Is a Sea Hunt a good boat? What sets it apart
What's actually different about a Sea Hunt: the hull, the build and the layouts, and which series fits the way you boat.
In this article
For most Florida families who fish saltwater, yes. Sea Hunt builds center consoles and bay boats with a flared bow and a sharp entry for a drier ride, Yamaha power matched to each model, and a 10-year structural hull warranty. The bigger question is which series fits your water: BX for bays and flats, Ultra for family days that still fish, Gamefish for offshore.
- The dry ride comes from its True Carolina Bow Flare paired with a sharp entry deadrise. The deadrise numbers climb from the BX bay boats (15/20/50) to the Gamefish (21/24/60).
- The 10-year hull warranty covers structural defects in the fiberglass and moves to a second owner only when the paperwork is filed on time, so used buyers should ask about it.
- New Sea Hunts come with Yamaha outboards, paired to each model by the builder and engine maker, so one dealer can service the whole package.
Ask ten Florida boaters about Sea Hunt and you'll hear the same few things: it rides dry, it fishes well, and it doesn't try to be a yacht. That reputation is a fair starting point, but it doesn't tell you whether a Sea Hunt fits the water you run, the people you bring or the way you'll keep the boat.
Below: the hull, the three series, what comes standard for families and anglers, the Yamaha power, the warranty and who builds the boats. Model specs link to our Sea Hunt model pages.
How is a Sea Hunt hull different?
Look at a Sea Hunt from the front and the topsides at the bow curve outward and up. Sea Hunt calls it the True Carolina Bow Flare and pairs it with a sharp entry deadrise: the V splits the wave and the flare turns the spray down and away. Sea Hunt says it designs its hulls to be the driest riding boats in the industry. Treat that as the builder's goal, not a test result, and judge it on a sea trial.
Each Sea Hunt hull has three deadrise angles, flatter toward the stern, and the numbers climb with the job: the BX 22 BR runs 15/20/50, the Ultra 234 18/22/55 and the Gamefish 25 21/24/60. A sharper V rides softer in open water, in exchange for more draft and more roll at anchor. For the full story, see Sea Hunt hull technology.
BX, Ultra or Gamefish: which Sea Hunt fits your water?
| Example model | Series | Length | Draft | Deadrise | Fuel | Standard power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BX 22 BR | BX bay boat | 22′ 10″ | 13 in | 15/20/50 | 53 gal | Yamaha F150 |
| Ultra 219 | Ultra | 21′ 4″ | 13 in | 16/20/55 | 60 gal | Yamaha F150 |
| Ultra 245 SE | Ultra SE | 24′ 3″ | 14 in | 18/22/55 | 96 gal | Yamaha F300 |
| Gamefish 25 | Gamefish | 25′ 8″ | 19 in | 21/24/60 | 145 gal | Twin Yamaha F150 |
Specs from our model pages, checked October 2026. Specs and standard equipment can change by model year.
Sea Hunt builds three families of boats today, and they share a helm-in-the-middle layout. The differences sit in the hull and the equipment list, and the table shows both.
BX is the bay boat line: flatter deadrise, shallow draft, casting decks and trolling motor wiring from the factory. It belongs on the Indian River, Mosquito Lagoon's open flats, Tampa Bay's grass and the Keys backcountry. The lineup runs from 22′ 10″ to 28′ 6″.
Ultra is the family center console line. The base models such as the Ultra 219 and 234 keep the 13-inch draft of a small bay boat with a sharper V. The SE models add a T-top, a toilet and a side entry door as standard; the Ultra 245 SE has all three. Ultras run from 21′ 4″ to 30′ 2″.
Gamefish is the offshore line, from 25′ 8″ to 30′ 2″, with twin Yamahas standard on every model, deeper V hulls and big livewells and fish boxes.
Pick by the water you run most weeks, not the trip you dream about once a year. If you're torn between a bay boat and an offshore boat, our bay boat vs center console guide walks through the trade-offs in detail.
What do Sea Hunt boats offer families?
A boat the family doesn't enjoy ends up sitting on the trailer. Sea Hunt's layouts reflect that, and the details differ more by series than the brochures suggest.
Seating. The Ultra 219 comes standard with bow cushions, backrests and bolsters, so the bow becomes a lounge for two or three people. The bigger Ultras add a mezzanine leaning post with captain's chairs; the 245 SE has it as standard. The Gamefish 25 and 27 CB add a rear bench seat, so kids have a place to sit aft of the helm while you run.
Shade and a restroom. These two decide whether a family day lasts until 2 p.m. or 5 p.m. in July. The Ultra 245 SE comes standard with a fiberglass T-top with a mister system and a China toilet, plus a 10-gallon fresh water system. On the smaller Ultra 219, the T-top and a Porta Potti are options. Check the standard list for the exact model, because this is where two boats that look alike differ most.
Getting on and off. A side entry door, standard on the Ultra 245 SE, the Gamefish 25 and the Gamefish 27 CB, lets swimmers, older relatives and anyone stepping from a dock board without climbing over the gunwale. A side-entry ladder and holder are on the Ultra options list.
The extras. The Ultra Entertainment Center, an optional leaning post on many Ultras, packs a freshwater sink, a 35-quart cooler, wireless phone chargers and even a dog bowl drawer. It's a sandbar feature, and families who spend Saturdays at Disappearing Island or the Haulover sandbar tend to use it.
A practical test: bring the people who'll ride most often to look at the boat, and have each of them find a seat with shade.
What fishing features come on a Sea Hunt?
Sea Hunt is a saltwater builder first, and the fishing gear shows the split between inshore and offshore boats.
- BX 22 BR: 18-gallon console and 20-gallon aft livewells, lockable rod storage for four rods on each side, a 200-quart bow box, Bennett trim tabs and a trolling motor plug and harness as standard.
- Ultra 219 and 234: a 15-gallon livewell standard; a recirculating livewell and Kingfish rod holders are options.
- Gamefish 25: a 35-gallon leaning-post livewell, a 16-gallon transom livewell and 200-quart fish boxes, with twin engines for the run home.
- Gamefish 28 and 30 CB: a 40-gallon mezzanine livewell, a 15-gallon pitch-bait well and a 320-quart coffin box.
Read those lists against the way you fish. A morning sight-casting reds on the Banana River needs two healthy livewells for shrimp and pilchards, rod racks that keep tackle off the deck, and a trolling motor. The BX is set up for exactly that. A day slow-trolling live bait for kingfish off Port Canaveral needs a big well that keeps a few dozen baits lively for hours, and room to fight a fish on any side. That's the Gamefish leaning-post well and the open cockpit.
The Ultra sits in between. Its single 15-gallon well handles a day of inshore bait or a few dozen pilchards for a nearshore trip, but it isn't built for a hard-core tournament day. Many owners treat it as a family boat that fishes, which is what it is.
Electronics follow the same pattern. Smaller boats come with a 9-inch Garmin and VHF, the Ultra 245 SE gets a 12-inch Garmin with Yamaha's CL5 display, and the Gamefish 28 and 30 CB carry dual 17-inch Garmins and Yamaha autopilot. For model-by-model detail, see 9 Sea Hunt fishing boats, compared.
Why are Sea Hunts powered by Yamaha?
Every current power option is a Yamaha, from the F150 on the smallest BX and Ultra models to twin F350s on the biggest boats. Sea Hunt doesn't call the arrangement exclusive, so neither do we. Sea Hunt matches each hull to its engines and props through the Yamaha Power Match System, so you aren't left guessing whether a boat is underpowered. One engine brand also means one set of gauges and one service shop for the whole package. Our Yamaha maintenance guide covers the service rhythm.
How are Sea Hunt boats built, and do they have wood?
Sea Hunt's website doesn't publish what's inside its hulls, decks or stringers, so we won't claim a no-wood build on its behalf. What it does publish is its warranty, the better measure of what a builder stands behind.
Sea Hunt's warranty
Buying used inside the first ten years? Ask whether the transfer form was filed; miss the 15-day window and the hull coverage doesn't follow the boat. Our hull technology guide covers construction in more detail.
Who builds Sea Hunt boats?
Sea Hunt is a family company. Father and son Vic and Bubba Roof started it in 1995 in a one-room shop outside Columbia, South Carolina, with the goal of building an affordable boat that was the best in its class. The company still describes itself as family-owned and operated, and it still builds in Columbia.
Sea Hunt calls itself the #1 selling saltwater center console for 20 years straight. For a buyer, that popularity means a large owner base, plenty of used boats to compare and service shops that know the boats.
Thinking about a used Sea Hunt? Our used boat buying guide covers the survey, the sea trial and Florida's title and tax rules.
Is a Sea Hunt the right boat for you?
You want a center console or bay boat that rides dry, fishes well and seats your crew, with Yamaha power and a builder-backed hull warranty.
You plan to sleep aboard, run mostly on freshwater lakes for watersports, or pole the skinniest flats. A cruiser, a bowrider or a technical poling skiff fits those jobs better.
The regret we hear most often with any brand is buying the wrong size for the water. A first-time owner buys a 21-foot Ultra for the lagoon, then finds the family wants to run the beach off Cocoa every weekend. Another buys a Gamefish 28 and spends most Saturdays on the Intracoastal, paying to tow, fuel and store more boat than the trips need.
Avoid that by naming your three most common trips and your roughest regular run, then shortlisting one model in each series that could handle them. Ride two of them on the same day if you can. Ask what's standard and what's optional on each, because that's where boats that look alike on paper differ.
Budget time for the boring questions too: where the boat will sleep, what tows it, and who services it. Those answers rule out more models than any feature list. Our storage guide and hurricane prep checklist cover the Florida side.
Shop at Florida's #1 Sea Hunt dealer
Tell us where you fish and who comes along, and we'll suggest two or three Sea Hunts to compare.
Questions we hear
Are Sea Hunt boats good quality?
Sea Hunt backs its hulls with a 10-year limited warranty against structural defects in fiberglass material and workmanship, plus a one-year limited warranty on the rest of the boat. Its boats use Yamaha power matched to each hull. How any boat holds up over the years still depends on care: rinsing after salt, keeping to the engine service schedule, covering the upholstery and storing it out of the sun when you can.
Do Sea Hunt boats have wood in them?
Sea Hunt's website doesn't say what's inside its hulls, decks or stringers, so we won't make that claim for it. Sea Hunt backs the hull with a 10-year limited warranty against structural defects in fiberglass material and workmanship. If construction materials matter to your decision, ask us and we'll confirm with Sea Hunt for the exact model and year you're considering.
Where are Sea Hunt boats made?
Sea Hunt builds its boats in Columbia, South Carolina. Father and son Vic and Bubba Roof started the company there in 1995 in a one-room shop, and it describes itself as family-owned and operated. Warranty repairs are handled at the Columbia plant or, at Sea Hunt's option, by an authorized Sea Hunt dealer.
Does the Sea Hunt warranty transfer to a second owner?
The 10-year hull warranty can transfer once, to the second owner, for whatever term remains. Sea Hunt requires the new owner to complete a Warranty Transfer form and file it with Sea Hunt within 15 days of the sale. The one-year limited warranty does not transfer. If you're buying a used Sea Hunt, ask the seller for the original purchase date and file the form right away.
Which Sea Hunt is best for offshore fishing?
The Gamefish series is Sea Hunt's offshore line. Every Gamefish comes with twin Yamahas, and the hulls have deeper deadrise, such as 21/24/60 on the Gamefish 25. The larger Ultra SE models also run offshore with more family seating. For inshore flats and bays, the BX bay boats fit better.
