Dual Console Boats for Sale

Dual Console Boats: what to know

A dual console has two consoles with a walk-through windshield between them, like a bowrider, on a hull built for open water like a center console. It is the crossover boat: a family day boat for cruising and swimming that can also go fishing.

What to check before you buy

• Sit in the bow seats and look at the windshield. The walk-through door and its latch take the most wear on the boat.
• Check the seating that converts. Cushions, filler boards and table mounts are easy to lose and a nuisance to replace.
• If you will fish from it, look at the rod holders, the livewell and the washdown and see if they work for how you fish.
• On a saltwater boat, rinse history matters. Look at the trailer and the outboard's lower unit for corrosion.
• Get the engine hours and service record. On a boat this size the outboard is most of the value.

Common questions

Is a dual console good for fishing?

Good, not dedicated. You give up the walk-around room a center console has at the bow, and gain a windshield and seats that keep a family comfortable. For a boat that fishes some days and cruises the rest, it is a sensible middle.

Dual console or bowrider?

A bowrider is lighter and cheaper for calm lakes. A dual console usually has the deeper, heavier hull of a fishing boat, so it rides better in chop and handles salt water, at a higher price.

Dual console or center console?

A center console is the better fishing boat because you can walk all the way around it. A dual console is the better family boat because it has a windshield, more seating and a place to get out of the wind.