Deck boat vs bowrider Fishing Boats: Compared by Experts
People who love boating and fishing often struggle to choose a boat that is ideal for them. There are many types of boats available today, which was not the case some decades back. But with the increase in the options, the confusion regarding which one to buy for fishing has explicitly also elevated. However, when it comes to investing in a boat meant for a small number of people or family trips along with fishing adventures, then most people prefer a deck boat or bowrider. Both these boats have seen increased demand due to its overall design and functionality. Yet choosing between both options is tricky, as certain features are quite similar. To help you select the best one, I will share all the features along with the differences between both the boats in this article. Before going through the differences, lets first quickly go through their features individually.
What is a deck boat?
A deck boat is a small boat designed for the maximum capacity of 10-12 people. It is a crossover between a pontoon boat and a bowrider. These boats have been designed for families or a small group of people. This type of boat is suitable for use in lakes, oceans, or bays. People like this boat because of its ample legroom and spacious design. The boat has an open wide-floor layout and a flat front design that makes the boat spacious. Apart from the space, these boats are safe for beginners and can be used for water sports and short water rides. The open sitting layout of the boat makes it a preferred choice for the people who are looking for a fishing boat as it has more storage.
What is a bowrider?
Bowrider is a type of runabout boat designed for cruising and water skiing. The boat has a sitting area in its front part. Like the deck boat, the bowrider can accommodate a maximum of 8 people in it. It has a V-shape in front that helps in maintaining the balance on the water waves. The shape of the boat and a raised front helps it in achieving a higher speed. People who love water adventure sports love to invest in bowrider boats as it perfect for every weather condition.
Now that we know the features of both the types of boats let us go through the differences between them and decide which is better as a fishing boat.
Deck boat vs. Bowrider
| Deckboat | Bowrider boat |
| The boats have sufficient space for storage and keeping all the essential things such as life jackets, safety equipment and more. | Bowriders have space but it is less as compared to the deck boats. One can keep the essential utilities but the boat is not as spacious as deck boats. |
| These boats are ideal for using it on good weather days and low waves. | One can take a bowrider on rough water as it has stern-drive motors that are more powerful than the outboard motors on the deck boat. |
| Deck boats are suitable for the people who want to enjoy family time and cruise at a slower speed as the design of the boat doesn’t support the high-speed driving. | Bowrider boats have powerful motors and a V-shape in front of the boat that also works efficiently at higher speeds. |
| The boats are fuel-efficient as lower speed requires less fuel. | This type of boats is also constructed, keeping the fuel efficiency in mind and hence uses lesser fuel as compared to other boats. |
| It doesn’t have a windshield and has sufficient seating are in front of the boat. | As the boat has a V-shape in front, it doesn’t have ample space in the front but the sitting area at the back of the boat suffices it. |
| Deck boats are expensive as compared to the bowrider boats. | Bowrider boats are affordable and can be bought in a larger size to increase the maximum capacity of the boat. |
Final Verdict
Two striking features that make the boats different from each other are space and speed. If you are someone who is looking for a boat that can accommodate more people and want to do fishing in the bay or oceans at a lower speed, then you should opt for deck board boats. Deck boards are preferable for the people who are entry-level learners in boat riding. You can have a fun time with your family, but remember that you to have give up on high speed and other water adventures.
Similarly, if you are a water baby and want to try thrilling water sports, water skiing and deep-sea fishing, but you are willing to compromise on the space factor, then you should opt for a bowrider.
Both the boats, deck board and bowriders are perfect for small families and groups. Keeping all the information and details stated above, you can decide which one you want to invest in for a longer run.
