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Handlebar Steering: First Impressions Of The All-New Sea-Doo Pontoon
What’s New For ‘22

Check Out Our Boat Show Preview

Holiday Gift Guide

Get A Head Start On Your Shopping

Extending Your Season

Why Full Enclosures Make Sense

Fall 2021
Fall 2021 | Volume 26, Number 10
CONTENTS
From the Bow
PDB TESTED
PREVIEW
wristband being used on the water
42
Motion Sickness Relief
people on a boat
20
What’s New For ‘22
PDB TESTED
wristband being used on the water
42
Motion Sickness Relief
PREVIEW
people on a boat
20
What’s New For ‘22
Featured
people on a boat
16
First Impressions Of The All-New Sea-Doo Pontoon
people riding watermelon raft
32
Holiday Gift Guide Roundup
snorkeling with a manatee
36
Up Close With Gentle Giants
people on a boat
40
Remembering The Good Times
Departments
Print Flic
Readers: remember that behind every PrintFlic logo is exclusive video content waiting to be discovered! This includes behind-the-scenes interviews and top-of-the-line boats cutting through crystalline water! Download the app, open it up, scan the page. It’s that easy!
COVER PHOTO BY: Brady L. Kay
COVER DESIGN BY: Chloe Adelizzi
PONTOON & DECK BOAT STAFF
Editorial

Executive Editor Brady L. Kay
Editorial Staff Nicole Richens, Heather Magda Serrano, Roy Sparks, Annie Carbutt
Editorial Correspondents
Dan Armitage, Sky Smith

Advertising

Advertising Director
Greg Larsen, glarsen@pdbmagazine.com
Advertising Executives
Brad Anderson, banderson@pdbmagazine.com
Administrative Assistant Samantha Stroud

MARKETING

Marketing Director Cameron Bischoff

Circulation

Circulation Director Chuck Harris

Production

Lead Designer Chloe Adelizzi
Production Jim Donovan

To subscribe, go to:
www.harrispublishing.com/pontoon-deck-boat

HARRIS PUBLISHING GROUP ADMINISTRATION

Publisher Greg Larsen
Executive Editor Brady L. Kay
Production Manager Janet Chase
Circulation Manager Chuck Harris
Controller Clayton Ward
Production Janet Chase

HARRIS PUBLISHING EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION

Founder Darryl W. Harris
President Jason Harris
Vice President Chuck Harris
Vice President Ryan Harris
Vice President Steve Janes
Vice President Greg Larsen
Treasurer Clayton Ward
Secretary Janet Chase

NMMA
Print Flic
Copyright, PDB magazine is published 11 times per year by Harris Publishing, Inc., sub rates, back copies, foreign, reproduction prohibitions, all rights reserved, not responsible for contents of ads and submitted materials, mail permits printed in Idaho Falls, ID.

The basic subscription price is $19.97 for 11 issues. Cover price is $3.95. Canadian and Foreign subscriptions add $20.00 per 11 issues. U.S. funds only. Limited back issues are available for $5.00 each.

Copyright 2021 by Harris Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Call 800-638-0135 to purchase a subscription, to correct your mailing label, or to order back issues.

Harris Publishing
corporate office

Harris Publishing, Inc.
520 Park Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83402
(800) 638-0135 • Fax (208) 522-5241
www.pdbmagazine.com

Also publishers of Houseboat and Great Lakes Boating magazines.

Quotes
Brady L. Kay Headshot
Captain's Chair
By Brady L. Kay
Previous Pontoon Magazine covers showcasing Vertiqul functionality
I’ve been on the payroll long enough to recall how founder and former owner Darryl Harris used to react to receiving a new printed magazine. He would crack open the box, fresh from our printer, flip through the pages and he’d inhale the smell of ink and grin from ear to ear. Clearly he loved the aroma of a printed magazine and if I’m not mistaken this routine dated back to when Harris Publishing was first established in 1971—back when Darryl was working out of his basement with a small staff.

Even though he sold his company to his sons over a dozen plus years ago, I think we may have caught him recently in the office on the hunt for a new magazine to get a whiff of. Some habits die hard I guess.

Although my time at the company doesn’t go back nearly as far as Darryl’s tenure, I too appreciate a printed magazine. But I also recognize the evolution of our business. We live in a digital world and while some still prefer flipping through the pages of a printed magazine in bed or in their favorite chair, others would rather read Pontoon and Deck Boat magazine digitally while on the go.

As a company we saw this trend on the horizon a decade or so ago and started making our printed publications also available digitally. The only problem was our digital version had the exact same format, you “flipped” the electronic pages from side to side horizontally. It worked, but it wasn’t really ideal for tablets or smartphones and it certainly wasn’t familiar compared to the way we view other information electronically.

From The Bow | Better Boater
Enclosed In Boating Bliss
Extending Your Season And Looking Ahead To Spring
By Heather Magda Serrano
Honda boat engine closeup
W

ith boating season in the rearview mirror, there’s really no time like the present to plan for next season. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably eager to get back on a boat at the earliest possible opportunity.

Well, what if I told you that with a simple upgrade to your pontoon, you could get back on the water even faster come springtime? That’s where pontoon enclosures come in. These nifty upgrades can give you the protection you need to start boating even when weather hasn’t hit its ideal stride for the season.

From The Bow | No Wake Zone

NWZ typography
NO WAKE ZONE | PLACES, FACES, VIEWS, NEWS, PRODUCTS & MORE
Where’s The Paddle?
Paddle
Hidden paddle

A paddle is hiding inside each issue of PDB and the names of the first ten readers to find it are printed in an upcoming magazine! In our August issue the paddle is on page 35 (shown in the photo on the left) in the reflection in the glass case. Here are the readers who spotted it first (we know we have 11 this month, but it’s our first paddle finder from Hawaii so we had to include Marcus):

Danny Criner, North Chesterfield, Va.
Tracey Parm, Bethel, Ohio
William Parker, New Bern, N.C.
Bill Meyers, Spring Lake, Mich.
Ron Frey, Maryville, Tenn.
Rod Starks, Delhi, Iowa
Scott Slagley, Richmond, Va.
Kelvin Davison, Markham, Ont. Canada
Gary & Peggy Fillion, Sandy Hook, Conn.
Mark Skofronick, Mcfarland, Wis.
Marcus Rosehill, Kaneohe, Hawaii
Features | Time For A Switch
Sea-Doo boat on the water
Sea-Doo being driven on the water
Are You Ready For A Switch?
First Impressions Of The All-New Sea-Doo Pontoon
By Brady L. Kay
W

hen it comes to keeping a secret, Sea-Doo might just be the best at it. With four years of development and testing, the number one personal watercraft brand in North America (for 20 straight years) managed to somehow keep quiet that its Sea-Doo Switch pontoon was coming for the 2022 model year.

“A pontoon boat with the heart of a Sea-Doo PWC,” was a line that stuck with me after first hearing the news, but what exactly did that mean? Despite 20 plus years in the pontoon industry and easily testing over 1,000 boats during my career, I hadn’t seen anything like it and I had nothing even to compare it to.

The hype was building with a buzz in the boating industry like nothing I’ve seen in quite some time. Like many of you, I had a lot of questions and I knew I needed to test it out myself.

Features | Boat Show Preview
PDB Staff Report
New For '22
PDB Staff Report
Our Annual Boat Show Preview
With continued optimism that our favorite in-person boat shows will return in 2022, we couldn’t be more excited for next year. As a staff we’ve compiled a preview of the new pontoon and deck boat models as well as significant changes in the industry for 2022 model year that we hope you’ll be seeing at a convention center near you this spring.
Angler Qwest
Angler Qwest,
New And Improved Lineup
The Fish N Cruise Pro is making a splash as Angler Qwest’s updated line for 2022. Though it existed in previous years, it’s getting a whole new face lift for next year. For starters, the Fish N Cruise line features new powder-coating, an 8.5-foot beam, a foot long cantilever extension off the back and much more.

One of the models in this updated line is the 8524 Pro Fish N Cruise. The pontoon boat comes equipped with everything you need. Its fiberglass center console comes ready with a space for a multi-function display with digital gauges, along with a 10-switch rocker switch panel featuring a storage compartment. You’ll also find a JL MM50 Bluetooth stereo system alongside the stainless steel steering wheel with power knob and tilt steering.

Features | Our 10
Our Ten title with clipart of snowflakes and presents
By Annie Carbutt
PDB's Holiday Gift Guide
Though many boaters spend the winter months with their boats stowed securely on the hard, the holidays are still a great time to spark enthusiasm and anticipation for the coming year with its fresh, new boating season. There’s no better way to do this than with a thoughtful gift carefully chosen for your favorite boater.

We’ve selected some of our favorite gift ideas for boat lovers, guaranteed to put some pep in their step and warmth in their cheeks as they dream of clear, sunny skies and fun times in the boat.

Features | PDB Adventures
man swimming with manatee
two snorkelers swimming with a manatee
Up Close With Gentle Giants
Captain Mike’s Manatee Tour Highlights Florida Vacation
By Brady L. Kay
I

f we have learned anything from the ongoing pandemic, it’s the value of quality family time. For years my wife and I contemplated taking a Florida vacation with our kids, but time, bills and other roadblocks seemed to get it our way. Months of quarantine finally jolted our priorities and last December we decided to go “all in” and take a once-in-a-lifetime vacation that we’ve been dreaming of for years. Our trip of course included a budget-breaking week in Orlando to see a magical mouse, but I wanted our vacation to be more than just spending our hard-earned time off at Disney.

Crystal River, Fla., which is about an hour and a half drive from the Disney World resort, is best known for its manatee sightings. Florida manatees move into warmer waters when the water temperature drops below about 68 degrees Fahrenheit and this  coastal city in western Florida shelters manatees year-round.

Features | A Year In Photos

A Year in Photos typography with a boat in water graphic

Prosser Family

Anderson Family
Pokoj Family
PDB Tested | Boats and accessories we’ve tested
PDB Tested
Our PDB Tested section is compiled of pontoon and deck boats, new products, gear, tools, aftermarket accessories and more.

Simply put, if it can be tested and it applies to our favorite type of boating, you’ll find it in this section. And the one thing each review has in common is they were all tested and evaluated by one or more of our qualified PDB staff members.

#326 Reliefband Sport
Motion Sickness Relief
By Brady L. Kay
showing off the band with water in the background
close-up of a man wearing the band
seeing the backside "arm side" of the band
Departments | Tackle Box
Hot Late-Season Bass Action
Largemouth bass
1. Largemouth bass are active in late fall through early winter across their range, as fishing pro Ott DeFoe knows all too well.
Pontoon boat
2. Don’t put the deck or pontoon boat away just because it’s too cool to swim. Largemouth bass bite right up to ice-up if you know where they are and how to tempt them with jerkbaits.
By Dan Armitage
I

f you think your local largemouth bass fishing season is over just because the leaves are off the trees, think again. Once water temperatures drop below 52 degrees, you can have a ball—and often have the water to yourself—by jerking deep-running crankbaits across and over shallow shelves near steep breaks into deeper water from the bow of your deck or pontoon boat.

“Those fish were back in really flat stuff feeding throughout the fall, but in early winter they’ll head to stuff that’s going to be real steep,” says Ott DeFoe, a five-time Bassmaster tournament champion who uses deep-running crankbaits such as the Shadow Rap Deep, which will run up to 9 feet deep when cast on 10-pound-test mono.

Departments | Staying In ’Toon
Staying in 'Toon

Boating Tips and Observations with Sky Smith

Sky Smith sitting in his boat and smiling
Know The difference Between Towing And Salvage
A

s I have said many times, I am a do-it-yourself type of owner. I like doing my own maintenance and repairs. Because of that, I usually don’t worry about problems on the boat. BUT … there are times that I do think about running into a problem that I can’t fix on the water. What do I do then?

Well for one thing, I am on a small lake and usually there are other boaters around. Sure, there are nights when I don’t see anyone close by. And for that reason, I do keep a handheld radio on the pontoon. I am in a pretty good situation, but if you’re on a bigger lake or running in coastal waters, getting help isn’t always as easy.

Pontoon and Deck Boat
Thanks for reading our Fall 2021 issue!