Our boating experts have many years of experience sailing and cruising in different boats. For this guide, they checked out some of the best at the biggest boat shows to bring the most interesting center consoles in different budgets and performance brackets.
Center console boats aren’t just for fishing enthusiasts anymore—they’ve evolved into versatile vessels ideal for families with diverse interests. From sandbar hopping and evening cruises to pulling the kids on tubes, these adaptable boats promise fun for everyone onboard.
Originally designed for saltwater fishing, today’s center consoles offer much more, with some models rivaling cabin cruisers in comfort and amenities. Whether you’re after high-speed thrills, relaxed cruising, or a family-friendly layout, let’s dive into the top center console boats that expertly balance performance, functionality, and all-around enjoyment.
In some parts of the world, the center console is the go-to, do-everything vessel. Its open design suits fair-weather running when most weekend boaters want to be on the water.
While center console boats were originally made as saltwater fishing boats, they are now favored by many sets: they are great for cruising to the dock and dining, hitting the sandbar, or pulling the kids in the tube.
As a result, you’ll find different boats built to suit many purposes. Some are clearly fish-hunting machines, some are performance race boats, and others cater to family outings. The best ones find a balance between all of these uses.
Best Center Console Boats for 2025
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1
The Unsinkable Center Console: Boston Whaler Montauk -
2
Max Features, Simple Versatility: Grady White Coastal Explorer 231 -
3
Multipurpose Starter Boat: Axopar 22 Spyder -
4
Cabin cruising fishing boat: Regal 38 SAV -
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Offshore Powerhouse: Boston Whaler Outrage 380
All products:
Where to buy Boston Whaler Montauk:
Boston Whaler
The Boston Whaler Montauk is a center console boat that stands out from other ships in its category due to its unique features and exceptional qualities.
An unsinkable hull design, deep-V design, and state-of-the-art technology provide a safe and smooth ride, even in challenging waters. The Montauk is also celebrated for its spacious layout and remarkable durability, contributing to its popularity among boaters worldwide.
This lineup’s commitment to versatility and adaptability makes it an ideal choice for fishing, water sports, and leisurely cruising.
The Boston Whaler Montauk provides a high-quality boating experience that meets the requirements of both seasoned and inexperienced boaters.
- Capacity: 9 Persons
- Fuel Capacity: 66.5 Gallons
- Max Weight: 2800 LBS.
- Length: 21’4”
- Beam: 8”6”
- Draft: 15”
- Max Horsepower: 200HP
- Weight with engine: 3650 LBS
Things we like:
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Unsinkable Design -
Versatility
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Durability
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Performance
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Resale Value
Things we don't like:
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Higher Initial Cost -
Limited Storage
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Fuel Consumption
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Speed Considerations
Where to buy Boston Whaler Montauk:
Boston Whaler
Where to buy Grady White Coastal Explorer 231:
With its impressive 23-foot size and 19 rod holders, the Grady White Coastal Explorer 231 offers ample space and convenience for fishing enthusiasts. Its 10-passenger capacity allows for comfortable and fun outings on the water.
The simplicity of the Coastal Explorer 231 is a testament to its focus on functionality and ease of use. Its shallow water capabilities make it ideal for fishing in various environments, including flats, bays, and inlets. The strength and durability of the boat ensure a safe and reliable experience even in challenging conditions.
Whether you’re an avid angler or simply looking for a versatile and enjoyable boat for casual recreation, the Grady White Coastal Explorer 231 is an excellent choice. Its size, capacity, and performance make it an ideal vessel for fishing and simple cruising in calmer waters.
- Engine: 250 Yamaha Four-Stroke
- Top Speed: 48.8 MPH @ 5950 RPM
- Length: 22.7’
- Weight w/o Engines: 3720 lb.
- Draft: 16’’
Things we like:
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19 Rod holders
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10 passenger capacity
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Great for shallow casting
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Decent sized head
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Amazing amount of cooler space in 3 separate units
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Quality is clear and reliable
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Start-stop performance appears to be among the best on the SeaV2 hull
Things we don't like:
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Not enough rod space for 19 rod holders
Where to buy Grady White Coastal Explorer 231:
Where to buy Axopar 22 Spyder:
Axopar.com
Lightweight, easy to trailer, and loaded with useful space are the key features of the Axopar 22. When compared to other center consoles on the market, there’s a lot to love about this little boat. So whether you’re looking for an all-around day boat, a new wakeboarding platform, a fishing boat, or a diving base, the Axopar 22 is worth a look.
The hull comes in two versions, one with a fabric T-top and one open “Spyder” with only the option for a folding bimini. While smaller and simpler than her sisterships, the 22 keeps Axopar’s famous sharp looks and excellent performance.
The front of the center console lifts to reveal a functional head compartment or changing area. The aft deck can be customized with a single sofa, U-shaped sofas around a table, or a large multifunction storage compartment with a lounge on top. The U-sofa layout is exceptionally welcoming for socialization, and the table lowers to make the whole area a sun lounge.
The Mediterrana Edition features upgraded fabric and soft decking for a luxury feel on this affordable boat. Watersports enthusiasts will want to check out the JOBE packages with water toys and special sporty branding.
- Length: 23 feet, 7 inches/7.2 meters
- Beam: 7 feet, 4 inches/2.23 meters
- Draft: 2 feet, 8 inches/0.8 meters
- Weight (without engines): 2,650 pounds/1,200 kg
- Power: Single Mercury Verado 200
- Passengers/CE: Certification C:7
Things we like:
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Wide decks and a full walk-around center console
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U-sofa aft deck and forward-facing bench (optional) add tons of social seating for a small boat, and filler cushions make for large sun lounges
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Unique adjustable windscreen
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Optional toilet and private changing area built into the console
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Optional fridge and sink under helm seats
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Optional JOBE Exploration package adds water skis, kneeboard, wakeboard, water toys, and appearance package
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Available with canvas t-top or with folding bimini (Spyder)
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Prices starting under $35,000
Where to buy Axopar 22 Spyder:
Axopar.com
Where to buy Regal 38 SAV:
Regal Boats
The Regal 38 SAV defies being put in a category. It looks like a simple center console, but it has the amenities of a fully-furbished cabin cruiser. It will thrive in the warm Gulf waters and the Caribbean.
The SAV stands for Sports Activity Vessel. In other words, it’s an SUV on the water with the functionality to match its name. Adjustable seating and the ability to go to the beach and go on a blue water cruise will keep the whole family happy, whether fishing, cruising, tanning, or playing in the water.
If you’re in the market for a boat that can comfortably entertain a crowd or take the family on a comfortable cruise, the 38 SAV is worth a look. While not as performance-oriented as other options, it offers features and a layout comparable to the Tiara 43 LE or Sea Ray SLX 400 but at a friendlier price point than either. If you want something with a fully enclosed cockpit, check out the Regal LS36.
- Length: 39 feet, 3 inches
- Beam: 11 feet, 11 inches
- Draft (min/max): 23/31 inches
- Dry Weight: 18,800 lbs.
- Capacity: Yacht Certified
- Fuel Tank: 340 gal.
- Water Tank: 60 gal.
- Power Options: 3x Yamaha 300 hp outboard
Things we like:
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Excellent and useable layout with adaptive aft cockpit space
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Bow seating with an optional table
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Refreshment island
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Versatile captain seats
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Choice of diesel or gas generator
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Optional Seakeeper 3 gyro
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Standing headroom cabin with convertible berths and seating
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Full head with separate shower
Where to buy Regal 38 SAV:
Regal Boats
Where to buy Boston Whaler Outrage 380:
Boston Whaler
The Boston Whaler Outrage 380 is one of the biggest and best all-around center consoles. This model is not as fishing-centric as other models you’ll find, so it has a few more family-friendly features that add to the overall versatility of the boat.
The large console features a small cabin with a wet head (one room functions as the water closet and shower). There’s a convertible berth as well, so it is possible for one or two people to overnight on this boat.
The boat’s cockpit has a large aft-facing bench with a fish box below. The back of the bench flips down to provide a work table, and that table lifts to reveal a small wet bar-style galley. There’s tons of storage under the floor, and walk-through doors in the gunwales make getting on and off a snap.
On the bow, there’s more seating and storage everywhere. The bow seats face a removable pedestal table. You’ll find another cavernous storage area under the large lounge seat on the console.
The 380 is just one of the great center consoles made by Boston Whaler Boats. They make similar vessels ranging from 17 to 42 feet.
- Length: 38 feet
- Beam: 11 feet, 8 inches
- Draft: 23.5 inches
- Capacity: 16 people
- Dry Weight: 14,500 lbs (w/o engines)
- Deadrise: Not listed
- Max Horsepower: 1,600 hp
Things we like:
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Optional fishing tower with flybridge helm
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Forward lounge seating with table
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Full head with shower in console
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Hideaway wet bar/prep galley
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Robust design built for offshore waters
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Legendary quality and unsinkable design
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Triple or quad Mercury outboard configurations with joystick steering
Things we don't like:
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Foldaway wet bar is hard to use with a crowd on board
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Small swim platform
Where to buy Boston Whaler Outrage 380:
Boston Whaler
Where to buy Yamaha 220 FSH Sport:
Yamahaboats.com
The 220 FSH Sport is a twin-engine jet boat that might be the perfect starter boat for those in warm climates who desire the utility of a center console.
Yamaha jet boats are not the first vessels that come to mind when one desires a center console fishing boat, but the company aims to change that. The new FSH line of boats turns Yamaha’s excellent 19, 22, and 25-foot hulls into powerful and fun fishing platforms with room for the whole family.
It lacks the high-end features of its sisterships, making it more affordable and simpler to keep up. If you want their Helm Master EX joystick control or the more powerful supercharged engines, simply step up to the 222 FSH or 252 FSH. For the upgraded warm interior with comfort features and integrated hardtop, check out the 222 FSH Sport E.
- Length: 22 feet
- Beam: 8 feet, 6 inches
- Draft: 19 inches
- Weight: 3,325 pounds
- Capacity: 10 people or 2,200 pounds
- Powerplant: Twin 3-cylinder, 4-stroke TR-1 Yamaha marine engines
Things we like:
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Center console utility with large jet-boat swim platform and aft-facing lounges
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Great for watersports and amazing for fishing
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Simple and well-built center console perfect for any use
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Great layout with seating for everyone and space to move around
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Canvas t-top with lots of handholds and rod storage
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20º deadrise for cutting through the chop comfortably
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Pop-up console provides storage or changing area with privacy curtain
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12.3-inch Connext touchscreen
Things we don't like:
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Molded consoles behind bow seats reduce fishing floorspace but do make the bow lounge more useable
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Need to note that the jets need to be flushed out with fresh water after each session
Where to buy Yamaha 220 FSH Sport:
Yamahaboats.com
Where to buy Scout 195 Sportfish:
Scout Boats
Scout is a center console brand focused on luxury and family features. Their hulls are sleeker than most, and their upholstery and finishing touches are top-notch.
The 195 Sportfish is the right size for inland boaters or those sticking to the bayside. It’s easy to tow with almost any SUV and has plenty of space for couples to enjoy a day on the water.
- Length: 19 feet, 5 inches
- Beam: 8 feet, 6 inches
- Draft: 13 inches
- Capacity: 7 people or 1,050 lbs
- Dry Weight: 2,150 lbs (w/o engine)
- Deadrise: 19º
- Max Horsepower: 150 hp
Things we like:
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Good for shallow bay or inland waters
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Beautiful, sleek design
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Easy to tow with even small SUVs
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Shallow draft and lower deadrise for bay and inland waters
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High-quality fit and finish and upholstery
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Ski pyon option
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Easy replacement of parts
Things we don't like:
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Cutout transom instead of bracket
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Forward deck pad seating doesn't look very comfortable
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Bimini canvas top only, no fiberglass hardtop option
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Very small swim step
Where to buy Scout 195 Sportfish:
Scout Boats
Related Reviews
What Are Center Console Boats?
A center console is a popular type of outboard-powered fiberglass fishing boat. They’re common sights in coastal areas where boaters admire their rugged and versatile design philosophy.
For example, the mighty Boston Whaler is constructed with floatation components built into its hull, making it pretty much unsinkable.
Center console boats have the helm on a console that is mounted midship. These boats sometimes have the “CC” abbreviation indicating this version of the same platform.
This puts the skipper at the boat’s center for easy driving and docking. In offshore conditions with spray flying, the console and tall windscreen keep the crew mostly dry.
Compared to a bowrider boat, having the console in the center allows anglers to move around the entire boat perimeter while casting and reeling in the big ones. The gunwales of these boats tend to be high, and padded bolsters and toe rails allow anglers to lean over safely and comfortably.
Many of these boats hail from the US East Coast, where most are built. They are wildly popular in Florida and the Carolinas, where the open cockpit design is not a problem for year-round boaters.
What Defines the Best Center Console Boats?
Beyond these basic characteristics, there are a lot of variations between center console designs. There are boats with shallower vee hulls and low freeboards designed for use on protected bay waters. These are typically called bay boats. Offshore boats have more pronounced deadrise angles and higher gunwales for challenging open-water conditions.
As a result, the best center console boat for you and your family will depend a lot on what you want to do with it and where you want to take it. If you’re heading offshore and transversing some of the challenging inlets along the East Coast with regularity, a deep vee hull design with plenty of weight and power is what you need.
The more family-oriented you go, the more you might want to look at some cabin cruisers.
If you’re sticking to the backcountry of protected waters, a smaller, lighter boat with less deadrise will suit you just fine. There are even center console skiffs built with flat bottoms, like those from Carolina Skiff.
Besides variations in design and features, you’ll also need to keep an eye on the quality of the boat. The best center consoles are built to take some abuse from the trials of daily use and pounding from the ocean. You’ll find everything from the best-built boats on the water to cheaply-made hulls that will not stand the test of time. Thankfully for our wallets, dozens of brands build boats between the extremes—robust enough to last for years yet inexpensive enough to be affordable.
What Can You Do With Center Console Boats?
Center consoles ranging from 17 to 30 feet have been around for decades. Since these boats are traditionally used for fishing, most have fishing-focused features. Aerated live and bait wells, rod holders, rod storage, built-in coolers, and tackle boxes are typical.
With the advent of new-generation, more powerful outboards, large center consoles of 40 feet or more have become commonplace. Many offshore skippers now prefer these boats to the more costly inboard diesel-powered sportfishers of the past. Center console brands like Yellowfin and Intrepid have replaced Hatteras and Viking as the go-to boats for deep-sea charter fishing.
As the high-end offshore use of center consoles increased, so too has the design become more prevalent on inland waters. Bay boats with shallower vees allow anglers to explore shoal areas. Again, the center console design is versatile enough to be useful almost anywhere.
But center consoles are not limited to fishing, they really are the SUVs of the water. They make great family boats, perfect for sandbar hopping, sunset cruises, diving adventures, and even casual watersports like wakeboarding or tubing. Smaller boats are easily towable and can be taken to nearly any body of water. Their simple interiors and layouts make cleaning and maintenance easy.
Family-oriented center consoles often feature more seating options and classier appointments than pure fishing models.
In short, it’s difficult to imagine a more versatile vessel for active maritime pastimes than the center console.
Top Center Console Brands
The sheer number of brands that build center consoles makes researching a daunting task. While all appear similar, the truth is that each brand offers something unique. It sometimes offers brand-name recognition and best-in-class construction, as with Contender, Grady White, or Boston Whaler. In other cases, a brand builds a boat to suit a price point, allowing you to get in a similar vessel for a fraction of the cost, as with Sea Fox or Bayliner.
In between, there are dozens (maybe more) of manufacturers making beautiful boats that might perfectly suit your needs. The best way to research center consoles is to get aboard boats, either at a boat show or by visiting the dealer.
There are also tons of niche brands in the center console world that are geographically focused. For example, Albury Brothers makes a popular line of center console fishing boats in The Bahamas and South Florida. In the northeast, you’ll likely see Eastern Boat Works center consoles sporting Maine lobster boat-like hulls.
Here is a list of popular boat brands that make center consoles.
- Boston Whaler
- Contender
- Grady White
- Blackfin
- Pursuit
- Intrepid
- Fountain
- Tribute
- Parker
- Sea Hunt
- Cobia
- Robalo
- Everglades
- Edgewater
- Yellowfin
- Scout
- Jupiter
- Sea Fox
- Pathfinder
- Sailfish
- Mako
- Key West
- Angler
Picking the Right Center Console Boat Design
With so many makes and models available, narrowing your search criteria is critical. Most of these boat designs focus on fishing, so how seriously you take your angling adventures should be first on your mind.
Next, consider comfort and family features as well. Larger center consoles will have a head and changing room inside the console. The quality of seating can range from sitting on coolers to quality upholstered bucket seats and sun lounges. The choice depends on what you intend to use the boat for.
Fit, finish, and overall build quality are important and vary widely between boats. Is a luxury feel, with top-notch accessories and comfortable upholstery, important? Or would you rather have a bare-bones fiberglass work that is easier to care for? Do you want to save a little money, or get the best boat money can buy?
Of course, your budget will play a big part in finding the right center console. These boats range from entry-level boats geared at first-time boat owners to the biggest, fastest, and most luxurious fishing machines on the market. You can find center consoles with everything from 90 to 2,400 horsepower. Some boats are built quickly and cheaply, while others are hand-built to the highest standards with the best materials available. The adage “you get what you pay for” applies in nearly every case.
Finally, there are also catamaran center consoles. Twin Vee and World Cat make center console fishing boats that offer more space and a more efficient and comfortable ride than typical power monohulls. For offshore anglers and cruisers, catamaran center console boats are well worth a look.
Is a Center Console Boat Right For You?
With so many choices and variations, the best way to pick the right center console is to get on board some boats. Check out the build quality and features in a hands-on way. Boat shows are a great place to start, then look at boats for sale in your price range. Before you purchase anything, go out on a few different brands to get a feel for how they ride and handle.
Continue reading our Boat Reviews:
Frequently asked questions about Center Console Boats
Center console boats were initially designed as fishing boats. With the console mounted in the center, anglers can move 360 degrees around the outside of the boat while chasing and fighting fish.
Center console boats are expensive for many reasons. On the one hand, some brands are made by hand in small numbers, so production costs are very high. Fiberglass boats are already some of the most expensive fishing boats you can buy, so buying a high-quality, well-built model can get expensive quickly. Another factor is the popularity of these boats—good center consoles are always in demand in coastal areas. Hence, prices stay relatively high, and these boats hold their value better than some other designs.
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