Beam: 8’6″
Dry Weight: 3,130 lb.
Seating/Weight Capacity: 11/1,616 lb.
Fuel Capacity: 50 gal. More Information: loweboats.com Bill Doster
This was one of the first pontoons our team tested for this Boat Buyers Guide, and when we saw it, it snapped our heads around so fast that it wasn’t easy to see other boats. When we ran it, the soft, Lincoln-like ride lulled us into a new sense of comfortable reality that was jarred when we stepped aboard other pontoons.
There was something about the seating that enveloped, cradled and soothed us like a good memory-foam mattress. Yet like a sporty car, it kept us in place, cradling us as the Infinity slid through wakes, powered through turns, and accelerated under the power of its powerful Verado outboard and silky power steering.
Standing on the fast-drying, quick-draining sea-weave decking, the boat felt good underfoot, and it looked better, whether navigating Lake of the Ozarks’ limestone-bluff boundaries or pulling up to a waterfront eatery. You can step suavely off the Infinity at the bow, or via the aft deck or the portside gate amidships; go ahead, tilt your fedora strategically over one eye or at least turn your ball-cap bill forward — the speed won’t get it at the gas dock. What observers will be focused on, though, is the gleaming stainless steel of the gates, rub rails and pull-up cleats. The hardware is rounded, polished and sleek. They’ll relish the shade beneath the Bimini top with stainless-steel hoops. If you want full sun, stow it away and wrap it in the included zippered boot.
Your friends will also wonder what it’s like to ride a board or a tube hooked to that tow pylon with 250 horses of power whip-snapping them around the lake. We could tell you, but it would spoil the surprise.
Smooth — that’s the word to describe the ride of the Infinity, even in Lake of the Ozarks’ choppy water. Solid — that’s another attribute we noticed as it powered through wakes. It was a shame for some that this was our first test boat. It really set the bar for what was to come.
High Points
*We liked the stainless-steel boarding ladder — a nice switch from shop-built aluminum ladders.
*The extended motor pod on the Infinity enhanced the Verado’s hookup, getting it back in clean water.
*The elevated helm station means nobody has to duck when seated in front of the skipper.
How We Tested
Engine: Mercury Verado 250
Drive/Prop: Outboard/Enertia 15″ 3-blade stainless steel
Gear Ratio: 1.75:1
Fuel Load: 37 gal.
Crew Weight: 240 lb.
Price
$61,312 (as tested)
Contact
Lowe Boats Lebanon, Missouri; 417-532-9101; loweboats.com
