How Much Does A Boat Cost In Arizona?
Most of us think boats cost a ton of money. But these days, feeling the wind in your hair as you cruise on Lake Powell is an affordable reality. In Arizona, all you really need to become a part of the boating community is decent lake boat with enough space for your friends and family, a nice bimini to provide some shade, and a good sound system to rock some tunes.
How much a boat costs depends on the type of boat, brand, and size. And the price range is huge! Right now, Boat Trader has tons of boats listed in the Phoenix area with prices ranging anywhere from an old Lund Jon Boat for $1550 to a $1,030,000 Fountain Powerboat, and everything in between.
So how do you know where to start when you're thinking about buying a boat?
This article will get you moving in the right direction whether you’re interested in a new or used boat, wakeboarding boat, pontoon boat, deck boat, or fishing boat. You’ll get an idea about boat pricing, sizes and styles, and how to pick the right one for you.
Ready to get started? Check out our inventory here.
Pricing By Type Of Boat
Each type of boat has a unique set price. It’s determined by the materials used to make the boat, the reputation of the brand, and whether it’s new or used.
The best lake boat for you and your family is going to be built for what you want to do. Think about what you want to do most on the lake to decide the type of boat you need.
Do you like water sports? If so, do you want to waterski or wakeboard?
Is having a big space for entertaining more important than going fast?
Will you go fishing?
Do you need a lot of amenities like a head/toilet, sink, or sleeping quarters?
Common lake boat types are pontoon boats, deck boats, fishing boats, Bowriders, and wakeboarding boats. All but wakeboarding boats and Bowriders have flat bottoms designed to make flatter waves. Wakeboarding boats and Bowriders are made with a V shaped hull to displace more water and create bigger waves for wakeboarding or wake surfing.
Cost By Boat Size
Lake boats in Arizona don’t need to be as big as a boat that’s going out in salt water on the ocean. The fresh water of Arizona lakes are usually calm and the weather is nice. So the size of your boat will depend on what types of activities you want to do.
The main activities you can do with a boat are water sports, like water skiing, wakeboarding, wakesurfing, tubing, and kneeboarding, cruising and entertaining, and fishing.
A good size boat for a lake for water sports is 20 to 25 feet, for cruising and entertaining is 15 to 25 feet, and for fishing is 15 to 20 feet. It needs to be big enough to wake around comfortably and just fast enough to keep up with your favorite water activities.
Wakeboarding Boats
Wakeboarding boats are designed to displace water and make big waves. This is one of the most popular activities you can do on Arizona lakes.
Wakeboard boating is all about helping the rider get up, go fast, and do cool tricks and flips on huge wakes. And for that, you need a wakeboard boat that makes big powerful wakes and serves as a launching point where a rider can take flight. Wakeboarding, wake surfing, water skiing, tubing, and all kinds of watersports enjoy the huge wakes that wakeboard boats create.
These boats come with cool features that have been specially designed just to make this happen. A ballast system that makes the boat heavier and displaces more water when you’re putting a wakeboarder, hydrofoil technology to help it get up and on the plane faster, and waveplates or wedges that help shape the wave behind the boat.
The price of a wakeboarding boat depends greatly on the size, model, manufacturer, and features.
A brand new top of the line HeyDay H22 starts around $75,000. It's a 22'4" boat with 370 horsepower, tons of space to socialize, a fantastic sound system, and a bunch of really cool features tailored for wakeboarding.
Sanger is known for being more affordable without cutting corners on quality, and you can pick up the super popular Sanger v215 SX for about $65,000 brand new.
Other great wakeboarding boat brands are Campion, Montera, Mastercraft, Centurion, Chaparral, Regal, and Tige.
Ready to get started? Check out our inventory here.
Pontoon Boats
Pontoon boats are the best selling recreational boat in Arizona. They are built with a deck that sits on top two pontoons and a tritoon sits on top of 3 pontoons. Pontoons (and tritoons) are great for big parties, cruising, entertaining, and are known for having fantastic amenities. Some pontoons are built with double decker waterslides, kitchen, toilets, and built in grills.
Pontoon boats can range in size from 15 to 30+ feet, be single or double decker, and can accommodate anywhere from 6 to 30+ people. With such a big variety of sizes and amenities, the prices also range quite a bit.
The Berkshire 20CL LE Pontoon Boat is a smaller pontoon built for family fun without sacrificing luxury. It is 19’3” and can comfortably accommodate up to 11 passengers. It doesn’t go fast but with 110HP it has enough power to cruise along the lake while blasting music and lounging in comfort and style.
This pontoon starts at around $25,000.
Check our inventory here.
Deck Boats
Buying a deck boat rose in popularity when boaters realized they could do all things they love on one flexible boat. Deck boats are safe for cruising and entertaining, water sports, and fishing. They can hold quite a few passengers, are sturdy, and have more amenities than most wakeboarding boats.
Some deck boats come with an enclosed head/toilet, wet bar, and even sleeping quarters. Deck boats combine the comforts of al pontoon boat with the sporty fiberglass V-hull performance of a wakeboarding boat.
Deck boats are about the same price point as a good wakeboarding boat. A Sea Ray SDX 250 Deck Boat starts at around $84,000.
Fishing boats
Fishing boats for Arizona lakes are made for finding the best fishing holes and keeping you comfortable. They are generally made for a handful of passengers, have comfortable and versatile seating, a few fishing rod holders, a trolling motor, and a live well to put your fresh catch.
Most fishermen agree that the best fishing boats are Lund fishing boats. They are top of the line aluminum fishing boats made with all the luxuries and conveniences you didn’t even know you wanted. Lund has been making sturdy and reliable fishing boats for decades.
A top of the line, bells and whistles included, Lund 2175 Pro-V Limited starts at about $99,000 brand new. But you can get in the door with a Lund for a lot less than that.
The Lund Rebel 1650 XL Sport is a high performing, but super affordable fishing boat. It starts around $22,000, but still gives you all the bells and whistles you want in a great fishing boat. You’ll get more than entry-level features at an entry-level price.
If you’re thinking you’d rather have a pontoon fishing boat, check out the Tahoe Compact Pontoon Boat. It starts at just $24,820 and has 2 rotocast helm stands, comfortable seating, storage benches, a forward and starboard bow seat, and port side tables. You’ll get double decks, aluminum seat bases, and a sleek design.
Final Thoughts
The cost of a boat is affordable for most people. With such a broad range of boat types, sizes, and features you can find a boat for any budget. Figure out which type of boat you and your family need and go from there. Come by Laken Water Sports in our convenient Phoenix location to get started!