Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185 Review

Alumacraft is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year with a pair of all-new family fish-and-ski runabouts, including the awesome Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185.

Aluminum fishing boats have come a long way in the past two years, to the point that in many areas they’ve largely replaced the traditional fiberglass bowrider as the standard family runabout. Aluminum is lighter weight, so it can offer better performance with smaller, fuel-sipping engines, and metal boats tend to handle occasional bumps against granite a bit better than glass boats do. They’re also easier to tow, and easier to launch on lakes with poor ramps.

But there’s more to it than that. The boats themselves have also evolved considerably and begun to incorporate more and more family-friendly features while still holding on to their incredible fishability, it it is that magical ability to go from tournament champ to family fun ride that sets the Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185 apart.

Alumacraft’s Competitor FSX 185 combines tournament-ready fishing features with comfortable seating and a full suite of family-friendly features.

For starters, the Competitor rides on Alumacraft’s exclusive 2XB double-plated hull for superior strength, and features full-length spray rails for a drier ride in all conditions. But while the foundation is familiar, the inside of the Competitor FSX 185 is all new, and there’s a lot to like.

The Competitor is built for fishing and a whole lot more, including tubing, waterskiing or wakeboarding. Rear deck comfort mats provide a soft surface for bare knees when reboarding after a swim or a ride behind the boat.

The basic layout follows a proven fish-and-ski pattern with raised bow and stern decks and a large central cockpit that’s protected by a big, walk-through windshield. But look closer and the differences soon become apparent.

The stern casting deck is bigger than most, providing extra comfort both when fishing or when getting in and out of the boat after a swim or a ride on a boogie board.

Look more closely and it’s soon apparent that that stern casting deck of the Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185 is bigger than most – it’s a full six inches deeper, in fact, providing more space when casting from the back for greater security and comfort. At the transom you’ll also note the addition of padded rear deck comfort mats, which along with the adjacent grab handle and the standard retractable boarding ladder, make it a whole lot easier – and vastly more comfortable – to get back in the boat after taking a swim, or a ride on the boogie board.

The pop-up jump seats are full-sized for adult riders. The adjacent drink holders are a nice touch.

The large aft deck also provides space for a pair of full-sized jump seats. These corner seats are big and well upholstered, unlike some others that are a bit too thin and a bit too narrow for anyone other than kids. Each seat is also served by a flush-fitting drink holder right in the deck, which is a nice touch.

Between the jump seats is a large lid that opens to reveal a 22-gallon aerated live well with a timer control. The big lid makes it a lot easier to stow or retrieve fish, but if you need even more space, lifting the starboard-side jump seat provides additional live well access. The port-side seat also lifts, revealing secure dry storage.

The Competitor FSX 185 comes with two live wells – a 22-gallon version in the stern, and an 18-gallon well in the bow. Both are timer-controlled.

The stern casting deck also features a recessed ski pylon base that comes as a standard feature. The removable pylon itself stows in dedicated clips located in the starboard side rod storage compartment. If it’s time to fish rather than ski, the pylon base will also accept one of the removable pedestal-mount seats, for casting in comfort. The boat comes with three seats, and you can order more from the dealer if you like.

There’s a lot of storage space for gear in the 185, including a large starboard-side rod locker.

The main cockpit of the Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185 is wide and spacious. The previously mentioned starboard-side gunnel locker holds extra fishing rods or other bulky gear, while the port-side gunnel provides space for a built-in cooler, and gear storage in two further compartments.

Additional rod storage can be found in the bow deck.

As you look around the interior it’s hard to miss Alumacraft’s fresh, modern design cues, including the bright and attractive red stitching accents on the interior upholstery, giving the boat a clean and contemporary look.

As a boat built for family comfort, the Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185 comes with a tall, walk-through windshield that does a great job of protecting occupants from the elements when underway. That will be especially appreciated by buyers in northern areas, since it allows them to greatly extend their boating season earlier and later in the year.

The passenger console is large, with plenty of room for larger items like purses. Also note the floor-level drawer for even more gear.

The passenger console features a large, locking glove box, complete with a convenient storage tray up top for smaller items like sunscreen. There’s a convenient grab handle adjacent for the passenger, along with an integrated drink holder. Look down, and the console features a useful pull-out drawer in its base that’s ideal for stowing valuables like wallets and the truck keys.

The sporty helm is centered around a central multi-function display, with controls for electrical accessories to the right, just above the stereo. Note the deep tray behind the dash panel, to keep smaller items like binoculars secure.

Opposite, the helm provides space for a large, central flush-mounted multi-function display, with a row of backlit toggles to the right of its chrome-on-black sport steering wheel controlling the navigation lights, courtesy lights, live well pumps and timers and other accessories. There’s also a USB port on the left side of the dash to keep phones fully charged, and a Bluetooth Infinity stereo with two speakers. Down below, the driver’s console includes a similar drawer storage arrangement to the passenger side. For comfort, the helm seat is on a slider base so it easily adjusts to drivers of all heights and builds.

The bow deck provides plenty of casting space, plus room for storage below.

Additional cockpit details include niceties like fold-down cleats, which won’t snag stray fishing lines or stub stray toes, Alumacraft’s AlumaTrac accessory mounting system, a fire extinguisher and courtesy lights.

Step through the windshield up onto the bow deck and you pass the center-line locking rod storage compartment, which has room for rods to eight feet in length.

Families who like to do more than just fish will find a lot to like about Alumacraft’s all-new Competitor FSX 185.

The big bow deck provides ample space for a couple of anglers to cast in comfort, along with a ton of storage space below. There’s also an 18-gallon aerated bow live well, plus a raised bow pad for mounting an electric trolling motor. It also offers space for mounting electronics, and an integrated drink holder, which is another nice touch.

Overall, the Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185 is a well designed, well executed fish and ski boat that checks a lot of boxes. Check it out and you’ll soon agree.