5 Best Deck Boats In 2024
If you’re looking for a brand new deckboat in 2024, these five top picks belong on your must-see list.
If a deck boat is the ideal type of boat for you and your family - and your budget has some room in it, you’re doubtlessly wondering which are the five best deck boats of 2024, right? Perhaps you're asking yourself, "what model deck boat should I choose and why does it stand out from the crowd?" Never fear folks, we’re here to help!
Below we’ve sorted through the 2024 marketplace and come up with these top five picks for ideal family-friendly boats that are worthy of your consideration when buying a boat.
2024 Bayliner Element M15
It’s fitting to start off our list with the M15 because it’s the least expensive new deck boat - not only in this roundup, but it's also one of the least expensive in the entire marketplace. With a sticker price starting at a mere $17,915 the M15 is eminently affordable by virtually anyone, especially when you consider the myriad of boat financing companies and various types of boat loan options available today.
That price tag gets you the entire 15’2” long, 6’7” wide boat with a 40-hp Mercury FourStroke outboard and it also includes a single-axle trailer with a swing-away tongue. That's a lot of equipment for the price. The complete package requires just 17’5” by 7’7” to store and weighs under 2,000 pounds, so this is a garage-ready boat-motor-trailer rig that you can keep right at home and easily trailer with the smallest of tow vehicles. And even if you load this boat up with all the optional features available, you’ll find it just about impossible to break the $20K mark.
Aside from the easy affordability, the M15 is unlike the average deck boat in that it rides on Bayliner’s M-Hull hull design. This has a V-shape in the middle with secondary Vs to either side (thus viewed head-on or from the rear, has an appearance like the outline of the letter M). Its highlight feature is that it provides tremendous stability both at rest and while running. Like most deck boats the interior design maximizes seating, and there’s room for five aboard with a cushioned bow compartment, seating in front of the starboard-side helm, seating down the port side, and seating along the transom. It also has a swim platform that’s larger than expected on a boat of this size, with a swing-down telescopic boarding ladder and curves molded into the back of the transom for comfort while sitting down and facing aft.
If you don’t need a large boat and you don’t want to break the bank, you’ll have a tough time finding a competitor that can match up with the M15.
See Bayliner Element M15 boats for sale on boats.com right now.
2024 Crownline E305
At the diametric opposite end of the deck boat spectrum from the M15 sits the big and bodacious Crownline E305. This is a monster of a deck boat, with an LOA stretching the tape to 30’1”, a beam of 9’2”, and the ability to carry up to 700 horsepower on the transom. It also comes with big-ticket perks like joystick steering, an anchor windlass, and a Wet Sounds stereo system with 10 speakers.
Beyond sheer size the E 305 X sets itself apart from the crowded field of deck boats with a level of luxury that’s off the charts. It has goodies like a drawer refrigerator, a freshwater shower, snap-in woven cockpit mats, an enclosed head compartment with sink and vanity, and an aluminum hard top with a pull-out SureShade canvass extension. But beyond that, merely sitting in the seats is a luxury experience. In the bow cockpit each side is designed to serve as a full-length chaise lounge with headrests and fold-down arm rests, and the transom seats have flip-back backrests that can face forward, face aft, or convert into a huge tanning pad. If you’re in the market for a deck boat that feels like a yacht, this one will be a top contender.
See Crownline E 305 XS boats for sale on boats.com.
2024 Hurricane SunDeck 2050 OB
Hurricane is known for building deck boats, and with one glance at the 2050 OB you’ll realize that years of experience have been poured into this model’s design. You’ll also notice that carrying an “OB” demarcation means it’s available with a an outboard. Modern outboards have overtaken stern drives in the deck boat marketplace, and Hurricane's extensive experience means they've made the switch while maintaining classic features some other outboard deck boats lose, like a large swim platform and plenty of lounging space.
Other highlights of the 2050 include wrap-around seating in both the bow and stern, a chaise lounge with stowage compartment behind the passenger’s console, and a bow swim platform with a telescopic ladder that makes getting on and off the boat a piece of cake when you beach it. Wake sports fans will also appreciate the tower with elevated tow point, a standard Fusion four-speaker stereo system, and of course the enclosed head compartment with a sink.
See Hurricane SunDeck 2050 OB boats for sale on boats.com.
2024 Sea Ray SDX 250
For the 2024 model year the Sea Ray SDX 250 represents a great option for families who want a mid-size deck boat with high-end fit, finish, and features. This is a model offered with either stern drive or outboard (the SDX 250 Outboard) power, and in either case can attain speeds into the mid- to upper-40s.
There’s plenty to banter about regarding the SDX 250’s creature comforts, ranging from the huge flip-back aft seat/lounger/sunpad to the unusual port-side walkthrough bow cockpit. But in truth, what really makes this boat unique is Sea Ray’s Quiet Ride. Quiet Ride incorporates a number of measures to reduce vibrations and sound levels aboard the boat, to enhance the passenger’s experience. Doors and hatches have compression latches to eliminate rattles, acoustic insulation is added to dampen sound levels, and gaps or angles that whistle in the wind are eliminated. Perhaps most impressive, fabrics which absorb vibration and convert the energy into heat are added to the hull laminate. The net result in your experience on the water is akin to the difference between driving down the highway in a 70s vintage station wagon, versus a modern sedan.
See Sea Ray SDX 250 boats for sale on boats.com today.
2024 Tahoe 215 CC
You and your family are torn between getting a deck boat and a center console? Tahoe has the answer with the 215 CC, one of the few center console deck boats on the water today. You'll be pulling wakeboards one day and chasing walleye the next with this hybrid design, and it comes fully featured for both types of activities.
Fishing goodies include under-gunwale rodholders, a 17-gallon livewell, and integrated tacklebox, and a tool holder. Add the Fishing Package and you get a Lowrance Elite FS 7 fishfinder at the helm, removable pedestal fishing seats, and a bow-mount electric trolling motor. Watersports fans, meanwhile, will appreciate the in-floor wakeboard/water ski stowage compartment, Tahoe Cruise digital dash, removable ski-tow pylon, and integrated swim platform. Whatever their pleasure every member of the family will also enjoy having the bow swim platform with four-step boarding ladder, the console compartment with optional portable head, the Bluetooth stereo system, and the phone holder with 12-V charging port.
Which of these five best deck boats for 2024 will be ideal for you? That’s a call we can’t make. And we’ll be the first to note that there are plenty of other options on the market that may well be an even better fit your wants and needs. But if you’re looking for a new deck boat this year, one or more of these top five picks surely belong in the running.
View all deck boats for sale on boats.com today.
