David Broyles went 10 years without owning a boat. When the Mesquite, Texas, resident decided two years ago to buy a new boat, he was shocked at the prices.

Boats have never been better, but technology and luxury are achieved at a price that frequently leaves middle-class boaters shaking their heads.

Broyles’ solution was to buy an aluminum-hull Xpress bass boat and save about $10,000 on the cost of a comparably sized and equipped fiberglass hull.

Veteran boaters will argue that aluminum hulls will never match the ride of a well-designed fiberglass rig. The nature of fiberglass allows it to be molded into unique hull shapes that result in smoother, drier and safer rides.

In today’s market, most aluminum boats are chosen for their relatively inexpensive price, rather than their performance or looks. Broyles has found aluminum boats do have advantages.

“I can get my boat into shallower water than the fiberglass boats,” he said.

Casey Cox of Carrollton, Texas, bought a 24-foot Sea Ark last year and rigged it with a 140-horsepower Suzuki four-stroke outboard. It is essentially an aluminum work boat outfitted as a fishing rig.

“The boat is ugly, it’s loud and it rides pretty rough when the wind comes up,” he said. “I knew all that when I bought the boat, however. I wanted it to do certain things, and it suits my purpose just fine.”