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Cosco outfitter 300 pontoon boat?

31K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  GraphiteZen 
#1 Ā·
I'm thinking about buying my first boat. Does anybody have one of these pontoon boats from cosco? How are they? Do they fit in a mid sized pickup truck? Thanks
 
#2 Ā·
although I have not bought this one. It is very similar to the one I have. I have a trout unlimited and have had no problems at all with it for 4 years now. I dont think it gives you as much floatation as some of the others so if you are a big man it might be a problem. Also you will have to redesign the ancor system it sucks. If you want more specs on that one you can goolge trout unlimited pontoon I am pretty sure it the same thing. Hope that helps

J.C>
PM me if you want more info I will give you my phone # I am a horible typer!
 
#3 Ā· (Edited)
I was just at Cosco today and saw that very pontoon. I have a Fishcat FC9 and both the pontoons are snug on each side of my 2wd Tacoma. The Outfitter looks to be a lot wider.

The pontoons are smaller in diameter that some others, including my Fishcat. My feet are just above the water so with an Outfitter your feet might get dunked. Some people don't mind but I feel it takes away some options (having to wear waders etc.) Also, it means less buoyancy. I would try to get the largest pontoons possible and make sure that the connection from them to the frame is sturdy and looks like it would be reliable over a long period of time.

Anchor systems just generally tend to suck on all pontoons.

The outer material in the Oufitter pontoons looks like some sort of cloth or woven fabric. The problem I would see with this is that if you get a puncture or a small tear, even if you patch the internal bladder that tear may continue if you don't do something special, but I dont know that for sure.

Make sure that you will be able to buy replacement pontoons in the future, perhaps 5 - 10 years in the future. If you buy a pontoon from a small, cheaper manufacturer and 8 years from now you need to replace one or both pontoons and the company that has gone out of business you are stuck.

I bought a Fishcat FC9 for $460. The thing is that the model I bought is made in huge numbers in China and shipped out to various companies that then put their own brand name on it. One of those would be Sportsman's Warehouse where you can get the exact same model for $100 cheaper. I don't know what the price is on the one at Cosco (I didn't bother to look) but my Fishcat has been nothing but 100% reliable for 4 or 5 years now and the Pontoons are REALLY tough and cheap to replace ($120) I am on my second set. I had to replace them because from pulling the thing in and out of my pickup I tore up the stitching, didn't notice and it eventually blew. My mistake.

Whatever type you buy, make sure that the bottom surface is very tough because you will be dragging it around over gravel and asphalt and over time you can really wear the surface down a lot. Also, there is always glass where you think there isn't, stuff like that.

My advice would be to spend just a little extra so you know the thing is tough and everything will be replaceable well into the future.
 
#4 Ā·
I was just at Cosco today and saw that very pontoon. I have a Fishcat FC9 and both the pontoons are snug on each side of my 2wd Tacoma. The Outfitter looks to be a lot wider.

The pontoons are smaller in diameter that some others, including my Fishcat. My feet are just above the water so with an Outfitter your feet might get dunked. Some people don't mind but I feel it takes away some options (having to wear waders etc.) quote]


I have a fishcat 9 as well and my feet are always in the water. Did you put a different seat on yours?
 
#5 Ā· (Edited)
I have a fishcat 9 as well and my feet are always in the water. Did you put a different seat on yours?
I did put a new seat on mine and also placed a 1 1/2 inch lift under it but there are some other things you can do to get your feet up higher. Slide your pontoons forward so that your body weight tilts the front of the entire craft upwards a bit. Keep in mind that this will change how it handles. I row forward (pushing the oars away from me as opposed to pulling them towards me) so this has helped how it maneuvers. If you row backwards and the front is tilted up the pontoons will dig in more and it will be harder to keep a straight line. You can off-set this a little by then moving your seat forward which allows you to move the footrests further out and more towards the front of the boat. This moves them away from the water a bit, but will also change the relation between the oars and your body.
The next time you go to a lake play around with where your pontoons are. I weigh 175 so if you are around the same and your feet are in the water I would assume you have too much weight in the front.
Also, how much air pressure do you put into the pontoons? I fill mine until they are pretty darn firm. At first I was very wary of this but I have found that they can handle a lot of pressure. What also happens is they stretch and will be able to take even more air resulting in a higher float. Just make sure that the straps are loose when you pump it up to full capacity and then tighten them down. Otherwise you can really stress the stitching that attaches the rings to the pontoons. One last thing is to make sure you let some air out before you take it from a cool place (like a garage) into the sun. The air in the pontoons expands quite a bit when they heat up. Then top it off right before you put in because the water cools them down a lot.
 
#6 Ā·
the boat at costco is not a fish cat or anything comparible. i bought one of the sostco style in a 9 foot model and got rid of it after 2 trips . the boat at costco is a 8 foot model and not rated for rapids. next time you are there unzip one of the tips of the tube and see how thin the bladders are . they are also extreemly temperature sensative (full tubes in the morning expand into stitch tearing tubes within hours of being in the sun ) that alone will probably change your mind on the purchase. :thisbig::thisbig::thisbig:
 
#9 Ā·
I have a trout unlimited colorado 9' pontoon. Have had it a few years now with no problems. You do have to remember that if you are going up to a lake at a higher elevation, top it off when you get up there. Also, instead of dragging the boat on the ground, I made a way to wheel it down to the lake. Used some wood, metal, and a couple tires and I lift up from the footrests and wheel it like a wheel barrel. It can take the weight of the motor, battery, and all my gear. I also made a fishing buddy fish finder holder out of a piece of PVC and some 2" straps. Still trying to figure out how to mount the downrigger!
 
#12 Ā·
If you are going to float the North Santiam (I have floated from Pack Saddle to Mill City), you need to take an extra set of oarlocks and an extra set of whatever type of device secures them to the upright (an absolute necessity), either an extra set of oars or a way to secure your oars to your boat (safely!) while you row so you don't lose them if you get dumped, a life vest obviously, a patch kit and your pump.
And enjoy Spencer's Hole. It's a class 4 :)
 
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