Can you wakesurf behind a pontoon boat? You may have answered no, until now! Welcome to “waketooning”…..
Avalon & Tahoe Manufacturing, a vertically integrated builder of luxury pontoon boats, and Volvo Penta, a global manufacturer of integrated marine propulsion systems, have joined forces to deliver the versatile Waketoon Surf Series Pontoon boat which combines the most sought-after benefits of both a high-performance pontoon boat and increasingly popular wakesurf boats into one exciting combination watercraft.
The all-new boat made its public debut at the Minneapolis Boat Show, January 23-26, 2020, where it was just named a 2020 Innovation Award winner by the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
Still classified as a true performance pontoon boat with no monohull, Waketoon offers all of the modern amenities that today’s consumers expect, including a comfortable ride at all speeds, optimal wave handling and ample room for entertaining friends and family. What differentiates this unique craft is a new patent-pending pontoon design with an integrated rocker and shaper along with contoured wake plates to enable desirable waterflow. There is no heavy ballast tank system, which leads to improved overall handling and the elimination of a time-consuming fill-and-drain process.
Another distinct feature of Waketoon is the capability for tandem wakesurfing on both sides of the wake, instead of the ability to only surf together on the same side.
“This isn’t just the introduction of a never-before-seen type of pontoon without ballast and the ability to surf on either side of the wake. We see it as the emergence of a totally new type of sport called waketooning where generations can come together to enjoy water sports and wake surfing on the stern of a powerful pontoon,” said Jim Wolf, president of Avalon & Tahoe Manufacturing. “This revolutionary design would not have been possible without the partnership with Volvo Penta and integration of its innovative engineering solutions.”
It is the first pontoon boat combined with the award-winning Volvo Penta Forward Drive, designed with forward-facing dual counter-rotating props under the boat with an adjustable-tilt drive. Since its launch in 2015, the versatile Forward Drive transformed the gasoline sterndrive boating segment and earned recognition for superior fuel economy, speed, range, acceleration and maneuverability in thousands of boats on the market today. Waketoon Surf Series Pontoon also integrates Volvo Penta’s lightweight, high-performance next-generation gasoline engines which are designed for simple serviceability. A key feature of these engines is Easy Drain, a raw-water draining system that can be activated with a single knob to extend the boating season even longer into the year.
“Five years ago, we revolutionized the gasoline sterndrive industry through introduction of the Forward Drive, and history is now repeating as we partner with Avalon on the new Waketoon Surf Series Pontoon,” said Martin Bjuve, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas. “From cruising to watersports, this versatile pontoon package will accommodate a wide range of on-the-water activities and extend the benefits of our Easy Boating solutions to a wider audience of boaters.”
Watch a video of professional wakesurfers behind the Avalon with the Volvo Penta Forward Drive here.
For more information visit Volvo Penta Forward Drive or https://www.avalonpontoons.com/
