4 Advantages of Center Console Boats

Boat shopping? Take a look at these four advantages of center console boats and decide if the layout is right for you.

Greater Accessibility to Water

A center console boat is going to allow easier access to the bow, stern, and sides of the boat. If you’ve ever hooked a big one, you quickly discover that the fish simply doesn’t care that you prefer to work from one side of the boat or the other. Most anglers find out the hard way, that a side based console can (and will) at some point get in the way when trying to bring in a catch.

Storage & Space

While modern boats have come a long way to allow for more storage, center console boats tend have a “better” feel and flow. From bait wells to rod storage, a center console boat will typically contain forward, central, side and aft storage areas that are placed in useable and practical locations. Similar to the first point, having accessibility to the water that’s free from gear or awkward storage solutions, helps you and your passengers bring in fish, but also promote safety.

Balance

Another often overlooked advantage of a center console boat is balance. If you often cruise alone being centered helps to stabilize the boat. With passengers, you’ll find that having the ability to distribute bodies evenly also provides considerable advantages over other configurations.

Improved Visibility

Given the increased need for a boat to serve double duty for family fun as well as hardcore fishing, safety should be considered. To be clear, a center console boat isn’t any safer than other configurations but visibility is certainly improved which helps the captain have a clear view of what potential problems might be ahead.