News — Boating

The Finer Things In Life Qwest LS 820 Lanai Cruise

By: PDBMagazine

We all enjoy the finer things in life—those simple pleasures with a touch of elegance and luxury mixed in. Whether it is a five-star meal or a Pulitzer Prize-winning book, we all enjoy some sophisticated quality in our lives from time to time. Qwest recognized this universal tendency to seek out classy comforts, and it definitely shows when you take a look at their Qwest LS 820 Lanai Cruise.

Qwest Pontoons are known for their high-quality vessels and this high-end, luxury pontoon is the perfect example of what helps their brand stand out. Every boat this manufacturer builds is designed and engineered in-house at their factory in St. Louis, Mich., to ensure their high quality standards which are evident in the fit and finish work.

The PDB staff was lucky enough to test drive the 820 Lanai Cruise recently, and we have to admit, this stunning boat left quite the impression.

Light As A Feather

The 820 Lanai Cruise is not only a luxury model, but a performance model as well. We felt like the Suzuki 150 was a perfect match for this boat, giving it plenty of power to skip across the lake. This boat comes with the option of the Gen II Triple Tube package, allowing for the boat to have that full-length center pontoon. The Gen II Triple tube package not only includes a full-length center tube, but also comes with perks like the hydraulic steering, ski/tow bar, aluminum underskin and rearview mirror.    

The 820 Lanai Cruise also boasts a lightweight design which allows you to achieve better flotation and capacities with smaller diameter pontoons. This makes the boat easier to maneuver whether you’re out on the water or trailering your boat behind the truck.

The triple tubes coupled with the lightweight design and furniture allow the boat to ride impressively high in the water, and the SeaStar hydraulic steering makes turning the boat a pleasure. In addition, it also has a great turning radius. Plain and simple, it’s just an all-around fun boat to drive.

Heavenly Helm

The captain’s area is enough to make any pontoon enthusiast swoon. Stepping up to the helm, the Humminbird Helix 5 Sonar Color Combination GPS/fishfinder is the center focus. It’s situated in the perfect location, always providing necessary information. Then you’ve got your other gauges with rocker switches on either side, along with the Infinity PRV Bluetooth stereo system controls just to the right of the steering wheel with a convenient USB port alongside it. Additionally, the handsome stainless spoke steering wheel offers soft grip and wood-grain accents along with an adjustable tilt steering system.

Having a smaller helm definitely saves some space in the cockpit, but despite its compact size, everything you need is still right in front of you at your fingertips. The helm is an all-fiberglass design with a lovely wood grain dash that also matches your table and some of the other panels. The gauges are all stainless steel, and the Infinity stereo comes standard with four speakers that are ready to get the party started.

The helm offers a personal stainless cupholder for the captain with a dry storage right above it for boat papers or other personal items. The RAM universal cell phone mount is also a convenient feature, giving you easy, hands-free access to your phone. Then don’t forget the PTM Edge rearview mirror. We feel like all pontoons should come standard with a mirror like this because it makes it much easier to keep an eye on things for water sports or even just cruising around.

Definitive Details

Going right down to the very threads of the furniture in the 820 Lanai Cruise, the hand-crafted quality and innovation could not be more apparent. The Ultra Flow seat ventilation encourages optimum air flow inside the seat bases which helps to dry items stored beneath the seats. This prevents mold or mildew from forming and helps keep your boat spick and span. The seat bases are made from proprietary Dura-Lite composite material which keeps the boat lighter and stronger while providing generous amounts of storage space.

Even the mount pedestal for the wood grain table is worth noting for its low profile that stays out of the way when not in use. You’ll never have to worry about stubbing a toe because it’s flush with the floor and it’s even got a nice little rubber cap for when it’s not in use.

Naturally, all of the tables and posts store comfortably under the seats, so everything’s nice and out of the way but still ready to use whenever you want it. The boat also has Diamond Seagrass luxury woven vinyl flooring which is a lovely touch. All of these details make it easy to see why this is part of the Luxury Series from Qwest.

From Front To Back

The 820 Lanai Cruise is packed with tons of great features from bow to stern. The boat is rated for up to 11 passengers which is a fantastic capacity for its size, supplying plenty of comfortable, soft-touch vinyl seating throughout.

At the stern of the boat in the swim deck area, there’s a large bench-seat section with great storage below. As mentioned before, the pontoon comes with a solid ski/tow bar, and our test boat was equipped with a big Suzuki engine that provided the boat its ample power.

It also has a comfortable contoured aluminum rear ladder which has four big steps that swing out. This is actually the same ladder Qwest used for its Avanti model last year. Qwest had such success with this particular ladder they decided to bring it over to the Luxury Series along with the stainless steel corner caps. This ladder has been hailed for the ease that accompanies getting up and down out of the water. This is yet another example of one of the luxury items that became standard in this series.

Stepping Back

Qwest clearly infused its LS 820 Lanai Cruise with comfort, performance and sophistication, never straying from their reputation for quality pontoons. Right down to the details, the boat is peppered with small luxuries that contribute to a fantastic boating experience.

From the lightweight design to the fit and finish, this boat quite simply provides pontooners with some of the finer things in life.

For All Your Accessories and/or Vinyl Flooring Visit Pontoon-Depot's Shop Site.  

A Life Vest With Speakers Kickstarter Campaign Underway

At PDB magazine we sometimes get a sneak peek at boats, products or even breaking news before others. It's just one of the many perks as a member of the boating media. Often we have to wait to share exciting new products with our readers, but this time we're able to let you in on something special. If you love listing to music while wakeboarding, tubing, skiing, etc. then you're going to want a Groove Vest. This is truly a gamechanger for the wakesports industry.

“I wanted to listen to music out on the water and found out that I was not alone,” said Drew Bartek, co-founder and chief financial officer of Groove Watersports. “Our vests are made to bring the best listening experience out on the water without compromising the comfort and range of motion of your vest.”

The Groove Vest combines the enjoyment of listening to music with the safety of an impact vest and was created by riders for riders. The Groove Vest is designed to solve the issue of not being able to listen to music while out on the water. The vest is ideal for individuals looking for a comfortable, high quality, lightweight impact vest that has the added benefit of playing music.

“I’ve always been frustrated when riding behind the boat and never could hear the music clearly.  Then I tried waterproof headphones which just caused more problems,” said Gus Gehlen, co-founder and chief executive officer of Groove Watersports. “I knew there had to be a better way so we have designed our vests to solve this problem through the integration of powerful speakers in the shoulder area of our vest for an easy all in one solution.” 

The Groove vest has 8GB of internal memory so you can ditch your phone, grab your vest, and get in the Groove as you play your tunes for up to 6 hours of continuous playback. You then simply charge your Groove vest with any micro USB charger (provided) and that's it. IP68 is the maximum Ingress Protection rating against solid particles or liquid so your vest can handle just about anything you throw at it. Just remember to spray it down after a saltwater session. 

As your own DJ you can control your music with easy access buttons on the front chest of your vest. There are four buttons to help you get in the Groove: Play/Pause, Volume Up/Down, Skip/Back, Power On. Engineered for the folks who like to “SEND IT!” the vest is designed to withstand high impact crashes.

Electronics:

• Speaker Type: Portable Waterproof Speaker
• Connection Type: 8GB Internal Memory (1,000 songs)
• Impedance: 4±10%ohm
• Speaker Output: 3 watts
• Driver Diameter: 40mm
• SNR/Sound Pressure Level: 87±3dB
• Weight: approx. 700g
• Charging: Micro USB
• Frequency Range: 200Hz-20KHz
• Battery Capacity: 3,000mAh
• Charging Voltage: DC 5V
• Charge Time: approximately 2 Hours
• Playback Time: approximately 6 hours
• Housing Material: Polycarbonate

Vest:

• Material: Jersey Knit Nylon Bonded to Scuba Stretch Neoprene
• Foam: Closed Cell MLC Foam
• Zipper: YYK #10 Marine Grade Zipper
• Pocket Flap: Magnetic Neoprene Flaps 

Groove Vests are available in sizes Small to XL and those interested have the opportunity of pre-ordering on Kickstarter that begins today. The Groove Vest will retail for $299, but during this Kickstarter campaign in August, the vests can be pre-ordered starting at an early bird special of $150. For more information visit GrooveWatersports.com.

For All Your Accessories and/or Vinyl Flooring Visit Pontoon-Depot's Shop Site.  

5 Ways to Safely Boat With Your Children | Pontoon-Depot

By: Hula Boat Care

I’ve been boating long before I was a Mother, but my experience with kiddos and the lake has given me a leg up when it comes to boating with my own child.  Though we have always considered safety important, it’s now paramount to my own boating experience.  My on the water happiness is directly connected to the situation I create for my son.  Here are a few of my tips for boating with your babies!

1. Get the expensive life jacket.  The neoprene tends to be softer and the fit is better. They are much more likely to stay content if their life jacket isn’t rubbing their tender skin raw.
2. Put them in a long sleeve rash guard and hat. If you’ve ever put sunscreen on a squirmy baby that’s more like a bag of snakes than a human, you know how tough it can be to get full coverage. Cover them up!
3. Create a soft place for them to land on your boat. They will inevitably get sleepy and nap so make sure there is a spot out of the sun that you can put them down.
4. If anchoring and swimming around is on your usual lake agenda, consider a Maui Mat or Lilly Pad. This doesn’t negate the need for a life jacket, but it does give everyone a way to safely play in and around the water and no one is forced to take turns sitting on the boat to watch baby.
5. Make sure all the products used on your boat are non toxic. Hula Boat Care is my go to for a few reasons, but the top of my list is that it is marine and kid friendly so I know for sure that my little guy is safe if exposed to treated areas.

There are so many ways that boating with a baby or toddler can be difficult, but with a little preparation, you can share your love for the water with your mini me.

For All Your Accessories and/or Vinyl Flooring Visit Pontoon-Depot's Shop Site.  

2015 South Bay Forest River FRC 2015 | Boat Trader

By: Boat Trader

2015 South Bay Forest River FRC 2015

South-bay Forest River FRC, Mercury 4 Stroke 150 HP motor Bimini top Lowrance GPS/Fish Finder Clarion stereo system Minkota electric trolling motor 2015 SOUTH BAY FRC TRIPLE TUBE 22' 5" PONTOON It's powered by a Mercury 4 stroke 150 HP motor with only 105 hours. It comes with a Bimini top, 7" Lowrance GPS/fish finder, Clarion stereo, Minkota electric trolling motor, live wells and tackle box, 12 rod holders, 2 rear swivel chairs, and 2 full covers, Rhino paint on toons.  

$36,900

It rides on a tandem axle trailer. A very nice and clean boat that's all ready to fish or just have fun on the water.

Boat Details

• Class Power
• Category Pontoon Boats
• Year 2015
• Make South Bay
• Length 225'
• Propulsion Type Other
• Hull Material Aluminum
• Fuel Type Other
• Location Lake Havasu City, AZ