A Television On A Pontoon?

Throughout my 25-year career in the boating industry, with a primary focus being on pontoon boats specifically, I recently encountered an unexpected sight: a flat screen waterproof television mounted on the stern deck of a pontoon boat. While televisions are common on enclosed boats such as houseboats or cabin cruisers, seeing one on a pontoon boat was a surprising discovery.

To be honest, the first thought that popped into my head was if I had a television on my boat would it give me the ultimate pontoon setup or would I just be showing off? Or in other words, if I had one would I actually use it or would it just be one of those over-the-top bragging features that I could be constantly reminding my boating friends that I have and they don’t? Maybe.

On display in the booth for Dan’s Southside Marine at the Minneapolis Boat Show, Premier Marine was once again pushing the boundaries of boating. During the brutally cold January temps, the manufacturer was heating things up inside the convention center with its new Rear Social layout. The Premier Solaris with its Open Water Panels borrowed from its Angler series, was stopping attendees in the isles with the TV blaring from the back deck. If you were within 20 yards of Dan’s Southside booth you were immediately drawn in for a closer look. Like moths to a flame, showgoers couldn’t help themselves. The stern deck had other features, but it was clearly the TV that raised out of the Boat Outfitters-made cabinet that caught a lot of looks while earning a few gasps. It wasn’t surprising that Boat Outfitters, a division of Teak Isle, was involved. The aftermarket guru is constantly working with manufacturers to maximize space and improve all boats.

As a Minnesota-based manufacturer, Premier had its Rear Social pontoon all decked out with Viking pillows, blankets and other decorations to celebrate the state’s favorite NFL team. On the television screen was of course a Vikings game and that’s when the practical use of how to get the most out of TV on a pontoon clicked for me.

If I had a television on my pontoon it wouldn’t be for kids to watch animated movies, teens to play video games on or even to show a rom-com on board for a date night. Nope. If I had a TV on a pontoon it would be to simply watch football in the fall while out enjoying the day on the water. How cool would that be?! Talk about owning the sand bar; I’d be an instant lake legend!

Often the lure of a beautiful autumn day is too much to resist, which means I’m not able to watch my favorite college or professional football teams play live. Sure, I could be “that guy” and pretend to be engaged with what my family is saying or doing while sneaking score updates and highlights on my phone. But wouldn’t it be better just to embrace these two worlds and combine them to have a full-on “tailgate-like” experience on your pontoon? Who’s with me?

One particular feature that caught my ear while admiring the Rear Social at the boat show was the sound system. As the Vikings game was being shown on the television, the sound was projected through all the speakers on board and controlled with the JL Audio head unit at the helm. Even in a crowded boat show the audio was crystal clear and the surround sound made it feel as if we were at the actual game. Factor in the television-facing rear loungers and the other comfortable seats on this Premier, and this really would be a great place to watch a game.

If the kiddos don’t care to watch the big game they can just take a flying leap…into the lake, that is. They can play in the water, eat snacks or basically do whatever they want as long as they don’t block the view of the screen, right? Again, maybe.

The debate over how a television on a pontoon could be used (as well as if it’s really needed) is of course up to the consumer. Regardless of where you stand, it was fun to see Premier thinking outside the (pontoon) box with this layout and at least giving us possibilities.

Some boat show models and displays aren’t really practical and are just geared toward getting you into the booth. However, the Rear Social has some real possibilities that are worth at least considering.

Brady L. Kay,
Pontoon & Deck Boat Editor