The one thing you can say about flat-bottom boats is that with their large bottom area, the boat is very stable in calm weather. Characteristically, however, the flat, broad bow area creates a rough ride. These boats are usually limited to low horsepower motors because they don't handle well at high speed. Flat-bottom boats are greatly suited for fishing in skinny water from the Susquehanna River to the Florida Keys, where a very shallow draft is a must.

Early in our nautical history, boats were powered by wind or by hand-stroked oars. Early boat designers found that boats went faster, and were easier to steer, if the bow was pointed. They also soon discovered that by lowering the center of gravity, the high sail masts had better balance, and usually kept the boat upright even in bad weather.

The round-bottom boat has mostly a displacement hull and is usually used for dinghies, tenders, and some car-top boats. This boat style is usually easier to maneuver at slow speeds than the flat-bottom boat.

The "V"-bottom boat is probably the most common hull design. Most manufacturers of boats built today use modifications of this design. This design offers a good ride in rough water as the pointed bow slices forward and the "V"-shaped bottom softens the up-and-down movement of the boat. The degree of the angle of the "V" is called "deadrise." As the "V" shape extends to the back of the boat, it usually flattens out until it all but disappears at the transom. Some "V"-bottom boats have a flat surface at the very bottom called a "pad." This pad allows a little more planing surface and at the sacrifice of a little softness in the ride, but this addition increases top speed.

There are many boats in Pennsylvania waters that are a distinct modification of the "V"-bottom that are called tri-hulls and cathedral hulls. The tri-hull boat is the traditional "V" hull with additional outside hulls. This design is more stable than the "V"-bottom at rest, but it gives a rougher ride in choppy water because of the increased surface at the bow.

Tunnel boats have been designed to trap a cushion of air beneath the hull to reduce drag on the outside hulls. This design is different from a catamaran bottom because the inner edges of the outside hulls have sharp corners to improve the handling of these boats at very high speeds. Many race boats are constructed with tunnel hulls and are sometimes called "hydroplanes."

The pontoon, or deck boat, is a flat, raised deck supported with two outer hulls (pontoons) that are usually constructed of aluminum. These boats combine a lot of features of other boats. They ride very dry because the deck is raised above the floats. They are stable, and with the transom mounted to the underside of the deck, they are easy to maneuver with an outboard motor.

The boater who is looking for all-around use can make almost any hull design work for many water conditions. But even in the broadest markets, hull design is a continual research and development project. In specific niche markets, like water skiing, and now in the fastest growing of the water sports markets, wakeboarding, the competition for better hulls is tough.