Paddle boats make such excellent family watercraft for weekend adventures that many want to know how much do paddle boats weigh. Most paddle boats (also called “pedal boats) weigh 150 to 500 pounds. You can expect a 5 seater variant to be on the higher end of the scale.
Please continue reading to learn more concrete answers and why paddle boat weight is crucial.
Table of Contents
How Much Do Pedal or Paddle Boats Weigh?
1. Vessel weight without passengers
A paddle boat has a very simple design featuring the most basic components. Some might even argue a paddle boat is a glorified raft, with a shade, fancy bucket seats, lightweight fiberglass deck, and a paddlewheel.
Given a paddle boat’s simplicity, it should not weigh more than the average boat. Small paddle boat units (such as a 2 person vessel) can tip the scale at 150 pounds, while big paddle boats for 5 people can weigh up to 500 pounds.
The takeaway here is that if made from the same material, a 2 person pedal boat is bound to be lighter than a 4 person version. You should also take into consideration the motor’s weight if there’s any.
- For example, the polyethylene Sun Dolphin 5 Water Wheeler Electric pedal boat weighs 197 pounds. On the other hand, the brand’s 3 seat version only weighs 94 pounds.
These pedal boats come from the same brand and have nearly identical features. Yet, the Water Wheeler is more than a hundred pounds heavier than the three-seater.
- If we compare the Water Wheeler with the plastic Pelican Sport Monaco DLX, the former will still be heavier because the latter only weighs 111.8 pounds. Both can seat five people, but the Monaco DLX comes out lighter because it doesn’t have a thrust electric motor like the Water Wheeler.
2. Weight with passengers onboard
With passengers onboard, expect to add 100 to 1000 pounds to the vessel’s weight, with the most common pedal boat weight limit range being 500 or 750 pounds. Such a wide range exists because boats’ weight capacity varies depending on their size.
For instance, a small vessel for one person can accommodate at most 100 pounds. However, if you upgrade the boat to a 100- to 350-pound paddle boat, it’ll be able to handle 500 to 800 pounds. Vessels as heavy as 500lbs, however, have a max capacity of up to 1000 pounds.
As the total number of seats doesn’t always reflect the exact boat’s weight capacity, you should always learn how much weight it can handle.
Parameters Influencing Paddle Boat Weight
So, what factors can impact how heavy a paddle boat can get? Here are some aspects impacting pedal boat weight.
1. Passenger limit
We described how manufacturers put passenger weight limits on their paddle boats. Hence, a larger-sized paddle boat is necessary to increase boat weight capacity. And by increasing the boat’s dimensions, you’ll also bump up the boat’s weight.
2. Paddle boat material
Paddle boats feature one of two materials: polyethylene and fiberglass. Between the two, the latter is the heavier one, meaning fiberglass boats are bound to be heavier than polyethylene of the same size (or even bigger).
For instance, the electric five-seater Sun Dolphin polyethylene pedal boat we mentioned above weighs 197 pounds. However, it’s still lighter than a smaller fiberglass vessel, as even a fiberglass two-person paddle boat weigh 280 pounds already.
3. Features and accessories
Although paddle boats are not as heavy as conventional boats, they can still tip the scale if you add various features.
For instance, a toolkit with several tools and other implements can add a few pounds to the boat. So do cleaning rods and a water cooler. And if you have a paddle boat with trolling motor, you can increase the watercraft’s weight by an extra 20 to 30 pounds.
The Importance of Determining the Weight Limit
Determining a paddle boat’s weight limit is crucial for the following reasons.
- Worry-free paddle boating
Learning a pedal boat’s weight restrictions allows you to consider other items to bring into your boating adventure.
For instance, if you and your partner have a combined weight of 300 pounds, you can add 200 pounds worth of items to your boat with a 500-pound weight limit.
- Accident prevention
Knowing a pedal boat’s weight limit allows you to avoid overloading it. You can weigh everything you put in the pedal boat to ensure you do not exceed its rated capacity.
Although pedal boats are perfect for lakes, ponds, rivers, and calm bodies of water, overloading them can still increase the risk of swamping and capsizing.
- More convenient transportation
Paddle boats are lighter than most conventional watercraft. However, boat owners must still consider the maximum weight to transport a paddle boat safely and efficiently.
For instance, a 500-pound pedal boat should fit nicely in a pickup truck’s flatbed with a payload capacity of 4,000 pounds. Meanwhile, a car with a top carriage capacity of only 150 pounds might fail under the paddle boat’s weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much weight can a paddle boat hold?
Manufacturers often specify their respective paddle boat’s weight limitations. For example, the five-seat Monaco DLX Angler can handle a maximum load of 772 pounds, while the five-seat Sun Dolphin with Canopy caps its weight capacity at 544 pounds.
If your pedal boat does not have this information, you can consider the estimates we’ve highlighted above. To jog your memory, a 100- to 300-pound vessel should have no issue with 500-pound loads, whereas a 500-pound paddle boat can handle up to 1000 lbs.
Do all pedal boats have weight limit?
Yes, all pedal or paddle boats have rated weight limits, averaging 500 pounds. This figure includes the passengers and everything else on the paddle boat.
However, the weight limit is also boat size-dependent. For example, a single-seater pedal boat has a 100- to 250-pound weight limit. Meanwhile, a four-passenger paddle boat maxes at 800 pounds, and a five-passenger pedal boat can accommodate 1000 pounds.
Conclusion
How much do paddle boats weigh? Small-sized pedal boats can weigh around 150 pounds, while larger versions can tip the scale at 500 pounds (maybe more).
The pedal boat’s weight depends on its passenger capacity, manufacturer-recommended weight limits, materials used in its construction, and extra features and accessories included in the paddle boat.
Knowing a paddle boat’s weight restrictions can help with more efficient and safer transport while ensuring more peaceful and worry-free pedal boating adventures.
Ten years of enjoying countless trips on boats never made me love them any less! So I am here to put all those experiences into good use for other boaters who want to have a safe and fun trip with their friends and families.