Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I'm surprised the Manitou I'm in the process of purchasing has no easy place to place a rear view mirror.

When the bimini is up I guess I could mount one on that pole but when I close it up there goes my mirror.

To me a mirror is important to see what is happening behind you, both on the boat and with on coming traffic.

Do you guys use a mirror?

over the years, I've bought a couple of different mirrors, and wasn't crazy about either of them. Like you said, with the bimini open, no problem but everytime I get ready to trailer the boat ( which is EVERY time ) I have to close the bimini so I have to remove the mirror. I did see one a few years back that looked like a really good set up, but it was a couple of hundred bucks or something outrageous, so I passed... so right now, I don't have a mirror.

I bought one meant for a bicycle that mounts with a velcro. Not the best but quick on-off.

I'm struggling with the same issue. I bought this mirror and thought it would be perfect. The problem was what I got wasn't like the picture. The arm was basically straight instead of having the 90 degree bend. I want something that ends up inside the width of the boat, not hanging over the side because I'd have to remove it every time I came into my slip because I only have about 3 inches of clearance from the side of the boat to the lift cables.

I also tried this mirror, which would work fine except I can't find a flat enough surface on my helm to mount it. The search continues!

I guess I'm a bit different. I have never had or used a mirror, so I just take a bit of a turn in my chair and glance back periodically. It's not even a conscious thought. I suppose anyone coming up behind me has to make the adjustment anyway, so let them move if I don't see them first.

I have never felt the need for a mirror on my pontoon boat. I also developed the same habit of being aware of what is happening 360 degrees around me. I always look behind me before changing course anyway because of the occasional fast boat/Waverunner/Seadoos. We tow the tube a lot which means I always have multiple spotters, with one at a time being the designated person.

If I boated around a lot of traffic density, I would likely sing a very different tune!

TWB wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 27, 2020 8:39 am

I guess I'm a bit different. I have never had or used a mirror, so I just take a bit of a turn in my chair and glance back periodically. It's not even a conscious thought. I suppose anyone coming up behind me has to make the adjustment anyway, so let them move if I don't see them first.

I've generally felt the same way and I always keep my head on a swivel. It just seems like on some weekend days there is a ton of traffic (lots of jet skis/waverunners) that seem to appear from almost nowhere. Yesterday I counted 9 of them within a hundred yards of my boat. We have a few relatively narrow twist and turns on part of the lake. If I can find the right mirror with the right mounting platform, I'm going to add it as an extra level of safety.

This is my first pontoon. I've had multiple V bottom boats and always had mirrors to see what was coming up from behind or what the passengers might be up to. If a hat flys off and they jump up or do something stew pid I want to know as soon as possible. I'm old and my neck is not as limber as it once was so turning, while possible, is not quick as I would like it. Plus, my captains chair does swivel, so I'm sure I can survive without a mirror if needbe. I'm simply used to always having one and was surprised there was no easy mount point for a pontoon mirror.

If someone does find something that works for them please post a pic or two.

I bought this one. I have a round, flat plastic plate if you will that had 3M tape on the bottom from a 3" screen I bought. I stuck it to my helm and this just suction cups to the plate. works great but I normally turn around anyway...can't be too careful.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DL ... UTF8&psc=1

OBH, I bought the same one but w/o the stick-on base. I just use the suction cup to mount. It is slightly convex so the field of view is a bit wider than usual. It is also tinted. Works pretty well for me.

LOL Great minds think alike. I got our pontoon home and out for first rides this past weekend. I found a couple flat spots and tried the suction mirror I had used on previous boats. It worked okay. It's not in the way of the cover and it gives me a glimpse of what is happening behind me.

Thanks for all replies.

looks good...not in the way but enough to see some of what's behind you.

I have the CIPA like Is shown in the first pic posted above by Steve. It’s mounted on the rail on the right side of my console and rotates and folds down for storage. Mine does have the long L arm as shown in the photo but they do sell a cheaper model without that arm. I wouldn’t operate a boat on our busy lake without a mirror such as this, especially when towing the water toys. It has a large mirror head and covers a large area behind the boat. It’s a valuable safety device in my opinion.


Another popular, well-made model is the PTMEdge. I really liked it but it was way too expensive for my tastes.

TDJ2591 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 08, 2020 11:56 am

I have the CIPA like Is shown in the first pic posted above by Steve. It’s mounted on the rail on the right side of my console and rotates and folds down for storage. Mine does have the long L arm as shown in the photo but they do sell a cheaper model without that arm. I wouldn’t operate a boat on our busy lake without a mirror such as this, especially when towing the water toys. It has a large mirror head and covers a large area behind the boat. It’s a valuable safety device in my opinion.


Another popular, well-made model is the PTMEdge. I really liked it but it was way too expensive for my tastes.

Could you please post a picture to help envision the setup?

Thanks!

I use this Cipa model that secures to the “A“ pillar of my bimini frame. I hardly ever take that aft top down, as we keep our boat in a covered slip. If I ever do take it down, i.e. for meteor viewing tonight, the mirror screws off with no problem.
https://smile.amazon.com/CIPA-02000-Uni ... B0009PSA4O