My kids were boating from 6 mos. on. They spent 100's of hours in a 24 & 30 Superboat. I ran the boats like they were meant to be run. Kids never complained.......wife different story.

You might be pleasantly surprised with a CC. Kids need to be occupied to be happy. They get restless sitting in the confined cockpit of a sport boat. A CC has room to move around, has shade, you can get in and out of the water much easier, water sports, fish, BBQ, etc. and still go pretty fast.

Get a Mid-Cabin boat and everyone will be happy!

http://flpowerboat.com/gallery/displ...bum=152&pos=81
http://flpowerboat.com/gallery/displ...bum=152&pos=82

You will never use the cabin (in FL) for overnighting so why not use the bow for more seating especially with lots of flat water boating like St Johns River. I wouldn't put kids up there alone but an adult would be fine at reasonable speeds. Open bow has great airflow through the cabin also if the kids want out of the sun (obviously at slower speeds). My kids were 4 and 1 when I bought this boat and the above pics were from the Jax Poker run a few years ago.

BTW my 32 Sunsation was named GO TIME!

Here is a new Donzi MCOB
http://www.offshoreonly.com/classifi...-2-o67445.html

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They are never too young to go boating and I have never found that a sport boat made it difficult with them. They go in the cuddy sometimes to get out of the sun or just to be different they will go in there to eat lunch with "just the kids" and have a great time.

..............................And we'll never be too old!

I don't have a "go-fast" boat, but I do have a 68mph pontoon that my 2yr loves being on, First thing she does when we get to the cabin(boat ride daddy, boat ride daddy) I have to be careful as she will run down the dock and try and start lowering the boat into the water. She has been on it since she was 6 month old use to put her to sleep, now she runs around like a crazy child, Looking forward to the days I can take her pan fish fishing, Use to love that as a kid with my day.

My 4 year old, been in a boat since before she came out of the chute.

She was so happy when she got her matching lifeline.

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Wow awesome responses, love all the pics with all of your kids they are great. This makes me feel much better about the whole thing. I didn't know lifeline made kids jackets that would make me feel much better too, those look really good Rollin1405.

Jupiter Sunsation, not a bad idea with the open bow. I was actually looking at an eliminator cat with an open bow but I am sort of done with the cat thing I've been there and done that. I love that Donzi but it is about $150K over my price range. I wish there was a used one on the market. I don't plan on ever doing any overnights, the cabin was more of somewhere for us to get out of the sun or rain for a bit.

Thanks for sharing and all the info everyone!

My son has been driving boats sense he was 3 now at 11 he looks at boats when we are out saying "how about that boat dad. That would be a good starter boat for me." He will be the kid with a 100 dollar beater car with a 5,000 dollar boat. Lol I sead to him one day you will need a good truck or how you going to hual your boat he sead you will do it for me. Little **** and I would do it to haha

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