Hot Dogs & Twins

It’s no secret; the Pontoon & Deck Boat magazine staff looks forward to Shootout Boat Test week like a 5-year-old heading to Disney World for the first time. In a way our test is like, “the happiest place on earth” with all pontoon and deck boat manufacturers being invited to showcase their latest models in one location. At our Shootout event, each boat is tested, evaluated and reviewed so it can be included in our special boat test issue.

The reason we all look forward to the test (other than the obvious of being on the water and one of the first to run the new models) is you never know what you’re going to see from year to year.

This past Shootout boat test seemed to provide a wide selection of boats including a couple of first-time participants, a new outboard debut, entry-level price point pontoons, a surf pontoon, and even a 60-plus mile per hour twin engine beauty. That doesn’t even include the fact that we ended up grilling hot dogs from the stern of one of the boats that came to our test to be reviewed. Again, we just never know what the manufacturers will bring to our test and that’s what makes it so much fun. And for the record, there’s just something about cooking up a warm meal from the back of a boat. For some reason those hot dogs tasted really good that day. Thanks, Brian Grupp, for the assistance; you kept the entire dock fed that day.

If you’re viewing this issue digitally through our VERTIQUL platform, you’ll notice all of our test videos are linked to the detailed write-ups. Think of these videos as appetizers and a great way to lead into the main course. These same videos (along with all of our past Shootout boat test videos) can be found on the PDB website at www.pdbmagazine.com as well as on our YouTube channel, so be sure to check those out. These videos are a great way to help you pair down which models you’re most interested in, but feel free to dive deep and read all of the boat reviews.

Note in the detailed write-ups we’ve yet to find the perfect pontoon or deck boat. Yes, we highlight what our staff loved about every model and there is usually quite a bit to go over. But we also report what we’d like to see changed, added, tweaked or improved on each boat. Some critiques are pickier than others, but we do like to provide some feedback for you to think about it.

We also include the price of each boat as tested and that’s important when you’re doing your homework prior to hitting the early boat shows. When you’re comparing different models, it is crucial to factor in the prices to determine what’s best for you and your budget.

Also pay attention to the options that are listed with each review. Sometimes by taking fewer “bells and whistles” you can stay within the amount you’re looking to spend on your next boat. Of course, typically the boats as-tested include both standard and optional features and have been packaged well by the manufacturer. Simply put, sometimes what makes the boat so amazing and why we loved it so much is how the blend of both options and key features all come together.

A big shout out to my hard-working crew for another successful year of testing. We celebrated our 30th Shootout boat test by holding it in Nashville, Tenn., at the Four Corners Marina on Percy Priest Lake. Talk about amazing hosts; the staff at this marina couldn’t have treated us any better. Plus with a new restaurant coming in 2024 we might have to consider coming back.

Together my staff and I have done all of the heavy lifting so you can sit back, read, view, and enjoy our efforts to help you make the best boat-buying decision possible this year.

Brady L. Kay,

Pontoon & Deck Boat Editor