When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Rinker Captiva 186 FS OB 2013 and the Rinker Captiva 196 OB 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 — Rinker Captiva 186 FS OB 2013 at 18,7 ft versus Rinker Captiva 196 OB 2013 at 19,5 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Rinker Captiva 196 OB 2013 tips the scales at 3 325 lbs — 650 lbs less than the Rinker Captiva 186 FS OB 2013 at 2 675 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 power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 200 hp, the Rinker Captiva 196 OB 2013 has a 50-hp advantage over the Rinker Captiva 186 FS OB 2013's 150-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. 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 Rinker Captiva 196 OB 2013 is rated for 9 passengers, while the Rinker Captiva 186 FS OB 2013 caps at 8. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Rinker Captiva 196 OB 2013 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Rinker Captiva 196 OB 2013 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 9 passengers and at 19,5 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Rinker Captiva 186 FS OB 2013 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 8 that costs less to run day-to-day.