Eliptical pontoons vs round pontoons!

[Four R's]

Is there a major difference in ride, efficiency, and speed between a boat that has 27" pontoons and one that has 32" eliptical pontoons?

[Just Laxin]

I have read in the past about tests between the two and they have said that round toons are more efficient and faster. How much the difference really is I don't recall.

[Bryden24shp]

Depends on the application, almost all the manufactures add strakes to the round tubes for lift. That tube, is no longer round. Manitou uses 3 rounds with reversed strakes. Now that tube is v shaped. Thats how they get speed from them. Most are round with a ^ welded to them, for lift. Not round no more. I've been thinking about removing my ^ strake and welding it on its side, for more more of a V shaped pontoon, on the Premier. And lowering the center pontoon 4 inches. To make it more of a V hull design. May be another winter project added to the list.

[Bamaman]

I think the deal with the ellipticals (with strakes) is that they're much more buoyant--and capable of loads approaching that of tritoons. They're fast, but just don't handle as well as some of the tri toons.

My new Bennington has the 3/4 tritoon with strakes, and it appears the same boat with ellipticals will run 2 mph higher. I'm satisfied with my hull--for my use with a 150 hp Yamaha.