Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/556112
38 | Boating Industry | May 2015 www.BoatingIndustry.com /// Market Trends /// ability to do the activities they want to do in the boat, the capacity trumps sheer perfor- mance numbers on the top-end side. New concepts in seating As customers continue to spend their time cruis- ing and coving, it has been a focus for deck boat manufacturers to maximize space and comfort for as many passengers as possible. Hurricane released its SunDeck 2486 OB, which the company calls a convergence between a bowrider and a pontoon, at the 2015 Miami In- ternational Boat Show in February. It introduces the line's patent-pending wraparound convert- ible seating in the bow and the stern. "That boat is a totally new concept in terms of seating and space," said Wachs. "I'm not aware of anyone that has that width and that space in a bow of any deck boat built in the country right now." Wachs says the U-shaped front and rear seat- ing allows the company to create distinct enter- tainment areas while using high sides in the boat for a secure feel, and the additional seating allows for at least two additional passengers. "People want a more open boat. I think you're seeing a lot of runabout-centered compa- nies understanding [that] they're going to have to figure out how to put more room in a boat," said Wachs. "People want flexibility in their boat purchase and that's why deck boats are growing the way they are. They view them as the most flexible thing they can do, short of a pontoon boat, with their dollars." The U-shaped seating in the stern is a flip seat, which Wachs says provides easy access and boarding on the back platform while keep- ing the wraparound seating concept when the boat is cruising. "The customers want to get in and out of the back of the boat without climbing over a back seat," said Wachs. "We figured out how to put that all together into a functioning boat when they want to go tubing, skiing, swimming, sand baring, whatever they want to do, and then we've also got the flip-up seating, which we think is a big trend that more and more manufacturers are going to [use], which creates more seating space once you're in the boat cruising." Regal's new 22 FasDeck also comes with wraparound U-shaped seating in the cockpit, which is complemented by a cockpit design that Kuck says is wider than traditional deck boats and makes the boat feel more like a 25-foot ves- sel, thus maximizing seating space. "We're not necessarily just competing with other boat brands out there – we're competing for people's time. How do we give consumers the ability to say 'I've got four hours in the day, let's go for a ride'?" — Michael Yobe, brand manager, Bayliner Boats