SEA RAY 210 SUNDECK

Somehow, Sea Ray managed to get most of its big deckboat features in a compact package with the new 210 Sundeck. You don’t often see a standard head compartment on a 22-foot deckboat, but not only does the 210 have one, but even normal-sized folks can enter without peril. Despite the compact size, the boat has a huge swim platform and stern locker more than 6 feet long.

One of the biggest pluses of the 210 Sundeck was its ability to handle the choppy conditions with its 21-degree deadrise at the stern. You can only get away with this much hull angle if you build it fairly heavy to avoid tippiness and achieve that luxury car feel, and at 4,776 pounds it qualifies. This deep-V configuration and beefiness also helps the 210 throw down a respectable wakeboarding wake at slow speeds with the trim up. For some reason, though, at slower speeds, our test boat tended to list to starboard.

Some manufacturers do the helm-forward thing, which scrunches up a bow rider’s legs when reclining. Or, they restrict backrest angle to try to compensate, but Sea Ray continues its tradition of providing the best seat in the house with luxurious chaise lounge seating and plenty of legroom for seated passengers.

A new optional VisionAir helm seat with a mesh back and seat bottom is comfortable and is wet swimsuit friendly, but the flip-up bolster was less ergonomic with a hard, prominent forward section. The helm is high tech with a push-button starter and SmartCraft gauges that let you know what’s going on with the 260 hp MerCruiser 5.0L MPI.

For those who feel the need for speed, a nice upgrade is the 300 hp MerCruiser 350 MAG MPI engine with Digital throttle and Shift (DTS), which is a fly-by-wire control system.