Center console boats place the driving controls in the very middle of the boat. Rather than have the driving controls all the way up front in the prow of the boat, the controls are set back from the prow, leaving an opening in front of the controls. There are actually some very good benefits to owning and operating a center console boat.
Others in the Boat with You Can Relax Up Front or Act as Scouts
There are some seats ahead of the consoles in these boats that allow riders in the boat to sit up front. They can see everything coming up without having to look around the controls. They can choose to relax, or they can effectively be the "spotters" when you are looking to find something in the water.
Fishing Occurs in the Front and Back of the Boat
When you have a boat where the controls are all the way up front, you cannot stand on the prow to pull a fish out of the water. You would fall off the boat, and/or the fish would pull you into the water. On a center console boat, you have a firm hold in the bottom of the boat in the prow and plenty of leverage against the sides of the boat. (This is especially useful if you are big-game fishing and the marlin or swordfish goes under the boat.) There is also plenty of room to pull your catch around the boat, from front to back and back again.
You Can Easily Dive Off of Any Side of the Boat
Center console boats are ideal boats for divers because you can dive into the water from any side of the boat. You can even climb back onto the boat from the stern, so long as the outboard motor is not running. Since both the starboard and port sides of the boat are open and low to the water, you can easily climb back into the boat from the sides, as well.
You Can Access the Controls for Easier Repairs
A center console is easier to repair because you can access the wiring and power stations from underneath the wheel and from in front of the console toward the prow. There are panels all around that can be opened in order to reach what is broken and fix it. This beats the complicated process of trying to remove several parts to reach something deep inside the control console to make repairs.
For more information, talk to companies like Boater's Landing.
