New to boating

[jazzman]

BOAT = Break out Another Thousand

Boats over 10 years old need a lot of maintenance. Boats under 10 years old that can deal with Winni weather and other boaters are not cheap. If you're retired and can cherry pick your days, you can get by with a smaller boat. I quite enjoy my 16 foot Whaler for hanging around the south end of the lake on mid week days. Weekends and rougher weather, then I'm in a 26' bow rider which is a lot more $$$ for the boat it self, the dock to hold it, the gas to run it and the cost to store it over the winter.

All that said, if you live here, it's pretty nice to get out on the water on those nice days. If $$$ is a concern, I'd vote for a smaller bow rider (or your basic Boston Whaler) and stick to the quiet days. Leave the crazy weekends to the summa folk.

[samosetguy]

Day rental is a good way to get some experience and see what type of boat you prefer (e.g. pontoon, bow rider, etc.). If you can, rent on a weekday. Weekend days are much busier on the lake. Pay attention to the wind. Heavy boat traffic and high winds are the two things that can cause boating stress. If you're planning on being in the broads on a regular basis, I would consider 21' minimum. If you can afford it, 25/26' is probably the right size. If you're up past Moultonborough Bay, smaller, low draft can be better (especially late in the season). Watch the lake level late in the season. If the lake is running low, you can easily hit rocks not marked on Bizer.

[Rich]

We've all been where you are!

Many here have given some good advice, so no need to duplicate it.

I'd add the following:

Have a couple people, friends, etc. take you out on their boat first and 'show you around'. Most people have different viewpoints and experiences that they are happy to share. They can give you some direct advice.

Then rent a boat or two for a day and try them. I did this when first boating and it helped me appreciate the size of the lake and what a smaller boat feels like on the lake.

As an example, I happened to take a friend out on the lake one day when the wind kicked up. We rounded the southern end of Rattlesnake and then turned north to return through the broads. After this trip he had a good feeling for how conditions the lake can get, and I think he changed his mind and got a bit larger boat than he was originally considering. LOL

To end the story, my boat handled the wind and waves with no problems at all, in fact it was a fun ride back! But it did give everyone a good feeling and new respect for the lake. If someone was on a pontoon at the time, everyone would have been very uncomfortable, and probably very wet!