Are pontoon boats used only in lakes or can they be used in the ocean too?

My husband wants a pontoon boat, but i think the other kind would be more practical since we live next to the ocean (and the closest lake is an hour away). Any comments/suggestions?|||A pontoon boat can be used on the ocean as well as a lake. They are actually quite stable in rough waters (up to a point). However, it starts to get unsafe the further you get from shore. If you plan on taking long trips away from shore, then a pontoon boat is probably not the best thing for you.|||This answer is from a non-boater. However, I'm buying a pontoon this spring and have done a lot of research. I'd be putting mine in the Hudson River about 75 miles north of NYC. While very stable, they're easy prey for strong winds. Most pontoon boats are "displacement" vessels; thIat is to say, they're powered through the water w/o getting up on plane. In even 2 foot sea, I believe this ould be a problem. I've asked about pontoons in the ocean, and the answer is universally "no" just because the dynamics of the ocean are so much more extreme than a lake or river. I have, however, seen them on the bay side of the ocean but not very often. Finally, I'd wonder if the aluminum pontoons would be damaged by corrosion in a salt environment. There are a couple of companies that make fiberglass deck boats which might be more appropriate for the ocean.