The White Opal railskin with the matte black accent color has been known to catch a gaze from across the lake, but in reality the color combination with a stylish sporty look probably won’t be the first thing you notice on this Barletta. Clearly the arch tower with an adventurous vibe draws your attention first and lets you know there is something special about this pontoon.

For a professional water toy test you need a professional pontoon, at least that’s how we were able to justify enlisting the high-end and luxurious Barletta Corsa 25UEA for our water toy test. As impressive as this model is, Barletta actually considers it to be its mid-range line, proving the Indiana-based manufacturer aims to exceed your expectations and understands what boaters really crave.

We went in search of a pontoon that would get the job done for our water toy test and the Corsa clearly (and comfortably) delivered and then some. We picked it up at Hagadone Marine in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and were pleasantly surprised at how professional and well-run this dealership truly is. Known for its outstanding customer service, the Hagadone campus takes one-stop-shopping to a whole new level.

We picked the Barletta up on our custom Boatmate trailer that includes the Pontoon & Deck Boat magazine logos etched into the padded rear steps, and it handled the 25-foot pontoon with ease. The Barletta Corsa is rated for up to 13 passengers so we had plenty of room for our full testing crew which included seven kids ranging from age 9 to 17.

The Ultra-Lounge, which is the multi-position stern lounge that includes USB ports and “Yeti-Ready” cupholders, had arguably the most sought-after seats, but the dual bar stools and multi-position bench seat around the port table located directly across from the helm were nearly as popular.

Powered with a Mercury 350hp Verado outboard, which is the maximum size engine this triple pontoon is rated for, and equipped with U-Flex EZ Steer Mechanical Steering, we were able to give our testers a thrilling ride with ease and put the standard Tube-Tow Watersports Cage to good use. The boat handled extremely well thanks to the over-built construction below that includes full length exterior Wave Tamers on the outside of the 26-inch diameter tubes and the hybrid cross member configuration, which is a combination box/I-beam and C-channel design with V.I.P. (Vibration Isolation Pad) technology. Simply put, the pontoon handles great and is built for even the toughest conditions.

With the extended activity/swim deck there was plenty of room for our testers to towel off after using one of the two stainless steel stern boarding ladders with high handholds.

As for the captain, the high back reclining helm seat that slides, swivels and reclines was the place to be, and with the raised helm platform with Marine Mat flooring the driver was able to enjoy an elevated view. Another perk to being the driver is the “Yeti-Ready” cupholders and the wireless phone charger close by, not to mention the upgraded Simrad touchscreen that is the central focus of the dash. Key features we like to see on every boat (that this Barletta comes standard with) is a lockable glove box on the side of the helm and an E-Z Access integrated waste basket located behind the helm chair.

Options on this Barletta include the long in-floor storage locker built into the center pontoon that was ideal for storing our tubes. The anchor storage locker near the bow gate also came in handy since we didn’t have to take the anchor through the entire boat to anchor off the front. Having its own compartment made it extremely convenient. Another option we loved was the stereo remote located on the stern swim deck that allowed us to easily control the tunes from the water. The remote is optional but the new improved enhanced display Hertz Marine stereo with 6 speakers is on the long list of standard features.

Also on the standard features list are the bow and port acrylic gates with Doggie-Dock View so not only can the captain see the dock through the see-through doors but so can your pets, who will also appreciate the slide out doggie dishes that are built into the raised helm platform.

In the end we were able to successfully test all of the new tubes (it’s a tough gig but those tubes won’t test themselves), thanks to the well-performing Barletta that exceeded our already high expectations and provided us the ultimate platform to do our testing.

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