Pontoon Boat Overview

Let’s just be honest, you’re looking at this inflatable pontoon because it’s the cheapest one out there. It’s as basic as it gets, stripped out of all nifty features this is a minimalist’s fishing boat. With no additional features to weigh it down, the Roanoke only weighs 43 pounds and makes a great choice for anyone looking for a cheap and portable fishing pontoon. It’s lightweight, nimble, and durable, and for the amount of money it costs, you will not find anything better.

It’s 8 feet long and has a total carrying capacity of 350 pounds. It features heavy-duty pontoons, aluminum oars, oarlocks, and a powder-coated frame. Some of the “special” features include a stripping apron, armrest pockets with zippers, a storage area behind the seat, and adjustable foot rests. This boat will handle rivers up to class 1.

Thanks to its lightweight design it’s highly portable, it’s never been easier to transport a pontoon boat. The weight combined with the long aluminum oars makes for a fast and highly maneuverable boat. It has oarlocks to make sure that rowing is as easy as possible and if you were to lose hold of them, they will stay with you. Unlike more expensive pontoon boats from Classic Accessories, the Roanoke oars only have one position they can be used at.

Even though the Roanoke is minimal and very basic, it has plenty of storage. Just below the oarlocks, you’ll find two large oversized armrest pockets with zippers. These pockets can store smaller fishing gear like tackles and lures. Behind the seat, you will find a mesh platform, perfect for storing a smaller cooler box or any of your newly caught fish.

The adjustable footrests have six different positions you can choose from, making it easy to use both for short and tall people.

The bottom of the inflatable pontoon boats is made from heavy-duty PVC that’s abrasion-resistant, meaning that scraping against rocks and other surfaces will not puncture the bladders. The tops are made from tough nylon, not as puncture-resistant but will withstand things like hooks and dorsal fins. The pontoon bladders are temperature resistant, meaning they are not easily affected by cold or warm weather.

The aluminum oars that come with your purchase of the Roanoke are 6 feet long and can be separated into two pieces for easier transportation, they also float if you were to drop them into the water. The locks that hold the oars in place are rock steady thanks to the steel tubing,

Features

• Heavy-duty pontoons with tough PVC bottoms
• Rock steady oarlocks
• 6 feet long rugged aluminum oars
• Three storage areas for gear and other small accessories

Specifications

• Dimensions: 96 inches in length (8 ft) , 55 inches (4.5 ft)  in width, and 26 inches (2 ft) in height
• Pontoons: 8 feet long pontoons
• Capacity: 350 pounds
• Weight: 43 pounds (Fully assembled)
• Material: Heavy-duty PVC,  tough nylon and steel

Our Review

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So you’ve probably grown tired of your float tube, that’s why you’re reading this right? Maybe you’re just out something really cheap? Whatever your intentions are, you can be certain that the Roanoke gives you a sturdy and long-lasting boat for not a lot of money.

It’s basic, but it does basic well

As we stated at the beginning of this review, this pontoon is super basic. This means it has been stripped out of all the cool features a lot of the higher-end models have, things like adjustable oar locks, motor mounts, extra storage plat forms, bigger pockets, and so on. But in no way does it make it less worthy of your money. It’s basic, but it does basics well.

It’s lightweight which makes it unstable in wind

Because most of the features have been taken away, this boat is very lightweight. But the weight has its drawbacks as well. Let’s just say that strong winds and the Roanoke don’t go well together, and they go even worse together if you’re a lightweight yourself. We were “lucky” and got to try this on a really windy day and while I had a blast, my wife had a totally different experience. For her it was a constant struggle, she had to keep fighting the wind trying to go straight and if she didn’t fight back the wind would just grab a hold of the boat and push her way back. If you want to fish in a specific spot in a windy area, you have to get yourself an anchor, unless you want your day to consist of 99% rowing and 1% fishing.

Included oars are long and rigid

Which brings me to the next point, the oars. They’re awesome, with their six feet they’re long which makes for easy and maneuverable rowing. Some owners complained about them being too long, but we think these owners need to practice rowing a little more. When you get the hang of the rowing, it’s easy to get the speed up, if you have just the right conditions (no winds and calm water) you’ll outrace your friends with ease. We don’t know if this a common issue with the included oars, but ours were filled with water after an hour or so, which made rowing pretty cumbersome. Even when taking them apart it was kinda hard to get the water out, it was definitely a pain in the butt, we can’t even imagine how annoying it must be if you’re staying out on the lake the whole day.

Oarlocks are nice but need some DIY-love

The oarlocks feel rigid and sturdy, but the oars tend to slip through them. We fixed this by taping up a large bulge of electrical tape around the ring on the oars, since then no oars have slipped through.

Okay portability for an inflatable pontoon

As for portability, it’s pretty good, nothing out of the ordinary. Pontoon boats with frames are the least portable out of all inflatables. It doesn’t come with a carry bag or transport wheel which makes it hard to transport long distances unless you DIY a way to have it in your back. You can collapse the seat and make the frame somewhat portable, the pontoons can easily be deflated and stowed away. If you need something highly portable, something that’s easy to carry to and from the shore, you might want to look at some other options instead.

Plastic seat gets uncomfortable after two hours or so

The seat is OK, it’s just a plastic seat which may be too hard for some people. We definitely felt sore in our butts after a whole day of playing around with the Roanoke. We’d definitely recommend getting a cushion, especially if you’re not used to these types of seats.

Not rated for motors, but with some modding, it’s possible to mount one

While on the box it says that it’s not rated for motors, we have seen some people modify theirs to hold a smaller electric trolling motor. Not that it’s something we recommend, but if you really want to, it’s possible. Just be wary that the back end of the pontoon will sag if there’s too much weight.

Coldwater affects the bladders, even though they’re “temperature resistant”

We noticed that cold water does actually have an effect on the bladders, even though it says they’re temperature resistant. Coldwater will shrink the bladders most of the time which leads one to believe there’s a leak. If you want to avoid this, go to your lake a couple of minutes early, inflate it and let it sit in the water for a while, then top it off.

Pontoons are durable and will not puncture easily

The pontoons are durable, we went to several shallow spots on the lakes and scraped against rocks (not any sharp ones though) with little to no scratches at all. We would feel comfortable taking the Roanoke to lakes and rivers where there are sharper rocks, without the fear of puncturing our pontoons.

Pros

• Affordable
• Easy to row and maneuver
• Puncture resistant

Cons

• Unstable in wind
• Tracks poorly
• Uncomfortable seat

Conclusion:

The Roanoke from Classic Accessories might not be the most feature-packed and high-end pontoon you can buy. But does it have to be? From our experiences we’ve found that we’ve had just as fun with lower-end models as with high-end ones. It’s a basic boat but it does the job, and it does it well. We promise you’ll get your money’s worth from this pontoon.

Pontoon Overview

One of the best-rated inflatables pontoon boats on Amazon, it’s the Classic Accessories Colorado XT pontoon boat. This is what most fishing enthusiasts would call a “top of the line” pontoon, it’s packed with loads of nifty features, all to make your fishing experience as enjoyable as possible.

The Colorado XT Pontoon boat is 9 feet long and has a carrying capacity of 400 pounds. It comes with a removable transport wheel for an easier launch, it can be easily removed and placed into one of the storage compartments. Some of the many features on the Colorado XT include a weatherproof motor mount, two removable gear bags with 20 pockets in total, two insulated cup holders, a wire basket for rear storage or a battery, two detachable foam fly patches, multi-position rod holders, and much more.

The bottom of the inflatable pontoon boats is coated with heavy-duty PVC for excellent abrasion resistance, getting punctures, and air leaks because you accidentally brushed against rocky surfaces is no longer a problem. The top of the pontoons is made from tough nylon. The bladders are made from cold and heat resistant vinyl, in other words, they’re not going to shrink or expand depending on the weather. The pontoons take about 2 minutes to fill with air if you’re using a small electrical pump.

To summarize, the Colorado XT Pontoon is everything an avid fisherman would want. With all the storage capabilities the XT has to offer, there’s no need to worry about not being able to bring all the gear with you. Even with all the gear packed, you will most likely have storage space left. The smart anchor system allows you to stay in your favorite spot without drifting away, something which we really enjoyed while we were out fishing.

Features

• Two removable side pockets, including 20 pockets and two insulated cup holders
• Loads of storage space for all your fishing gear
• Transport wheel makes it easy to transport from your car into the lake, river or ocean
• Smart and easy to use an anchor system
• Weatherproof motor mount with two positions for trolling
• Two detachable foam fly patches

Specifications

• Dimensions: 108 inches in length, 56 inches in width, and 26 inches in height
• Pontoons: 9  foot long pontoons
• Capacity: 400 pounds
• Weight: 77 pounds (Fully assembled)
• Material: Heavy-duty PVC, Nylon and Steel

Our Review

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We were psyched when we got to try this Colorado pontoon boat this summer. We’ve all been fishing for most of our lives, but we never got the chance to fish from an inflatable pontoon boat, up until last summer that is. We were pleasantly surprised, the experience was quite different from what we’re used to, but we quickly got used to it and had a blast all day long. If you’re looking for an inflatable fishing boat, this is it.

Assembly takes a little bit of time, but is easy and straight forward

To fully assemble the Colorado XT (assemble the steel frame, install the seat and inflate the pontoons) takes about an hour or so, depending on how fast you’re going. At first, we were worried that assembling it would be a little like assembling IKEA furniture, luckily we were wrong. It proved to be an easy and straightforward assembly, if you struggle a quick YouTube search will help you out.

Seat made our butts numb

The frame is made out of rigid steel tubes, which have been powder coated multiple times to ensure that the paint sticks, even with heavy usage. It looks good and it works. One thing we didn’t like however was the seat. It could be because we’re used to soft seats from inflatable kayaks, but we just found that our butts became numb after a couple of hours, even with the padding. We put a small pillow on top of the padding and managed to squeeze out another few hours or so.

Awkward motor mount

So while the above mentioned “problem” is mostly personal preference, here’s one thing that could be a potential deal-breaker for some of you. The motor mounting bracket and basket to carry the battery are all in the back, right behind your seat. If you’re using a heavy battery or motor, the boat becomes very unbalanced. With all the weight in the back, the front will rise up and the back part will start to sag, which makes for a really awkward experience. As if that wasn’t enough, because the motor mount is directly behind your seat there’s really no comfortable way of steering the motor with one hand. It might work if you’re a very flexible elite gymnast, but for the rest of us, it’s very unpleasant.

Luckily there’s a fix to this problem, a Youtube user called Nate D invented a way to mount the motor in the front. This helps to shift all the way from the back to front, but it also makes steering the boat a whole lot easier. It does require some DIY (Do-It-Yourself) knowledge but it shouldn’t be too hard to do, even for people with handyman skills.

Abrasion and puncture resistant pontoons

Next, we have the pontoons. The bladders are made from a vinyl material that is both cold and heat resistant, this will prevent the bladders from either shrinking or expanding in different weather conditions. The bottom side of the pontoons is coated with heavy-duty PVC which makes them incredibly abrasion-resistant. We cannot stress how important abrasion resistance is, even if you launch your boat in a silky smooth area, the possibility of scraping against rocks or other hard surfaces is huge! During our testing we “accidentally” hit a couple of rocks to see how it would hold up,  no punctures or leaks were found and we could continue fishing. The top part of the pontoons are covered with tough nylon, not as strong as the bottom part, but it doesn’t need to be either since it will be above water level all the time.

Fits in a medium-sized car without problems

When completely deflated and disassembled, the Colorado XT will easily fit into your car’s trunk. We packed the boat into a Honda Accord, a relatively normal-sized car. Trying to fit your boat in a smaller car might prove to be a little more difficult and you will probably have to use the back seats to store some of the parts. This is not a boat you can easily transport, by the way, so keep that in mind. If you need something highly portable, opt for a kayak instead.

Pros

• Easy to assemble
• Heavy duty and tough pontoons make for great abrasion resistance
• Option to choose between rowing or using a motor
• Loads of storage space
• Transportation wheel for easier launch

Cons

• The seat can be quite uncomfortable if you’re not used to it (easily fixed with a cushion)
• Motor mount is placed at an awkward position, making it hard to steer with one hand (can be fixed with DIY)
• Using a heavy battery or motor without any DIY will cause the back end to sag

Conclusion

If you want a long-lasting, tough, and versatile inflatable fishing boat, this will be one of your best choices. You can take it to the ocean, the lake or a class 1 river. If you’re an avid fisherman wanting to try something new, the Classic Accessories Colorado XT inflatable pontoon boat is definitely a great choice. It’s easy to assemble, has loads of storage room for all your fishing gear, and allows you to choose between rowing or using a motor. Rowing can however be a little difficult, without any skegs going in a straight line is not the easiest of tasks so we recommend getting a motor. If you’re going to be using a heavy motor or battery, be prepared to do some DIY to make it function properly. Luckily there are plenty of video tutorials on Youtube where Colorado XT owners share their tips and tricks.