When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Ebbtide 188 SE Bow Rider O/B 2012 and the Ebbtide 202 SE Bow Rider 2012 are deep vee designs with fiberglass construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Ebbtide 188 SE Bow Rider O/B 2012 at 18,3 ft versus Ebbtide 202 SE Bow Rider 2012 at 18,7 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Ebbtide 188 SE Bow Rider O/B 2012 tips the scales at 172 lbs — 146 lbs more than the Ebbtide 202 SE Bow Rider 2012 at 26 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
The Ebbtide 188 SE Bow Rider O/B 2012 carries a rated maximum of 150 hp. Engine data for the Ebbtide 202 SE Bow Rider 2012 wasn't available in our records — check the manufacturer's spec sheet before sizing a motor.Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 26 gal and 26 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Ebbtide 202 SE Bow Rider 2012 is rated for 9 passengers, while the Ebbtide 188 SE Bow Rider O/B 2012 caps at 8. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Ebbtide 202 SE Bow Rider 2012 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Ebbtide 202 SE Bow Rider 2012 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 9 passengers and at 18,7 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Ebbtide 188 SE Bow Rider O/B 2012 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 8 that costs less to run day-to-day.