Taking your family out for a fun lake day in Arizona starts with a great family boat. It should be big enough for the whole family with ample seating options and powerful enough to keep up with watersports or cruising. Bowriders, Deck boats, Pontoon boats, Wake boats, and Cabin Cruisers make the best family boat for Arizona’s lakes.  

This article is a quick and easy guide to choose the right boat for your family to navigate Arizona’s lakes. Whether you have a family of 4 or 24, we have you covered…literally, because finding shade on a boat is really important for kids. 

What is the Best Family Boat for Lake?

The best family boat for a lake depends on the size and needs of the family. Wake Boats, Bowriders, and Deck boats are the best options for watersports. Pontoon boats and Cabin Cruisers with ample space, shade and a toilet are the best options for cruising with small kids. 

For watersports, you can’t get much better than an awesome Wake boat that goes fast, handles well, and is fully equipped with a swim platform, tow ring, tracking fins, integrated wake system, Mercury SmartTow and bow boarding pass. Crank up the 4 Rockford Fosgate speakers and put your phone on the built-in wireless charging pad and you and your family are all set for a day of fun and making memories. 


Wake Boat

Wake boats, aka ski boats or watersports boats, are made for making big wakes behind the boat and towing wakeboarders, waterskiers, kneeboarders, wake surfers, tubers, and anything else you can ride. Wake boats are usually 16 feet to 28 feet and seat 6 people depending on the size.   

If your family likes to have fun with watersports, this is the boat for you. It is powerful and can be specially equipped with trim tabs to enhance the wake behind the boat. The propeller is under the boat, instead of behind it, making it safer and legal to use for wake surfing. This also helps ski boats get up on the plane faster and reach optimal speed. Wakes boats have an inboard, direct-drive engine which gives them excellent tracking and ability to stay on course

Heyday Wakeboats can fit up to 4 more people than most wake boats and are designed for ultimate fun. It has great features like Mercury SmartTow which uses your boat’s RPM and speed to launch and maintain a consistent speed throughout the run. Plus, it’s fully equipped with everything for watersports, minus the skis and board. For the driver, rock out with Rockford Fosgate speakers and a wireless phone charging station and your phone won’t be dead by the end of the day. 

Check out our huge selection of Heyday Wake Boat inventory.  

Bowrider

Bowriders, or runabouts, are sporty deck boats with an open bow and places to lounge. They have comfortable seating, are easy to get into the water, and give your family the thrill of going fast while looking right over the water and getting sprayed in the face. They use jet propulsion along with a traditional prop which gives a Bowrider a lot of power. The prices start at about $15,000.

Bowriders have a wide range of sizes, from less than 16 feet to bigger than 27 feet, and can typically seat up to 6 people. 


Deck Boats

Deck boats are a nice middle-ground between a pontoon and a Bowrider. They have a wider bow  and offer more seating and deck space. You can find them in just about any price range and some may include a toilet and small kitchen making them perfect for a family day on the water. 

Deck boats range in size from 16 feet to 35 feet and can seat up to 8 people, which is 1-2 more people than a Bowrider. 

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Pontoon Boat

Pontoon boats are stable, easy to drive, have ample seating, and are great for cruising. Kids love all the walkaround space and there’s plenty of room to bring friends along. They come with a large bimini top for shade and some models have toilets, small kitchens, a built-in BBQ, and even a waterslide. If you want to fish, look for pontoons with a livewell, tackle trays, and rod holders.  

While pontoons are best loved for slow cruising and having a big party, newer models can be used for watersports. They can get up to 40 MPH which is plenty fast to pull a tube or water skier. Tri-toons, which have 3 pontoons instead of 2, handle well in choppy water. Kids love that they can walk around, have shade to get out of the sun, and take a nap on the super comfortable lounging seats. 

Pontoons range in size from 16 feet to 25 feet and can comfortably seat 8 or more people and up to dozens of people with an upper deck. But, they can be harder to get on and off a trailer because of their wide size. Small or mini pontoons start at $7,000.  

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Cabin Cruiser

Cabin Cruisers can be used for much more than just a day on the lake. They’re fast, great for entertaining, and can seat 6-12+ people depending on the size. They have a bedroom, full bathroom, and kitchen. The kids have a place to relax, watch TV, take a nap, and get out of the sun. There’s a table for meals and even a shower to rinse off. They’re designed for overnights and feel like an RV. Cabin Cruisers start at $10,000. 

Cabin Cruisers are 25 feet to 45 feet and some models can seat up to 10 people.  


Rigid Inflatable Boat

Rigid Inflatable Boats are probably the most efficient, safe, and fun boats you can buy. They’re lightweight, don’t use a lot of fuel, and go fast. Don’t be scared about the “inflatable” part, they’re nearly impossible to sink. They are great for watersports and lounging. They handle well in choppy water and inflatable-siding along with the rigid hull give it a smooth ride. Some can go as fast at 40 MPH. 

Rigid Inflatable Boats can hold up to 6 people and are 13 to 28 feet long. 


Fish-and-Ski Boat

Fish-and-ski boats come with all the extra features you need for fishing and watersports with the whole family. They have fishing features like livewells, rod holders, and an electric trolling motor and watersports features like ski-tow pylon and ski lockers. You can also pack the livewell with ice and use it as a cooler. Fish-and-ski boats have tall windshields and comfortable seating. They’re a bit smaller than some of our other family boats but make up for it in speed.  

Fish-and-Ski boats are 18 feet to 22 feet and can seat up to 8 people. 


Center Console

Center Consoles are great for fishing and have 360-degree fishability because of it’s open sides. You can use them for watersports, lightweight, and easy to get off a trailer. They don’t have a lot of protection from the sun. They range in size from 18 feet to 40 feet and can seat 6 to 12 people depending on the size. Center Consoles are usually found in the Great Lakes and in the  ocean because they can withstand rough weather and have a large hull. For Arizona lakes, keep them in with deep water, like Lake Powell and use a dock when disembarking. 

What Size Boat Do I Need for a Family of 6? 

A family of 6 needs a 17 x 6 foot boat at minimum. A larger boat will be more comfortable allowing for more space to walk around, pack gear, and lounge. To determine maximum capacity, multiply the boat’s dimensions by 15. A 17 x 6 foot boat (120 ft) divided by 15 (avg adult weight)is  6.8 people. 

This is just the maximum weight your boat can handle. It tends to give an optimistic picture of how much space you will have on the boat. While a family of 6 can technically fit in a 17 x 6 foot boat, you will probably need a larger boat to be comfortable. 


Final Thoughts

Finding the right boat for your family comes down to deciding what type of activities you’ll be doing most. A boat that is best for watersports might have different features than a boat that is best for day cruising. Some boats crossover and offer the best of both worlds. Start by figuring out what the family wants to do most and then how big of a boat you need.