Contender 25T Review and Used Buying Guide

Why a Contender 25T for sale rarely sits long

Look at any South Florida ramp on a kingfish tournament morning and you will see why a Contender 25T for sale tends to change hands quickly. The boat is the entry ticket to Contender's Tournament series, it fits on a single-axle-friendly footprint of 25 feet 3 inches by 8 feet 6 inches, and it rides on the same 24.5-degree deep-V philosophy that made the brand famous among Gulf Stream anglers. Buyers who cannot justify a 32ST or a 35ST get most of the ride and all of the attitude for roughly half the money.

Contender was founded in 1984 by Joe Neber, a free diver and spearfisherman who still owns and runs the company. Its first boat was the Contender 25 Classic, and Sport Fishing describes the current 25T as the newest iteration of that original idea. Today the boats are built in two Florida plants: Homestead is the headquarters and builds the big custom boats, while Fort Pierce builds models of 32 feet and under, which includes the 25T.

The 25T sits in the current lineup alongside the 24S, the 28T and the bay boats, and for model year 2026 it comes standard with Seakeeper's Ride system, which Contender says cuts up to 70 percent of pitch and roll at cruise. That is a meaningful upgrade for a narrow, deep hull that can feel lively at rest.

From 23 Tournament to 25T, untangling the name

Used shoppers need to understand Contender's shifting model names, because listings mix them freely. Contender's own spec sheets from 2010, preserved on the company's old contenderoffshore.com site, show a boat called the 23 Tournament measuring 25 feet 3 inches overall with an 8-foot 6-inch beam, about 4,200 pounds dry, 6,250 pounds ready to fish, 175 gallons of fuel and a 400 hp rating. By 2011 the same dimensions were being sold as the 25 Tournament, and that is the boat the 25T name descends from.

The numbering refers loosely to the running hull, while the overall length includes the integrated transom that replaced a bolt-on bracket. Contender argued at the time that the integrated transom adds running surface and is structurally stronger because it is molded as part of the hull. The 2016 and 2019 factory pages list the 25T at the same 25 feet 3 inches, 4,200 pounds dry and 6,250 pounds loaded, with 178 gallons of fuel.

The current boat keeps the length and beam but the published numbers changed: 145 gallons of fuel, 5,400 pounds ready to fish, 20 gallons of water and a 450 hp maximum. Treat any listing that quotes 175 or 178 gallons as an earlier-generation boat, and confirm tank size against the hull identification number with Contender, which will provide fuel capacity for boats built from 2000 onward.

Big-boat construction in a three-piece 25-footer

Contender describes the 25T as one of the smallest three-piece boats on the market, meaning a separate hull, liner and cap rather than the simpler two-piece construction common at this size. The hull is hand-laid fiberglass using biaxial and triaxial cloth, with balsa coring and strake reinforcement in the bottom laminate and a hand-laid, PVC-cored stringer grid. Fuel tanks are foamed and glassed in, and polyurethane foam fills most voids for flotation and sound deadening.

The deep-V carries 24.5 degrees of deadrise at the transom and a reverse-radius chine that Contender credits for knocking spray down and adding lift. In practice that combination gives the 25T a sharp, soft entry in a head sea and a dry ride for its size, at the cost of some roll at anchor. The new standard Seakeeper Ride system addresses running attitude rather than rest stability, so anglers who chum on anchor should still expect a deep-V's motion.

A deck laid out for the weigh-in

The standard deck on the current 25T is spare and purposeful. Forward is a 140-gallon fish box under the bow, two 76-gallon fish boxes sit aft in the sole, and a 40-gallon transom livewell keeps a load of goggle-eyes or threadfins alive. Two under-deck rod lockers flank the console and six under-gunwale racks hold spare outfits, so the T-top can be kept for trolling rods.

The console is Contender's M-Series unit with a side entry door, clear acrylic windshield and a built-in front seat with cushion and cooler. Behind it is a mini fixed-back aluminum leaning post with backrest, tray, four rod holders and a folding footrest. A laceless soft T-top with lighting and four rod holders is standard, and the full transom includes a dive door and an integral swim platform, which matters for divers and for anyone wiring a big fish to the boat.

Options run long because every boat is built to order: Yamaha Helm Master EX, a fiberglass hardtop, second station, electric head, clear enclosures, upgraded leaning posts, rear bench seat, coaming bolsters, outriggers, electric reel outlets, fresh and saltwater washdowns, gulper pumps in the aft boxes and forward seating. A boat set up for family cruising with forward and rear seating can look very different from a stripped tournament rig, so judge each used boat on how it was ordered.

Factory fuel numbers on twin Yamaha 150s

Contender's own performance bulletin for the 25 Tournament, archived from the factory site, lists a run with twin Yamaha F150 four-strokes swinging 13-3/4 by 19 Reliance propellers. The boat planed in just under 4 seconds and reached 52.2 mph at 6,000 rpm. The sweet spot came between 3,500 and 4,000 rpm, where the boat ran 26.4 to 32.7 mph while burning 10.7 to 13.9 gph, roughly 2.4 to 2.5 mpg. At 5,000 rpm it made 42.3 mph on 22 gph.

Those are factory figures on the earlier 175-gallon generation, so treat them as a ceiling rather than a promise for a loaded boat. Still, they show why the 25T has a following: a cruise in the low 30s mph at about 2.3 mpg means a day trip to the edge and back on a fraction of the tank. Contender did not publish a comparable curve for current single-engine packages, and buyers should ask the dealer for a sea trial with the exact power they intend to order.

Single or twin power on a 25-foot tournament hull

Contender has always rigged Yamaha outboards, and the 25T has been offered with single or twin engines. Earlier boats were rated to 400 hp and commonly carried twin 150s, twin 200s or a single 250 to 300. The current 450 hp rating opens the door to a single Yamaha V8 or twin 200 to 225 hp engines.

For a tournament angler running 40 miles offshore, twins buy redundancy and a get-home engine. For most owners, a modern single 300 to 350 hp is lighter, cheaper to maintain and easier to trailer, and the hull's weight distribution was designed to work with either. On the used market, twin-engine boats usually command a premium, but they also carry twice the gearcase, water pump and lower unit bills, so price the service history accordingly.

Ownership costs and life on a trailer

At 8 feet 6 inches of beam the 25T can be towed without a wide-load permit, and the 5,400-pound ready-to-fish figure means a capable half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck once you add a trailer, engines and fuel. Many owners keep these boats on lifts or in dry stack, which keeps the bottom clean and avoids the cost of bottom paint.

Our estimate for annual running costs is $9,000 to $20,000 excluding depreciation: insurance, storage or a slip, annual outboard service, a few hundred gallons of fuel a season and routine canvas and electronics upkeep. Tournament anglers who fish every weekend will burn through the top of that range quickly, mostly in fuel and engine hours.

What the used market looks like

Contender boats hold value better than most production center consoles of their size because they are built to order, they have a strong tournament reputation, and the 25T is the cheapest way into the Tournament series. Expect older 25 Tournaments with repowered engines to trade in the $35,000 to $60,000 band, mid-2010s boats from roughly $50,000 to $80,000, and late-model boats from about $105,000 upward depending on power. Options matter more than model year: a hardtop, Helm Master, outriggers and quality electronics all add real value.