When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Qwest 7516 Fish 2009 and the Qwest 820 Cruise Deluxe 2012 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?

Size is the most obvious dividing line here. The Qwest 820 Cruise Deluxe 2012 measures 20,7 feet overall (2012), giving it roughly 4,7 additional feet of deck space compared to the Qwest 7516 Fish 2009 at 16,0 feet (2009). Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Qwest 7516 Fish 2009 tips the scales at 1 175 lbs — 1 030 lbs more than the Qwest 820 Cruise Deluxe 2012 at 145 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 75 hp, the Qwest 820 Cruise Deluxe 2012 has a 35-hp advantage over the Qwest 7516 Fish 2009's 40-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 Qwest 820 Cruise Deluxe 2012 is rated for 10 passengers, while the Qwest 7516 Fish 2009 caps at 8. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Qwest 820 Cruise Deluxe 2012 could be the deciding factor.

One place where both boats are genuinely identical is tube construction: both run 2 aluminum tubes at 23" diameter. That shared spec means stability and buoyancy characteristics are closely matched — the ride difference you'll feel between them comes primarily from deck length, weight distribution, and motor choice.