Facebook Instagram Youtube

Sea Hunt Ultra 219 vs. 229: The Right First Center Console for Orlando Boaters

The Right First Center Console for Orlando Boaters

  • Core Difference: The Ultra 229 is longer, wider, heavier and carries more fuel than the Ultra 219, and it takes more horsepower. Boater USA lists the 219 at 21’4″ with an 8’3″ beam and the 229 at 22’9″ with an 8’6″ beam.

  • Shallow Water Is a Tie: Boater USA lists both hulls at a 13-inch draft, so the 229 does not cost you access to the skinny edges of Lake Conway or the Butler Chain.

  • Stowage Is a Tie Too: Boater USA reports identical locker and livewell figures on both boats, which means the step up buys hull and range, not more room for gear.

  • Where the 229 Earns Its Keep: An 84-gallon fuel capacity against 60, and a sharper 18-degree transom deadrise against 16, matter most once you tow to Port Canaveral or Sebastian Inlet.

  • Orlando Verdict: Lake-first families with occasional coastal runs are well served by the 219. Buyers who plan real offshore days should look hard at the 229.

Picture a Saturday that starts on the Butler Chain at first light and ends with the trailer hitched for a Sunday run out of Port Canaveral. That is a normal weekend for an Orlando boat owner, and it is the exact reason the Sea Hunt Ultra 219 and Ultra 229 come up in the same conversation on our showroom floor on W D Judge Drive. Neither boat is a lake boat or a coastal boat. Both are asked to be both.

The question behind the shopping is simple: is the extra length worth it, and what do you actually give up if you buy the smaller one? This article answers that with the published numbers, then translates them into what happens on Central Florida water — the Clermont Chain in a stiff afternoon breeze, the Kissimmee ramps on a holiday weekend, the chop stacking up outside Sebastian Inlet on an outgoing tide.

We sell a lot of both models. What follows is how we help families in Winter Garden, Clermont and Kissimmee choose between them, including the cases where the smaller boat is the smarter buy.

What Is the Difference Between the Sea Hunt Ultra 219 and 229?

The Short Answer:

The Sea Hunt Ultra 219 and Ultra 229 are dual-purpose center consoles. Boater USA lists the 219 at 21’4″ long, 8’3″ beam, 2,350 lbs dry, 60 gallons of fuel and a 200 HP maximum. The 229 is 22’9″ long, 8’6″ beam, 2,600 lbs dry, 84 gallons and a 250 HP maximum. Both draw 13 inches. The 229 is the bigger-water boat.

The Hull Is the Real Story, Not the Length

Length gets quoted first because it is easy to picture, but the deadrise numbers explain how each boat behaves. Boater USA reports a variable deadrise of 16/20/55 degrees on the Ultra 219 and 18/22/55 degrees on the Ultra 229, meaning the 229 finishes two degrees sharper at the transom.

Two degrees sounds trivial written down. On the water it is the difference between a hull that plants and slices and one that rides a little flatter. A flatter transom is steadier at rest and gets on plane with less effort — genuinely useful on a lake. A sharper transom pays you back in a head sea.

Specification Comparison: 219 Against 229

  • Length Overall: Boater USA lists the 219 at 21’4″ and the 229 at 22’9″, a difference of 1’5″ — enough to matter in a standard garage bay but not enough to change your tow vehicle conversation.

  • Beam: 8’3″ on the 219 against 8’6″ on the 229, per Boater USA. Three inches of beam translates to steadier footing when three people crowd one gunwale on a hookup.

  • Draft: Boater USA lists both hulls at 13 inches. This is the single most important tie in the comparison for inland Central Florida buyers.

  • Dry Weight: 2,350 lbs for the 219 and 2,600 lbs for the 229, according to Boater USA — 250 lbs apart before fuel, gear and people.

  • Fuel Capacity: 60 gallons on the 219 against 84 gallons on the 229, a 24-gallon difference that Boater USA attributes to the larger hull.

  • Maximum Horsepower: Boater USA rates the 219 at 200 HP maximum and the 229 at 250 HP maximum.

  • Capacity: Boater USA lists the Ultra 219 at eight people.

Stowage Is Where the Comparison Surprises People

Buyers usually assume a longer boat means more lockers. Here it does not. Boater USA reports that the Ultra 219 and Ultra 229 share identical stowage and livewell figures: a 15-gallon rear livewell, 110-quart starboard bow storage, 70-quart port bow storage, 48-quart front console storage and 5-gallon bucket storage.

That is a genuinely useful thing to know before you write a deposit check. If your reason for moving up is “we need somewhere to put the tubes and the tackle,” the 229 does not solve that problem. The extra money buys hull shape and fuel range. Our walkthroughs of the Sea Hunt storage layouts cover how families actually pack these boats for a mixed lake-and-coast weekend.

Power and Rigging on the 219

Rigging is part of the decision, not an afterthought. Ingman Marine, an authorized Sea Hunt dealer, lists the Ultra 219 as shipping standard with a Yamaha F150 XC outboard, with a Yamaha F200 XC available as the optional upgrade, plus Yamaha hydraulic steering and a SeaStar tilt helm.

That optional F200 is worth a conversation. If you tow, load four adults and run a loaded boat to the coast a few times a season, the upgrade changes how the hull feels under load far more than the brochure suggests. If the boat lives on Lake Conway with two people aboard, the standard package is plenty. Compare rigging paths across the line on our single outboard configurations page.

Where Price Enters the Conversation

Boater USA lists a base price of $59,483 for the Sea Hunt Ultra 219. Treat that as a starting MSRP — options, engine choice, electronics and a trailer all move the number, and so does the boat you are trading in.

The honest trade-off is this: the 219 gets a family onto the water at a lower entry point with the same draft and the same lockers as the 229. The 229 costs more to buy and more to fuel, and it earns that back only if you genuinely use the range and the ride. Our team walks through the arithmetic on boat financing options and on trade-in valuations before anyone commits.

Which Ultra Fits Central Florida’s Lake-and-Coast Boating?

The Short Answer:

Orlando boating means freshwater chains and Atlantic inlets from the same trailer. The Sea Hunt Ultra 219 suits owners whose weekends center on the Butler Chain, Clermont Chain, Lake Conway and the St. Johns River, with occasional coastal runs. The Ultra 229, with more fuel and a sharper transom deadrise, suits owners who plan regular days out of Port Canaveral or Sebastian Inlet chasing mahi, kingfish and cobia.

The Inland Half of the Job

On the Butler Chain of Lakes, the limiting factors are the connecting canals, the wake zones and the weekend traffic, not the boat’s offshore ability. A 13-inch draft — the same on both hulls, per Boater USA — clears the shallow shoulders where largemouth bass hold along the pad edges in the early morning.

Orange County publishes a Boats and Water Safety Ordinance governing vessel operation on county waters including the Butler Chain, so idle zones and operating rules are worth reviewing before your first Saturday out. The Clermont Chain and Lake Conway present a similar picture: wind-driven chop rather than swell, short runs rather than long ones.

The Coastal Half of the Job

Port Canaveral and Sebastian Inlet change the math. Once you clear the jetties, fuel range stops being theoretical and transom deadrise stops being a spec sheet line. The 229’s 84 gallons against the 219’s 60, per Boater USA, is the difference between planning your day around the fuel gauge and planning it around the fish.

That said, plenty of Orlando owners run a 219 to the coast and are entirely happy doing it. The trade-off is that they pick their days more carefully and stay closer in. If you are honest that you will fish nearshore snapper and cobia rather than run offshore for mahi, the smaller boat holds up.

Real-World Field Scenarios

  • Butler Chain Family Saturday, Windermere: Two adults, three kids, a tube and a cooler, launching mid-morning and idling the connecting canals. The 219’s flatter 16-degree transom, per Boater USA’s deadrise figure, sits steadier at anchor and gets a loaded boat on plane easily. This is the 219’s day.

  • Sebastian Inlet on an Outgoing Tide: Standing wave at the mouth, then a run offshore for kingfish. The 229’s sharper 18-degree transom deadrise and 84-gallon fuel capacity are both working for you here, and the extra three inches of beam steadies the crew in a beam sea.

  • Clermont Chain Bass Morning: First light, two anglers, working the shallow edges. Both boats draw 13 inches, so this scenario does not separate them at all — buy on the rest of your calendar.

  • Kissimmee Ramp on a Holiday Weekend: Long queues, tight turnarounds, a crowded staging lot. The 219 is 1’5″ shorter and 250 lbs lighter, which makes the whole rigmarole marginally easier for a newer trailer driver.

  • St. Johns River Run, DeLand Toward the Coast: Long, protected miles with limited fuel stops. This is where the 229’s tank capacity quietly earns its money even though the water is calm.

Decision Criteria: How to Choose Between Them

  • Count Your Coastal Days: Fewer than six or seven trips a year through Port Canaveral or Sebastian Inlet points to the 219. More than that, and the 229’s fuel and hull start paying rent.

  • Check Your Storage Bay: The 1’5″ length difference decides some garages and some HOA lots in Winter Garden and Clermont before anything else does.

  • Be Honest About Crew Size: If you routinely run with a full crew and gear, the 229’s beam and 250 HP maximum give you headroom the 219 does not have.

  • Do Not Buy for Stowage: Boater USA’s figures show the lockers and livewell are identical. If storage is your reason, the 229 is the wrong answer.

  • Consider the Next Step Up: If your list keeps growing, look at the Ultra 255 SE. Ultimate Marine lists it at 24’11” with an 8’9″ beam and a 4,600 lb dry weight — roughly 2,000 lbs heavier than the 229, and a different towing and storage conversation entirely.

When This Comparison Does Not Apply

If your boating is almost entirely inshore and shallow — poling the flats, working skinny backwaters — neither Ultra is the natural fit, and a bay boat platform deserves a look instead. Our breakdown of center consoles versus bay boats covers that fork in the road properly.

Equally, if your priority is refined finish and a different class of build rather than dual-purpose versatility, Scout is a separate mission, not a higher rung on the same ladder. The Scout lineup answers a different question, and we treat it that way.

Freshwater Conditions Worth Knowing

Inland lakes change through the year. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission conducted aquatic plant control operations on Lake Tohopekaliga, announced in January 2025, which is a reminder that vegetation management, water levels and access can shift season to season on Central Florida’s chains.

Practically, that means checking conditions before you tow, and keeping a shallow-draft mindset even in a boat rated for the coast. Both Ultras give you that at 13 inches.

Key Takeaways

  • Same Draft, Same Lockers: Boater USA lists both hulls at 13 inches with identical stowage and livewell figures, so shallow-water access and gear space are not differentiators.

  • Fuel Is the Clearest Split: 60 gallons on the 219 against 84 on the 229 decides how far you can range from Port Canaveral or Sebastian Inlet.

  • Deadrise Decides the Ride: The 229’s 18-degree transom against the 219’s 16 degrees favors offshore chop; the flatter 219 favors lake stability and easy planing.

  • Power Ceiling Matters Under Load: A 250 HP maximum on the 229 against 200 HP on the 219 gives the larger boat more headroom with a full crew and full tank.

  • Buy for Your Calendar: Lake-first Orlando families with occasional coastal runs are well matched to the 219; regular offshore days justify the 229.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Sea Hunt Ultra 229 harder to tow than the 219?

It is heavier and longer. Boater USA lists a 2,600 lb dry weight on the 229 against 2,350 lbs on the 219, and 1’5″ more length. Both are manageable behind a properly rated tow vehicle, but the 219 is the easier boat to maneuver at a busy Kissimmee ramp if you are new to trailering.

Can the Ultra 219 handle Port Canaveral and Sebastian Inlet?

Yes, on the right days and with sensible planning. Its 60-gallon capacity and 16-degree transom deadrise, per Boater USA, mean you pick your weather window and stay closer in rather than running long offshore. Owners who want to go regardless of a marginal forecast are better served by the 229.

Does the Ultra 229 hold more gear than the 219?

No. Boater USA reports identical stowage figures across both boats, including the 15-gallon rear livewell and the 110-quart and 70-quart bow lockers. The larger hull buys fuel and ride quality, not locker volume.

What engine comes on the Ultra 219?

Ingman Marine lists the Ultra 219 as shipping standard with a Yamaha F150 XC, with a Yamaha F200 XC as the optional upgrade, alongside Yamaha hydraulic steering and a SeaStar tilt helm. Rigging choices should reflect how heavily you load the boat, not just the brochure.

Which model is better for largemouth bass on the Butler Chain?

Both work equally well for shallow lake fishing, since Boater USA lists the same 13-inch draft on each. Choose based on your coastal plans and your storage space, not on inland performance.

Should I skip both and look at the Ultra 255 SE?

Only if your usage genuinely calls for it. Ultimate Marine lists the 255 SE at 24’11” with a 4,600 lb dry weight, roughly 2,000 lbs heavier than the 229. That changes your tow vehicle, your storage and your running costs, so make the jump for a real reason.

See the Ultra 219 and 229 Side by Side in Orlando

The fastest way to settle this comparison is to stand in both boats. Our showroom at 3419 W D Judge Dr. #150 in Orlando keeps Ultra hulls on the floor, and we serve owners across Winter Garden, Clermont and Kissimmee. Ultimate Marine is Florida’s #1 Sea Hunt Dealer, an honor awarded by Sea Hunt Boats on unit sales volume and customer service.

Tell us where you boat and how often, and we will point you at the right hull rather than the bigger one. Browse Sea Hunt models in stock, review the Ultra series overview, or schedule a showroom visit. You can also reach our Orlando team directly at (407) 289-1220.

External References

Ultimate Marine