Deck Boat vs. Bowrider: Which Runabout is Best?

Deck boats and bowriders are neck-and-neck competitors in the runabout world, and in truth, some can be so similar that the lines between these two styles of boats regularly get blurred. But if you spend an extended amount of time aboard one of the best deck boats, and then spend an extended period aboard one of the best bowrider boats, you’ll find that despite their commonalities there are significant differences between them. Let’s stack up deck boats vs. bowriders, and see why some of the best runabout boat brands on the water today build both types of boats.

Wait a sec—before we dig into any details, let’s define what separates deck boats from bowriders in the first place. The designs are very similar, but deck boats carry their beam (width) farther forward to the bow rather than tapering to a sharp point. Since they generally aren’t upswept in the bow, some also have lower gunwale height in the bow cockpit. While both often have seating in the bow and bowriders must have seating up front by definition, you can find a few deck boats out there that utilize the bow differently, such as for an elevated casting deck for fishing.

Speed and Performance

When it comes to speed and performance judged on the whole, bowriders may get a slight edge over deck boats, but it’s only slight and it’s only because there are more high-end bowriders rigged with big, powerful outboards. And this is a huge generalization—you can certainly find plenty of slowpoke bowriders, and a few lightning-fast deck boats.

From a design standpoint, the wider bow of a deck boat doesn’t have much effect at all on speed. It may not look as sleek and aerodynamic as a bowrider’s sharp pointy bow, but aerodynamics pale in comparison to hydrodynamics when designing a boat to perform at a certain level. And beneath the waterline all bets are off; you can find different bowriders and deck boats with all sorts of different running surfaces. But as a general rule of thumb, deck boats often have a bit less V in the hull to favor stability over smoothness in a chop. Remember that this isn’t always the case, though, and each individual boat has to be judged on its own merits.

Bowrider: Sea Ray SPX 230. Sea Ray photo

Stability and Rough Water

Stability and rough-water performance often require very basic trade-offs in a boat. The flatter a hull is, the more stable it will be. But flatter hulls also tend to have a bumpier ride and throw more spray. The sharper the deadrise (the V-shape in the hull), the more it will rock and roll, but the smoother it can cut through waves. Again, this varies between different deck boats and different bowriders so each boat has to be considered individually. However, generally speaking, deck boats tend to have less deadrise compared to bowriders, which means more stability but bumpier performance in waves.

Ultimately it’s impossible to accurately judge these characteristics of a boat—or any boat—without taking a sea trial and getting a feel for it yourself. Along with the deadrise, many other factors (such as center of gravity, construction, and other aspects of hull design) also have an impact on both stability and rough-water performance. So, while you can look at a boat’s deadrise and get an idea if it was designed more for stability or more for smooth running, you can’t get the full story without firsthand experience. Remember that when you do look at deadrise figures, the higher the number is the sharper the V in the hull. Zero degrees is perfectly flat, and 24 degrees is a deep, aggressive V.

Deck boat: Bayliner DX2250. Bayliner photo

Seating and Space

Seating is important in both types of these boats, and most models will have plenty of it. As we mentioned earlier, all bowriders have seating in the forward cockpit and the vast majority of deck boats do too. But you’ll typically find more total seating and space forward on a deck boat.

Remember how we mentioned that a defining trait of deck boats is that they carry their beam all the way forward? This extra wideness up front allows for larger seats or loungers. If you have a bowrider and a deck boat of equal size, the deck boat will probably have between 20- and 40-percent more space in the bow cockpit. From the helm station back, however, there’s rarely any difference in space or seating from one type of boat to the other.

What’s the downside to that extra room up front? Mostly it’s a matter of looks. This design can give a boat a boxy appearance, which is one of the reasons people will sometimes compare the looks of a deck boat to that of a pontoon boat. In fact, many buyers go through a deck boat vs. pontoon debate as well as a deck boat vs. bowrider comparison when they’re choosing which type of boat to get. 

Bowrider: Regal LX4. Regal photo

Safety

Both deck boats and bowriders are very safe boats. In this day and age where we have minimum Coast Guard requirements and most major manufacturers are certified by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the vast majority of the pleasure boats out there are far safer than those of yesteryear. 

There is, however, one area where some bowriders gain a slight edge over deck boats. As we mentioned earlier, some deck boats have lower gunwales forward since the bow isn’t upswept. Again, this is a factor that can’t be applied to either type of boat across the board and you can find some deck boats with deep forward cockpits and some bowriders with shallow ones. But painting with a broad brush, bowriders are usually deeper. This can be a safety factor for those who have small children, simply because they’ll be less able or likely to climb or fall over a taller gunwale. Again, this varies so be sure to judge each boat individually on this factor.

Deck boat: Sea Ray SDX 250. Sea Ray photo

Maintenance

This category is a total wash. Both types of boats will require a level of maintenance that is more or less equivalent. You’ll need to wash and wax the hull and rinse off the cushions no matter which type of boat you choose.

Price

Again, this category is a dead heat. You’ll find relatively inexpensive deck boats and very expensive deck boats, and you’ll find inexpensive bowriders and very expensive bowriders. The level of variation here is too great to make any generalizations.

Bowrider: Cobalt 220S. Cobalt Boats photo. 

Looks

Here’s one category where most people would agree that bowriders get the nod. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder—you might think boat A looks great and boat B is ugly, and I might think the opposite. That said, when comparing a deck boat’s boxy bow against the bowrider’s sleek, pointed bow, most people will find the bowrider more visually appealing. This factor, of course, is a completely personal matter. As they say, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

So which type of boat wins the deck boat vs. bowrider competition? That’s entirely your call. But once you choose which type of boat to get, your weekends are about to become a whole lot more fun.