Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/467551
34 | Boating Industry | March 2015 www.BoatingIndustry.com /// Market Trends /// segment is exciting to all of us. We see the growth in the segment and the opportunities, but we are also focused on our distinct and unique ability to take care of customers," said Hunt, "and develop ourselves as the right brand to be associated with in this segment of the business." Marquis Larson Group also introduced a new line of pontoons, the Escape, in 2014. It has attracted a number of dealers to Larson in areas where the brand was not previously rep- resented, particularly in lakes that are conducive for pontoons. "My expectations were high but I'm very happy with what we've been able to accomplish so far," said Rob Parmentier, president and CEO at Marquis Larson Group. The Escape comes in two different series: The TTT, or triple tapered tube, and the RT, an entry-level boat with round tubes. The TTT series is constructed with alumi- num and the individual pontoons are welded together to create a running surface. Larson wanted to develop a bottom that felt similar for people who used to own a fi berglass boat, that turns and tracks similarly. "People have fl ocked toward it. They like that feel and that luxury at a very affordable price," said Parmentier. The triple-tube technology allows customers to have a stable platform that fl oats on the water, added Parmentier. Pontoons have taken market share from I/Os and will continue to do so in the coming years, according to Parmentier. He believes the techno- logical superiority of outboard engines with their lack of noise, ease of maintenance, performance and fuel economy drive this shift, as well as the ease of mobility. "There are a lot of people that want that ease of ingress and egress. A pontoon is fl at and we sell to a lot of baby boomers that don't like to get in and out of an I/O," said Parmentier. "They don't like the steps in and out. You walk right onto a pontoon … it's very ergonomic." He doesn't expect to see the double-digit growth pontoons experienced in the fi rst three years after the recession but he believes pon- toons will continue to take share from I/Os, albeit at a slower pace. "People are going to continue making [pon- toons] more comfortable, better looking, the boating public will keep getting more used to it," said Parmentier. "When you look at the last four years, you can see what's happened. People have changed from I/Os to fi shing boats and pontoons. It's because they offer a little bit more ease than the old I/Os. People don't want to clean stuff. They want to be able to get on, have a great time and get off quickly." The segment is attracting more than just ex- isting OEMs. Island Boats, owned by the own- ers of Float-On Boat Trailers, began building its pontoons to fi ll the gaps it saw existing in the segment. "We recognize that pontoons are a lot of fun for family enjoyment, but are also cumbersome and hard to manage when towing and storing," said Tim Poppell, president at Island Boats. The Island Boats pontoons are expandable and retractable. They were developed based on an idea from Poppell's father, Ralph, who wanted to build a pontoon that was easy to launch and load and easy to store. Thus began the planning for Island Boats and its patented R & E Slide, which is an electric ac- tuator driven system. The system moves freely as the electric actuators expand and retract the vessel. The front and rear doors are built with a round pipe design to hinge in the center. Cus- tomers push a button and the boat retracts or expands on its own. "We have more aluminum in our structure than your standard pontoon does. There's no question about the strength and stability of this boat," said Poppell. Poppell and his father hired an engineer and developed the pontoons for much of 2013, introducing their line at the 2014 Miami Inter- national Boat Show and earning a MIBS Inno- vation award in the pontoon category as well as the PDB Innovator of the Year award from Pontoon and Deck Boat Magazine. The manufac- turer has spent the last year refi ning the design and adding features. Island Boats come in two model sizes: an 18-foot pontoon that expands to have a simi- lar square footage of a 22-foot pontoon and a 22-foot pontoon that expands to have a similar square footage of a 26-foot pontoon. "The boat is trailered and stored at 7.5-feet wide for true convenience and when you arrive at the ramp to launch the Island Boat, at the fl ip of a switch, it expands from 7.5-feet to 10-feet wide, giving it a 33 percent increase in usable Island Boats calls its pontoons "the biggest little boat on the water," says Poppell.