When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Montego Bay Pontoons C8520 Cruise 2013 and the Montego Bay Pontoons C8522 Cruise 2013 are pontoon designs with aluminum construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Montego Bay Pontoons C8520 Cruise 2013 at 21,3 ft versus Montego Bay Pontoons C8522 Cruise 2013 at 23,3 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Montego Bay Pontoons C8520 Cruise 2013 tips the scales at 1 757 lbs — 1 736 lbs more than the Montego Bay Pontoons C8522 Cruise 2013 at 21 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 115 hp, the Montego Bay Pontoons C8522 Cruise 2013 has a 25-hp advantage over the Montego Bay Pontoons C8520 Cruise 2013's 90-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Montego Bay Pontoons C8522 Cruise 2013 is rated for 12 passengers, while the Montego Bay Pontoons C8520 Cruise 2013 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Montego Bay Pontoons C8522 Cruise 2013 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Montego Bay Pontoons C8522 Cruise 2013 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 12 passengers and at 23,3 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Montego Bay Pontoons C8520 Cruise 2013 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 1 that costs less to run day-to-day.