The Best Deck Boat Brands
These brands top the deck boat charts.
People looking for a runabout that offers the most interior space and seating possible often opt for a deck boat. Deck boats carry their beam far forward to provide an enlarged bow area, which adds to the boat’s overall volume. Many also have low-deadrise hulls or unique hullforms designed to maximize stability. This makes them incredibly versatile for boaters who want to take out the entire family and maybe a few friends as well, for activities ranging from watersports to fishing to day cruising. If that sounds like exactly the type of boat you’re looking for, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. And as you check them all out, remember that these top 10 best deck boat brands are stand-outs.
- Bayliner Boats
- CrownlineBoats
- Four Winns Boats
- Hurricane Deck Boats
- Nautic Star Boats
- Princecraft Boats
- Sea Ray Boats
- Starcraft Marine
- Stingray Boats
- Tahoe Sport Boats
Bayliner Boats
Bayliner has been a top builder of deck boats for nearly as long as there have been deck boats, and at times this genre has made up as much as half of the builder’s entire lineup. Today they have nine deckboat offerings, ranging from the diminutive 15’2” M15 to the 21’6” D22. Several of these models have standard V-hulls but M and E series models are designed with Bayliner’s unique “M Hull,” which maximizes stability both at rest and when running. Another trait that makes them stand out from the crowd is unusually reasonable pricing. In fact, this is one of the few brands around that can still offer a complete boat-motor-trailer deck boat package that MSRPs (at the time of this writing) for well under the $20,000 mark.
See Bayliner deck boats for sale on boats.com.
Crownline Boats
The Crownline E305 XS is one of the largest high-end deckboats around. Photo via Crownline Boats.
The EXS series in Crownline’s lineup consists of eight deck boats, including one of the largest around, the 31’8” long E305 XS. These options will be of interest to those looking for a deck boat with the best fit and finish on the water; Crownline has long been known for exemplary detail work and the use of high-end materials for upholstery, fittings, and accessories. Buyers will also want to note how well equipped these models are, with accessories like electronics, canvass covers, freshwater systems, and trim tabs included in the boat’s list of stock features, while many competitors would consider such items cost-adding options.
See Crownline deck boats for sale on boats.com.
Four Winns Boats
Four Winns calls their HD line “hybrid deck” deck boats, because they match up the topsides of a deck boat with the traditional V-bottom hullform. As a result, these are a great choice for boaters who want to go out even when it’s choppy, or those who may plan to tackle larger, more open waterways than some other deck boat owners. The lineup includes three different sizes (from 22’1” to 26’6”) and each is available in either stern-drive or outboard power choices, for a total of six different models.
See Four Winns deck boats for sale on boats.com.
Hurricane Deck Boats
One of the few builders to focus its offerings almost entirely on deck boats, Hurricane’s line currently includes 15 models with four standard designs more or less similar to a bowrider, all the way up to a bodacious new 32-footer with a cabin under the deck. But they also have some rather unusual deck boat offerings. The first is a deckboat lineup called the FunDeck which is laid out just like a pontoon boat and comes in three different sizes from 18'10" to 23'6". The second is a pair of center console deck boats, the 231 and the 24, which are designed for serious anglers. These unique creations offer some great variety in a marketplace where many of the different models blend together and share very similar designs.
See Hurricane deck boats for sale on boats.com
NauticStar Boats
Most of the NauticStar lineup consists of fishing boats, but they also offer five deck boats from 18'9" to 24'3". Unsurprisingly for this builder, they’re offered with optional fishing packages that allow for straddling the line between watersports boat and fishing boat. Speaking of watersports: these are a great option for those who enjoy activities like water skiing and wake boarding, as they come outfitted with accessories like tow pylons, in-deck ski lockers, and integrated swim platforms. Additional watersports options include towers, freshwater transom showers, and outboards with gobs of power.
See NauticStar deck boats for sale on boats.com.
Princecraft Boats
The Ventura series of six models from 19’2” to 23’1” differs from most deck boats in that these are crafted from aluminum. That means they’re lighter than the average deck boat, require less power, and have very low maintenance requirements. They also have a design slightly out of the ordinary with the very peak of the bow being capped off with a forward deck, and on several of the models, pedestal fishing seats on the bowdeck. Similarly, several models offer pedestal seating on the aft deck. They also have the other features a deck boat angler would be looking for, like livewells, integrated coolers, and stowage boxes long enough to hold fishing rods.
See Princecraft deck boats for sale on boats.com.
Sea Ray Boats
Sea Ray is one of the best-known brands of any kind of boat, and that most certainly includes deck boats, specifically in the form of their SDX line. There are three sizes available (the 250, 270, and 290) and each are offered in either outboard or stern-drive form. The 250 and 270 are also offered as surf boats, with a forward-facing Bravo S stern drive, surf tabs, and added ballast. Like all Sea Ray boats they’re known for maintaining a high level of fit and finish and having a thorough list of equipment and accessories. Plus, since Sea Ray boats are almost always in high demand, they tend to maintain a better resale value than many of their competitors.
See Sea Ray deck boats for sale on boats.com.
Starcraft Marine
A big player in the world of deck boats, Starcraft has four distinct lineups in its deck boat stable including SVX runabouts in both stern drive and outboard versions (12 models from 17'4" to 23’), an outboard-powered center console series (three to choose from in 19’, 21’, and 23’ lengths), and a new compact 16'8" model that's exceptionally affordable and comes as a complete boat-motor-trailer package for under the $30,000 mark.
See Starcraft deck boats for sale on boats.com.
Stingray Boats
Stingray has four deck boats in its dedicated deck boat series (from 17’3” to 21’11”), however, almost all of their center console fishing boat and dual console runabout models fit squarely into the deck boat mold. That makes 17 distinct different models, giving Stingray one of the widest selections of deck boats around.
See Stingray deck boats for sale on boats.com.
Tahoe Sport Boats
There are three deck boat options in the Tahoe lineup, a 19’ runabout, a 21’ runabout, and a 21’ center console. Taho boats are known for delivering a good bang for the buck, as in the case with all three of these models. They’re sold as boat-motor-trailer packages with a “no haggle no hassle” nationally advertised price and a long list of standard features. All of these models feature a bow swim platform with a bow boarding ladder, and can be rigged more or less towards watersports and/or fishing.
See Tahoe deck boats for sale on boats.com.
There are dozens of other deck boat brands on the market, many of which build excellent boats. And while one or more of the brands we’ve covered here may prove to be ideal for your needs, one or more almost certainly will not; always remember that different boats fit different people best. Keep looking, keep sea trialing, and keep checking out all the different options you can. Because sooner or later, you’re bound to find the boat that’s ideal for you, personally — whether it’s a deck boat, or a different option.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in March of 2024 and was last updated in April of 2025.
