When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the EdgeWater 188CC 2008 and the EdgeWater 190IS 2013 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 — EdgeWater 188CC 2008 at 18,0 ft versus EdgeWater 190IS 2013 at 19,5 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the EdgeWater 188CC 2008 tips the scales at 205 lbs — 203 lbs more than the EdgeWater 190IS 2013 at 2 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.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 150 hp for the EdgeWater 188CC 2008 and 150 hp for the EdgeWater 190IS 2013. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the EdgeWater 188CC 2008 carries 54 gallons versus 45 gallons in the EdgeWater 190IS 2013. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The EdgeWater 190IS 2013 is rated for 8 passengers, while the EdgeWater 188CC 2008 caps at 7. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the EdgeWater 190IS 2013 could be the deciding factor.