Best Deck Boat Brands: A Guide to On-Water Adventures

Deck boats are one of the most versatile types of small- to mid-sized boats on the market, offering great fun, performance, and most importantly maximum interior volume for their size. Some are not designed for choppy seas, but when it comes to their capabilities for fishing, watersports, and cruising, they’re tough to beat as all-rounders, especially on lakes and relatively protected waterways (check out our guide to the most popular types of lake boats). While deck boats and bowriders have many similarities, the wider bow and expanded bow cockpit of the deck boat—allowing for more seating—gives them their characteristic appearance. So what makes a good deck boat and which are the best brands? Let’s take a look.

Starcraft SVX OB CC, Starcraft Marine photo. 

The Best Deck Boats: What to Look For

Some describe a deck boat as a bowrider that carries an expanded beam all the way forward to create a wider deck and accommodate more seating. And that’s all true. But there are more characteristics that define a deck boat, and ones to look out for when you consider buying one:

• Design: When it comes to hull shape there is no one type of hull on a deck boat. Some have a deep-V hull, others use a tri-hull, and a few have unique hull designs. There are also some with catamaran hulls that allow for a smoother ride in choppy seas.

• Size: Deck boats often range from around 18 feet to 26 feet long, although there’s no hard and fast rule on that. With their extended bow creating more seating, they offer lots of space to take everyone out for a day on the water, whether that’s family or friends.

• Versatility: A good deck boat will allow you the option to do almost anything you choose for a day on the lake. They’re perfectly suited to fishing expeditions, with lots of storage and room for gear. They’re powerful enough to tow waterskiers and tubers. And they have lots of room for sunbathing, swimming, and cruising. If watersports are on your list of priorities, then make sure you invest in a boat with a meaty engine and a tow bit or watersports tower. 

What Is the Difference Between a Deck Boat and a Pontoon Boat?

While used similarly, the main difference between a deck boat and a pontoon is that the pontoon boat is built on a pair of pontoons, whereas the deck boat has a more conventional hull design. Many deck boats are fiberglass, which usually means they have a smoother ride in choppier waters and are slightly more responsive. But some deck boats are made with aluminum hulls, too.

What Is the Difference Between a Deck Boat and a Speedboat?

Speedboats are designed for, well, speed. As such they have a narrower bow to reduce drag and offer better aerodynamics. In contrast, the deck boat has a wide, square-shaped bow that creates that characteristic extra seating and deck space. The result is that a deck boat will usually be rigged with less power, have less speed and acceleration, and the handling won’t be as refined as in a speedboat. What they do offer over their speedier cousins, however, is interior space, versatility, and comfort. 

What Is the Difference Between a Deck Boat and a Bowrider?

The differences between a deck boat and a bowrider are often more difficult to see, and in fact the two types of boats function in very similar ways; as runabouts, cruisers, for watersports, and fishing. The main difference is again that wider bow of the deck boat versus the more pointed bow of the bowrider. Because of hull design some bowriders are likely to perform slightly better at speed, but the deck boat always offers more space for the length. 

Deck Boats for Families

Deck boats are one of the best family boats out there, slotting perfectly into that space between a pontoon boat and a sports boat. They offer tons of fun for all ages, whether it’s cruising, fishing, or watersports. Towing an inflatable, lounging on the sun deck, swimming off the swim platform, or listening to music and reading a book are all possible on a deck boat. Features to consider when buying a family deck boat are a good Bimini top for plenty of shade, a swim platform with ladder, and enough power for whatever watersports you’re planning on doing, now or down the line when the kids are bigger. 

Some of the best deck boat brands for families include:

• Starcraft: One of the top manufacturers of deck boats in the United States, Starcraft makes a number of excellent family-friendly boats. They’re great all-rounders, with high performance, a range of sizes, loads of extras like watersports towers and fishing gear, quick-release Biminis, and a stylish design. Choose a model with a deep and spacious cockpit, which is perfect for small kids, for added safety. Starcraft also builds one of the few deck boats (the MVX Surf) designed specifically for wake surfing. Starcraft boats for sale

• Hurricane: The highly customizable Hurricane deck boats are a top choice for families wanting a versatile and fun lake boat. Ranging between 18 and 26 feet in length, and with a choice of inboard or outboard engines—as well as different layouts, finishes, and extras—their SunDeck models are a top of the range choice for families who want a go-anywhere, do-anything luxury boat. Hurricane boats for sale

SunDeck 2600 OB, Hurricane photo. 

Deck Boats for Fishing

Fishing often ranks top of the list when it comes to activities enjoyed on a deck boat, and although they’re far from pure fishing boats, they do offer a lot more of the space and comfort that you often forfeit on a dedicated fishing machine. But for those who plan to do a fair bit of fishing, it makes sense to look out for a deck boat brand with a strong fishing ethos and all the gear you’ll need like rod holders, a livewell, and lots of storage. Some of the best deck boats for fishing include:

• Princecraft: Princecraft builds a deck boat model line called the Ventura, which is designed to be rigged for fishing, ranging from the basics to advanced features. Items like the livewell, a rod box, and multiple fishing-seat-base-mount locations are all included as standard equipment. But you can also have the boat rigged with a bow-mount electric trolling motor, track-mounted rod holders and storage systems, and Lowrance or Humminbird fishing electronics. Princecraft boats for sale

• Tahoe: The Tahoe lineup of deckboats is designed to straddle the line between sporty and fishy. Items like the swim ladders, stereo, and ski tow pylon come standard (and a wakeboard tower with board racks is an option), as is fishing rod stowage. Then Tahoe offers a dedicated “fishing package,” which gets you the rod holders, electric trolling motor, tackle stowage, and a fishfinder. They also offer a rare center console deck boat, which places even more emphasis on angling. Tahoe boats for sale

Tahoe 2150 CC, Tahoe photo. 

Deck Boats for Watersports

Infuse bucket loads of fun into your day on the lake by offering waterskiing or wakeboarding to your family or friends, or even just tubing for the kids. With enough horsepower to get a real move on, good maneuverability, and a sturdy tower, a deck boat promises plenty of adrenaline and good times. Some of the best deck boats for watersports include:

• Sea Ray: Sea Ray’s sporty and stylish range of SDX deck boats all come with a dose of watersports ability, and all of the 25- to 29-foot models can be equipped with an impressive suite of watersports options. The folding watersports towers offer excellent waterskiing and wakeboarding positioning, and there are huge transom staging seats with hidden storage for accessing your gear. Combine this with reclining, aft-facing loungers, a wet bar, and a deep V hull for a smooth ride, and you’ve got a watersports boat that will be the envy of all. Sea Ray boats for sale

• Crownline: The hybrid deck boats being built at Crownline are seriously high end and offer an impressive list of features and extras as well as being fantastic for watersports. With a whole suite of custom options including watersports towers, they make for the perfect lake boat for the whole family. With huge swim platforms, loads of storage, wide sun shades, and on larger models even a small head, they offer lots of comforts to make the whole experience feel like you’re on a sporty superyacht. Crowline boats for sale

Crownline E210 XS, Crownline photo.

Deck Boats for the Money

The price spectrum of deck boats is vast, from simple models to luxurious options with hand-stitched leather upholstery and huge sunpads. It goes without saying that the more features you add in, the more the price goes up. Having said that there are some excellent deals to be found and while deck boats in general don’t come cheap, here are some of the best deck boat brands for the money:

• Bayliner: One of the builders who offers a hull designed specifically for deck boats is Bayliner, with their M series of 15- to 19-foot platforms built on a unique running surface with an M-shape. It combines some attributes of a V-hull with others of a tri-hull, which maximizes stability yet still rides smoothly in a chop. Bayliner’s larger 19’7” to 21’7” deck boats (the DX series) ride on more of a standard V-hull hullform. In all of these cases, however, Bayliner undercuts the competition’s pricing. In fact, with a base MSRP of under $18,000, the M15 is one of the least expensive complete boat-motor-trailer deck boat packages around. Bayliner boats for sale

• Stingray: With a lineup of relatively small deck boats (17’3” to 21’11”), Stingray delivers a lot of bang for the buck. Despite posting low prices as compared to most brands, their models deliver perks like Bimini tops, integrated and removable coolers, Fusion stereos, USB ports at the helm, livewells, and fishing rod holders, all as stock features. The base boats are far from stripped, yet have price tags that are close to or under those of many other manufacturer’s base models. Stingray boats for sale

Stingray 182SC, Stingray Boats photo. 

Of course, choosing the best deck boat brands from the many out these is a bit subjective, and a different make or model may well prove ideal for you and your family. One thing is for sure, however; once you choose that new deck boat, every member of the family is about to have a whole lot more fun.