The Best Pontoon Boat Layout

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!  Choosing the Best Pontoon Boat Layout.

Shopping for a pontoon boat used to be a straightforward process.  You would need to decide what size pontoon you need, choose an appropriate engine, and decide if you want to use it for cruising or fishing.  There might be a few variations in layout, but overall it wasn’t difficult for the buyer to make a decision on the best pontoon boat layout for you.

Visit a top pontoon manufacturer’s website today, and you will quickly realize the days of easy decisions of choosing the best pontoon boat layout are long gone.  Don’t worry though, this is a good thing!  The amount of interior layouts currently offered is overwhelming.  Manufacturers have become very innovative and creative in their designs in recent years.

This leaves us with the question everyone asks us:  What is the best pontoon boat layout?  And the answer is – There is no right answer!  Not even close.  The good news is we are here to help you make that decision.

Harris Boats

We are going to review some of the most popular layouts from one of the top pontoon manufacturers in the industry, Harris Boats.  We are going to focus on boats in the 22-25’ range as this will give us the most options.  This size range is also currently the best-selling category in the pontoon boat market.  Let’s get started.

NOTE:  Each manufacturer uses different names and abbreviations for their layouts.  We will be referring to the layout designators used by Harris.  Although other manufacturers may not use the same name or abbreviation, many of these layouts are available from other manufacturers as well.

CS (L-Group Seating)

We are going to start with the CS, or L-Group Seating.  This has been the most common layout found in pontoon boats over the years.  Years ago, if you wanted a boat to cruise, this was obviously the best pontoon boat layout.  It features 2 benches in the bow of the boat with a radius (curved) front.  The seats also typically have a lounge backrest for facing forward and stretching your legs out across the bench.

In the back half of the boat, you will find the helm & captain’s chair on the starboard side.  This is the one portion of pontoon boats that typically does not change.  The rest of the seating throughout the boat is what will vary from one layout to another.

The CS (L-Group Seating) refers to the L-Shaped bench seating in the back half of the boat.  This L-Shaped bench can accommodate quite a few passengers, and its common to find a table mounted in the corner of the L.  Off the back of the bench, you will commonly find a sunpad which opens and provides you with extra storage.  This is also a convenient location for a changing room & porta pottie.

One thing to note about the CS layout is that it is typically the most reasonably priced layout.  It can be found in most models from entry level to premium, but there is usually no upcharge for this layout.  Other more elaborate layouts will typically have an additional charge over the standard L-Shaped Seating.

CW or CWDH  (Center Walk-Thru)

One of the top selling layouts in recent years is the center walk-thru, or CW layout.  This layout features a rear seating setup that mirrors the front seating.  You will get two radius benches with lounge backrests and a gate in the middle.  The center-rear gate is the reason it is called a center walk-thru.  There are a few variations of this layout.  One version features dual captain’s chairs side-by-side with the rear bench seats starting behind the captain’s chairs.  The other features a longer bench on the port side in place of the second captain’s chair.

Many people feel this is the most practical layout available on the market today.  The CW is a great layout for a large family or if you like to entertain quite a few people on your boat.  It provides tons of seating.  It has rear-facing loungers built into the rear benches for stretching out.  This layout gives you the option to add a second captain’s chair as well.  This is a great selling feature for many buyers.

The price point on this layout tends to be higher than the L-Shaped Seating, but it is still very reasonably priced and worth a few extra bucks for many buyers.

DL (Dual Rear Loungers)

The dual rear lounge layout came out around 2010, and it was the hottest thing around at that time.  The dual rear-lounge layout is more of a premium layout, and gives a very luxurious feel to the boat.  It features a standard front seating area and captain’s chair/helm.  It typically has dual captain’s chairs as well.  The difference is in the rear-third of the boat, where you find the dual rear loungers.  This layout has two rear-facing seats which are made specifically for lounging out and facing backwards.  These seats tend to be very plush and comfortable, and they give you the feel a lazy-boy in the reclined position.

As you might imagine, there are some downsides to this layout as well.  The largest of these downsides is the lack of seating in the rear of the boat.  You basically have a third of the boat providing only 2 seats.  These seats are also strictly meant for facing backwards.  For many people, the appeal of a pontoon boat is having lots of seating, and that is the one place this layout comes up short.

This layout is still very popular with some buyers who like to lounge out and don’t need a huge passenger capacity on the boat.  If you aren’t sure if this layout will give you enough seating but you do like the rear loungers, check out the CW Layout.  This will also give you a version of rear loungers with the flexibility to use them as benches.

SL (Single Rear-Facing Lounger)

The SL Layout is quickly becoming the top selling layout in the entire industry.  It is typically found in premium level boats.  This is a very innovative design from Harris that combines the L-Shaped Seating with a Rear Facing Lounger.  It is basically two boats in one!

The key of the SL Layout is a folding rear-backrest.  In the standard seating setup, the boat is basically an L-Shaped layout.  When the rear backrest is folded forward, it converts to a huge rear sunpad for facing backwards.  This is great for lounging out and relaxing.  In addition, when the boat is equipped with a rear safety rail, it becomes safe and legal to ride facing backwards on the sunpad.

To top it off, the rear sunpad opens to provide a massive storage area.  Storage areas of this size are hard to find on pontoon boats.  It’s a great area for skis, bumpers, wakeboards, tubes and other large items.

 

One thing to keep in mind when shopping for this layout is that it is not offered by all manufacturers.  It is a premium layout that has a higher price point than the CW layout.  It tends to only be offered by more premium boat builders.  Harris Boats offers the SL Layout on nearly all of their models from entry level to premium, so that might be a good place to start if this layout sound appealing to you.

DC (Dual Console)

The dual console layout is new to the pontoon industry.  This boat is essentially a cross between a pontoon boat and a fiberglass bowrider.  In the DC, you will find dual fiberglass helms with captain’s chairs and a full wraparound windshield.

One downside of pontoon boats to many buyers is that they do not have windshields.  It’s nice to be able to get out of the wind, especially on cool boating days.  The DC Layout provides the same protection as a fiberglass boat, with all the other benefits of a pontoon.  This is a natural choice for boaters who have had fiberglass boats in the past and want to make the move to a pontoon boat.  It basically you get the best of both worlds.

The DC Layout does take a price jump over most other pontoon boat layouts for obvious reasons.  You are getting dual fiberglass helm stations with captain’s chairs, along with a full windshield which are all expensive parts to add to a boat.  If you like some features of pontoons along with the feel of a fiberglass boat, you will definitely want to check out the Dual Console Layout.

EC (Entertainment)

Another new trend in the pontoon industry is the Entertainment series of boats.  There are many different variations of Entertainment Pontoons on the market today.  The key element is a bar with barstools, or countertop, or sometimes both.

The Entertainment layout is definitely a show stopper.  People love the idea of having a bar and barstools on their boat.  It lends itself very well to pontoon boat designs.  They tend to have lots of bells and whistles like lighted cup holders, bar speakers, sinks, grills and more.  These boats are great at doing exactly what their name says – entertaining.

As with all other layouts, there is going to be some give and take.  Although the barstools do provide seating, you will obviously lose out on some of the bench seating and captain’s chairs.  The overall passenger capacity will be lower.  If your pontoon has a large engine and runs at high speeds, you probably won’t want to ride on the barstools at the higher mph ranges.  And as you might have guessed, the Entertainment Layouts always come at a higher price point.

We find the Entertainment boats to be most popular with people who like to do lots of cruising and anchoring out.  It’s a great place to relax and party.  Although it might not be the best pontoon boat layout for everyone, the Entertainer will always be one of the coolest pontoons on the water.

FC (Fishing Center)

The fishing center layout is available in a few different variations, depending on how much of the boat you want to dedicate to fishing.  The most popular and best pontoon boat layout for fishing & cruising basically splits the boat in a third for fishing, and the front two thirds for cruising.  The front of the boat typically has a traditional L-Shaped or bench seating layout. It is just shortened to fit within the space available.  The back third has dual fishing chairs and a fishing center between them.  It will typically have a livewell, rodholders, tackle box center and top for cleaning fish.  They also come with a trolling motor mount and fish finder as options.  This is probably the best pontoon boat layout for people who like to cruise, and do a little fishing on the side.

 

The other variation will have bow fishing seats in addition to the rear fishing center.  These bow fishing seats will replace the traditional front bench seats.  Your bench seating will be positioned in the middle-third of the boat.

Although the FC layout does not give you all the fishing features you might find in a bass boat, it is a great way to have a pontoon boat and a fishing boat in one without having to actually own two boats.

Have you found the best pontoon boat layout?

As you can see, choosing a pontoon boat layout is not so cut-and-dry anymore.  There are so many great options to accommodate all the different types of boaters, different lakes, family sizes and boating preferences.  If a pontoon boat is something you are considering, you should not have a bit of trouble finding a layout that fits your needs.

If you don’t see exactly the layout you have in mind, never fear.  This is only an overview of the most common layouts.  There are many more options on the market today, as well as small variations on the above layouts.  Some manufacturers will also customize a layout to your needs.  Keep in mind that this will come at a price upgrade in most cases.

For more info on these layouts, check out the Harris Boats layout overview.  If you want more info on the basics of pontoon boats, check out our introduction to pontoon boats.