When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Tidewater Boats 228WA Excursion 2009 and the Tidewater Boats 2400 Bay Max 2012 are modified 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 — Tidewater Boats 228WA Excursion 2009 at 21,8 ft versus Tidewater Boats 2400 Bay Max 2012 at 24,3 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Tidewater Boats 2400 Bay Max 2012 tips the scales at 245 lbs — 217 lbs less than the Tidewater Boats 228WA Excursion 2009 at 28 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 — 250 hp for the Tidewater Boats 228WA Excursion 2009 and 250 hp for the Tidewater Boats 2400 Bay Max 2012. 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. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 9 gal and 7 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.