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Why Full Enclosures Make Sense
COVER DESIGN BY: Chloe Adelizzi
Executive Editor Brady L. Kay
Editorial Staff Nicole Richens, Heather Magda Serrano, Roy Sparks, Annie Carbutt
Editorial Correspondents
Dan Armitage, Sky Smith
Advertising Director
Greg Larsen, glarsen@pdbmagazine.com
Advertising Executives
Brad Anderson, banderson@pdbmagazine.com
Administrative Assistant Samantha Stroud
Marketing Director Cameron Bischoff
Circulation Director Chuck Harris
Lead Designer Chloe Adelizzi
Production Jim Donovan
www.harrispublishing.com/pontoon-deck-boat
Publisher Greg Larsen
Executive Editor Brady L. Kay
Production Manager Janet Chase
Circulation Manager Chuck Harris
Controller Clayton Ward
Production Janet Chase
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
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Also publishers of Houseboat and Great Lakes Boating magazines.
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.
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
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):
Tracey Parm, Bethel, Ohio
William Parker, New Bern, N.C.
Bill Meyers, Spring Lake, Mich.
Ron Frey, Maryville, Tenn.
Rod Starks, Delhi, Iowa
Kelvin Davison, Markham, Ont. Canada
Gary & Peggy Fillion, Sandy Hook, Conn.
Mark Skofronick, Mcfarland, Wis.
Marcus Rosehill, Kaneohe, Hawaii
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.
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.
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.
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
Prosser Family
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.
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.
Boating Tips and Observations with Sky Smith
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.