How Many People Can a Bowrider Seat? [Chart]

Depending on its size and features, a bowrider motorboat can seat 5-20+ people. The seating capacity of the smallest 15-20 ft. models is 4-6, while their midrange siblings can legally carry 7-16 people. Over the barrier of 28-30 feet, large bowriders typically fall into the “Yacht Certified” category, and the largest models can seat more than 20.

However, in most cases, the actual seating capacity is significantly lower than what is stated on the capacity sticker.

Let’s drill into the details and talk about this issue as well as the capacities of different bowrider size classes in detail.

Factory Ratings vs. Realistic Seating Capacities

Let’s face it, bowriders typically carry fewer passengers than their advertised seating capacity.

Carrying the maximum number of passengers not only cramps the deck but the overall weight can also exceed the boat’s passenger weight limit.

For example, the popular Bayliner BR175 is rated for 7 passengers but its passenger weight limit is only 885 pounds.

Doing the math (885 / 7 = 126 lbs./person), which makes it seem like you can only carry very skinny people!

If we use a more realistic 180-220 lb./person, it turns out that the actual passenger capacity on the BR175 is only 4-5 adults.

Let’s use another example from the latest lineups, the Sea Ray SPX 210 is rated for 12 people or 1,660 pounds, which turns out to be 138 pounds per person. This model is only safe and comfortable for a maximum of 7-8 average-weight adults.

As one may expect, this is no different for other bowrider models, regardless of brand.

Keeping safety in mind, a good estimate is to use 60-70% of the claimed seating capacity for adult passengers.

In other words, a 6-seater is much more like a 4-seater, and an 8-seater is a 5-6-seater and so on.

Sure, the exact number is dependent on many factors like the beam of the hull, the floorplan of the deck, and the way the boat is being used.

Activities like watersports, diving, or fishing require much more space than just cruising and swimming.

It’s also wise to stay below the overall weight limit since a fully loaded boat can be dangerous, especially in rough water conditions.

Don’t forget to take all of these factors into account when shopping around for a new boat or just plan your weekend trip.

For your convenience, we’ve done extensive research and listed the average seating capacities of many different bowrider motorboats, which fall into clear ranges within each size category.

These numbers came from various models across the main boat manufacturers, but of course there may be exceptions that fall outside these specified ranges.

Hence, please consider these as ballpark figures!

Average Bowrider Seating Capacity

Entry-Level Bowriders (16-20 ft.)

The smallest production bowriders measure 15-16 feet in length and are rated for 5-6 passengers.

However, they are only comfortable for 3-4 adults, or a family with 2-3 small kids.

If you are looking for more space and capacities, you can find many great family bowriders in the size class of 17-18 feet.

Thanks to a wider beam, they seat 6-7 people but can only accommodate 4-5 safely and comfortably.

Besides the aforementioned Bayliner 175 BR, the competitor Sea Ray 176 BR and the 175 Sport are also rated for 7 people, while the 185 Sport seats 8.

When it comes to 19-20 footers, you can expect a realistic seating capacity of 5-6, despite that they are rated for 7-11.

Examples:

• Yamaha LX210: 7 people or 1,300 lbs.
• Bayliner 195 Bowrider: 9 people or 1,200 lbs.
• Bayliner V20: 10 people or 1,650 lbs.

It’s also good to know that newer models tend to have greater capacities.

This is no surprise since modern bowriders are typically built on more sturdy platforms with wider beams and more advanced deck seating layouts.

Mid-Sized Bowriders (21-29 ft.)

As a rule of thumb, most bowriders between 21 and 29 feet still have a trailerable beam of 8.5 feet.

Even though they are significantly longer than entry-level models, their relatively narrow beams somewhat limit their seating capacity and free deck space.

Spacious and affordable, the 21-24 feet class is typically rated for 9-14 people, but can actually carry 6-8.

For example, the legendary Bayliner 215 Bowrider and Sea Ray 220 Bowrider were rated for 9 and 10 passengers, respectively. However, their actual seating capacities were 6-7 people.

When it comes to the latest 22-footers, the Bayliner V6 can carry 10 people while the Sea Ray SPX 210 seats 12.

 

Nevertheless, they can only accommodate approximately 6-7 adults safely and comfortably.

Examples?

Measuring 23.5 feet in length, the Sea Ray SPX 230 is rated for 13 people or 2,300 pounds, while the Chaparral 24 SSi Sport Boat is rated for 14 people or 2,006 pounds.

Bowriders built on 25-30 feet platforms typically seat 10-16 but can only carry 8-12 people depending on the model and its features.

Even though many of them feature an 8.5-foot beam, note that regularly trailering these large vessels is quite difficult.

Hence, best practice is to keep them on the water, or a boat lift.

Yacht Certified Bowriders (30-65 ft.)

Bowriders over 30 feet are often described as full-size or large bowriders, and models of about 35 feet have earned the “King Size” badge.

Many of these models feature a cozy cabin, and are often referred to as overnighter bowriders.

When it comes to capacities, the majority fall into the “Yacht Certified” category, as stated by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA).

What does this mean?

Since they must meet a lot of special standards, most Yacht Certified bowriders come without passenger capacity numbers on their certification plate.

This means that it’s the captain’s responsibility to determine the number of passengers and to operate the vessel safely.

Some of the largest models in this breed include the Formula 380 SSC, the Cruiser Yachts 38 GLS, and the Sea Ray 400 SLX.

With seating for 22, the latter is probably one of the most spacious bowriders in the marketplace.

Bowrider Seat Capacity Chart

For a better comparison, we’ve listed the average seat capacities of bowriders by their length class in one chart:

Overall Length (ft.)	Avg. Claimed Passenger Capacity	Recommended Number of Passengers
15-16 ft.	5-6	3-4
17-18 ft.	6-9	4-5
19-20 ft.	7-11	5-6
21-22 ft.	9-12	6-7
23-24 ft.	9-14	7-9
25-26 ft.	10-16	8-10
27-29 ft.	11-16	9-12
30- ft.	YC	YC

Disclaimer: Ballpark figures in this chart are provided for informational purposes only. For specific capacity information, please refer to your boat’s operator’s manual.

Takeaways

Depending on their size and features, the passenger capacity of bowrider runabouts varies greatly.

Based on our research, the smallest 15-16 footers are rated for 5-6 passengers, but they can actually only carry 3-4 safely and comfortably.

On the other end of the spectrum, you can find Yacht Certified bowriders without capacity stickers, meaning that the maximum number of passengers has to be determined by the captain.

Between these two extremities, “average” bowriders between 17 and 22 feet are rated for 6-12 passengers but they can actually only accommodate 4-7 adults.

When it comes to the larger models with 23-29-foot hulls, you can expect significantly more deck space and a claimed passenger capacity of up to 9-16 people.

However, depending on their seating layout and weight capacities, they can only carry 7-12.

As you can see, bowriders can actually accommodate fewer adult passengers than shown on their capacity stickers.

This is because, besides the passenger capacity, each model has its passenger weight capacity and overall weight capacity as well.

The weight of the maximum number of passengers (especially if they are adults) more than likely exceeds the passenger weight capacity and also makes the deck fairly cramped.

This could easily translate to an overloaded boat, which always converts to an unsafe operation and may end with a ticket.

When it comes to passenger capacity, a good rule of thumb is not to exceed 60-70% of the claimed passenger capacity for adult passengers of average weights.

But besides the number of people, don’t forget to pay attention to the passenger weight capacity and overall weight capacity too.

To stay safe and legal, always make sure to stay under these boat capacities!