Offshore Center Consoles
Contender
The hardcore center console.
Built in Homestead, Florida since 1985. Contender hulls are hand-laminated for hardcore offshore fishing — sharp entries, deep deadrises, and the dry, soft ride serious anglers come back for.
About the Builder
Tournament-Bred Center Consoles, Hand-Built in Homestead Since 1984
Founded by Joe Neber in 1984 with the launch of the original Classic 25, Contender Boats has spent four decades building offshore center consoles for serious fishermen. Every hull is hand-laminated in Homestead, Florida, and engineered around a single goal: to win tournaments. The result is a lineup known for a dry, soft offshore ride and tournament-grade construction.
Built by fishermen, for fishermen
Contender was started in 1984 when Joe Neber rolled the first Classic 25 out of the building, and the company has stayed under his ownership ever since. That continuity has kept the vision unchanged: well-built performance boats made for offshore fishing and recreation. As Contender puts it, decent boats don’t win tournaments — and serious fishermen don’t buy decent boats. Every model is purpose-built to outfish the competition rather than simply look the part at the dock.
Hand-laminated, tournament-grade construction
Each Contender is crafted with hand-laminated solid fiberglass using biaxial and triaxial cloths, paired with structural PVC core sandwich construction for a hull that is both light and exceptionally strong. Vinylester resins and specially formulated gel coats deliver a high-gloss, mirror-like finish that holds up offshore. This big-boat construction philosophy carries all the way down the range, so even the smaller hulls are built to the same hardcore offshore standard.
A deep-V hull engineered for the run offshore
Contender hulls are a proven deep-V design with a 24.5-degree deadrise and a reverse radius chine, a combination tuned to knock down spray and keep anglers dry in even the roughest conditions. That hull is the backbone of a lineup that spans bay-ready boats like the 24 Bay and 28 Bay, tournament platforms such as the 25 Tournament and the stepped ST models from the 28 ST through the 39 ST, and the versatile 44 Fisharound. The payoff is a confident, dry, soft ride built for hardcore offshore fishing.
Contender’s debut film for the 44ST — the flagship that arrived after 35 years of building tournament center consoles.
Current Lineup
Models
14 models in the current Contender lineup
Available Now
Inventory
Live Contender listings from our active inventory feed. Updated twice daily from boats.com.
Don't see the right boat? Get first look.
New Contender listings land every week. Leave your email and we'll notify you the moment a Contender hits the market — often before it's promoted anywhere else.
FAQ
Common questions.
Is Valhalla Yacht Sales an authorized Contender dealer?
Yes. We are the authorized dealer for Contender, which means factory-trained salespeople, direct access to build slots, and warranty work handled in our own service centers rather than subcontracted out.
Which of your locations carry Contender?
New-boat availability varies by location: our New Jersey and Florida locations sell new boats across the lines we represent, while our North Carolina location sells new Viking Yachts and Valhalla Boatworks and is a Princess Yachts America dealer. Every location handles brokerage across all brands. Call ahead before driving — inventory moves, and what is on the floor this week may not be next.
Can I order a Contender built to my spec?
Yes. New builds are configure-to-order, which is why you will not see a fixed price on the model pages — layout, power, electronics and finish all move the number. Tell us how you plan to use the boat and a salesperson will spec it with you and confirm the current build slot.
Do you sell pre-owned Contender boats?
Yes. Our brokerage covers all brands, including pre-owned Contender hulls, and we list only clean, well-maintained vessels. If nothing suitable is showing today, tell a salesperson what you are after and they will flag it when it comes through.
Can you arrange financing on a Contender?
Yes. We work with marine-specialty lenders rather than acting as a captive financer, so you can bring your own bank if you prefer. On vessels above roughly $150k those lenders typically offer 15- to 20-year terms that a generalist bank will not match.