Maxxon PT-14 Pontoon Cataraft tubes – 21″ diameter tubes, 14′ long, 77 pounds per pair.
The Maxxon PT-14 Pontoon Cataraft warranty is five years, and most people do tend to get 12 to 14 years out of their products. All glued pvc boats like Maxxons do have a maximum lifespan, and this is true for Vanguard and Star products as well. At Maxxon’s very reasonable pricing, most buyers feel the cost per year to own their cat tubes equals a great value. There is more about potential problems of glue & pvc in our FAQ section, and a lot more on our “PVC vs. Rubber: the Great Debate” page.
Maxxon got away from circumference seams on the ends of the tubes many years ago, and made the rocker at the ends not higher, but more “curly”, all resulting in a more attractive & functional tube. In essence, the look a bit like an elve’s shoe. The actual amount of rocker is not huge, only about 3″ on this size. Measured from the ground that means about 28″.
Maxxon PT-14 Pontoon Cataraft tubes are built with bomber 2200 denier polyester base fabric – twice as beefy as Maxxon’s marine boats – and all sizes above nine feet have two chambers per tube. The relatively long waterline of Maxxon tubes does provide higher buoyancy than equivalent length AIRE cats in most cases, and with most sizes the Maxxons seem to go faster in the slack sections of rivers.
Maxxon PT-14 Pontoon Cataraft uses a chafe patch on the bottom of their tubes like the rowing frame chafer on top. The 10, 12′, 14′, and 16′ Maxxon tubes all have four heavy duty D-rings on each side of each tube, sixteen total for a pair. All sizes use a molded urethane end cone for those bumper-car sessions with river rocks.
Despite the negatives of glue and pvc, we should also say that for the most part the Maxxon PT-14 Cataraft tubes we’ve sold have been nearly trouble free, and the owners have been universally pleased with the product and lifespan. Please note that our photo still shows a standard 14′ tube, not the new “fatty”.
⚠️ Warning: These products are made of PVC and can expose you to chemicals including Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov