, cruising, swimming, social days, light-to-serious tubing (with power) |
Top speed, hard watersports, rough chop (two-tube) |
Most families who want one do-it-most boat |
| Bowrider / runabout |
Sporty rides, skiing and wakeboarding, handling chop |
Space and seating, casual lounging, kid-safety rails |
Watersports-first families |
| Aluminum fishing boat |
Fishing, shallow water, light and easy to tow |
Comfort, seating, watersports |
Anglers first, family second |
Best fit: most Rice Lake families
A pontoon (two-tube if you are budget-minded and cruise-focused, tritoon if watersports and windy days matter) is the right call for the majority of families who want one boat to do most things well.
What we see at HBW
Most families who come in worried a pontoon will be "boring" leave wishing they had bought one years ago. The space and the safety win them over fast. The families who do regret a pontoon almost always made one of two mistakes: they bought too little horsepower to tube the way their kids wanted, or they were genuinely watersports-first and should have bought a tritoon or a V-hull from the start.
We carry Legend pontoons, a Canadian company headquartered in Whitefish, Ontario, near Sudbury, that designs its boats for Canadian water and backs them with a 6-Year WOWranty and All-In Pricing. The lineup sorts cleanly by family: the LE Series is the value pick for cruising families, the Q Series steps up to premium comfort, and the Halo brings modern 360-degree seating for families who want the newer look. Every one comes paired with Mercury power, rigged and serviced right here.
Common mistakes
- Underpowering it. The number-one regret. A loaded family pontoon with a small motor cannot pull a tube on a windy day. Buy the power for what you will actually do.
- Buying two tubes when you needed three. If watersports and windy-day comfort matter, the tritoon is worth it. Going back later is expensive.
- Expecting a pontoon to be a ski boat. It can tube well. It is not a wakeboard boat. Match the boat to your real priorities.
- Skipping the test. You do not have to guess. Rent one for a weekend first and find out how your family actually uses it.
The smartest move before you buy: rent one
Here is the advantage of buying from a marina that also rents. You do not have to gamble on a major purchase. Take a pontoon out for a weekend on Rice Lake with your actual family, your actual cooler, and your actual kids on a tube. You will know within an afternoon whether it fits your life. We would rather you rent first and buy the right boat than buy fast and wish you had gone bigger on power. See our Rice Lake pontoon rentals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you tube behind a pontoon boat?
Yes. With enough power you can pull tubes comfortably, and many families do exactly that. Plan on 90 to 115 hp for light tubing with younger kids, and 115 hp or more for all-day tubing with a loaded boat. For skiing or wakeboarding, step up to 150 hp and ideally a tritoon.
Is a pontoon safe for young kids?
It is one of the safest family boats on the water. High rails and wide gates keep little ones from going overboard, the deck is flat and non-slip, and the boat is very stable. Everyone still wears a properly fitted PFD, but parents consistently tell us the pontoon feels secure.
Pontoon or tritoon for a family?
If you mostly cruise, swim, and tube lightly, a two-tube pontoon with the right power is plenty and costs less. If watersports are a real priority, or you are often out when the wind builds a chop on Rice Lake, the third tube is worth it for the speed, the towing power, and the better ride.
How big a pontoon does a family need?
For most families, an 18 to 22 foot pontoon hits the sweet spot of space, stability, and cost. Smaller for two or three people on calm days, bigger if you regularly carry a crowd or want serious watersports capability.
Is a pontoon a good boat for Rice Lake specifically?
For most of what families do here, yes. Rice Lake is calm a lot of the time and a pontoon is ideal for cruising and swimming. On windy afternoons it can get choppy, which is where a tritoon and decent horsepower earn their keep.
What does it cost to power a family pontoon?
Pricing depends on the boat and the Mercury motor you choose. Build a real quote at mercuryrepower.ca, or call us at 905-342-2153 and we will spec it to your family and your budget. No upsell to power you do not need.
Can I rent a pontoon before I buy one?
Yes, and we recommend it. Rent one for a weekend, use it the way your family actually would, and you will know if it is the right boat before you spend a dollar on buying. See our boat rentals.
Ready to find the right boat for your family?
Tell us how your family actually spends a day on the water, who is aboard, whether the kids want to tube, how often you are out when it is windy, and we will tell you straight whether a pontoon, a tritoon, or something else fits. Rent one first if you want to be sure.
Phone: 905-342-2153
Configurator: mercuryrepower.ca
Rentals: harrisboatworks.ca/rentals
Phone: 905-342-2153
Address: 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON
Configurator: mercuryrepower.ca
Related guides:
Sources
- Mercury Marine and HBW rigging experience: pontoon horsepower and Command Thrust gearcase guidance.
- General pontoon family-use, safety, and tubing-power guidance from boating-industry sources.
- Legend Boats product lineup (LE, Q, Halo series) and 6-Year WOWranty.
