How to Shop the Atlanta and North Georgia Boat Shows Like a Pro (2027 Guide)
Two major boat shows are hitting the Atlanta area this winter — and Honda Marine is offering up to $10,000 in rebates while Monterey Elite is offering up to $10,000 off. Here is exactly how to walk the floor, what to look for, and how to get the best deal of the year.
Two major boat shows are coming to the Atlanta area this winter. If you have been thinking about buying a boat — or even just thinking about thinking about it — these two events are the best opportunity of the year to see dozens of boats in person, talk to dealers who actually know the local lakes, and lock in pricing that is not available any other time.
Here is the honest guide to making the most of both shows: what to look for, what questions to ask, and how to take advantage of the biggest rebates we have seen in years.
The Two Shows You Need to Know About
The Discover Boating Atlanta Boat Show — January 7–10, 2027
The Atlanta Boat Show is the largest boat show in the Southeast and one of the top ten in the country. It returns to the Georgia World Congress Center, Hall B — 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 — for four days.
Show hours:
- Thursday, January 7: 11 AM – 8 PM
- Friday, January 8: 11 AM – 8 PM
- Saturday, January 9: 10 AM – 8 PM
- Sunday, January 10: 10 AM – 5 PM
Tickets: Available at atlantaboatshow.com. Adults typically $15–$18 at the door; check the site for advance pricing and family packages.
This is where you go to see the full range — pontoons, tritoons, center consoles, sport boats, deck boats, fishing boats, and everything in between. Hundreds of boats under one roof. Carefree Boat Sales will be on the floor with our full 2027 Godfrey lineup and the Monterey Elite Series.
Read our full Atlanta Boat Show preview: Carefree Boat Sales Returns to the Atlanta Boat Show — Bigger, Bolder, and Bringing the 2027 Godfrey Tritoons
The North Georgia Boat Show — December 10–13, 2026
The North Georgia Boat Show is a brand-new show making its debut at the Gas South Convention Center — 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Duluth, GA 30097 — just 30 minutes from Lake Lanier.
Show hours:
- Thursday, December 10: 11 AM – 8 PM
- Friday, December 11: 11 AM – 8 PM
- Saturday, December 12: 10 AM – 8 PM
- Sunday, December 13: Noon – 6 PM
This show is built specifically for the boating communities of Lake Lanier, Lake Allatoona, Lake Oconee, and the other North Georgia lakes. Smaller, more focused, and 100% nonprofit — every dollar goes back into the local boating community. Expect 12+ dealers, 80+ vendors, boater education clinics, and a family-friendly atmosphere.
Read our full North Georgia Boat Show preview: The North Georgia Boat Show Is Here — And Carefree Boat Sales Is Bringing the Deals
The Rebates: This Is Why the Timing Matters
Boat shows are not just convenient — they are when manufacturers release their biggest incentives of the year. Right now, two rebate programs are running that are genuinely worth planning around.
Honda Marine: Up to $10,000 Back on a BF350 V8
Honda Marine is offering up to $10,000 in factory rebates on the BF350 V8 outboard — the engine that powers the Godfrey Monaco tritoons we carry at Lake Lanier.
To put that in context: the Honda BF350 is the engine that hit 52.2 MPH in independent performance testing — faster than Yamaha (49.5), Mercury (49.0), and Suzuki (44.3) in head-to-head comparisons. It is the engine that earned Carefree Boat Sales the #1 BF350 V8 Dealer award in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
With $10,000 back, a Godfrey Monaco 27-foot tritoon with the Honda 350 HP V8 — a boat that lists at $79,995 — becomes one of the most compelling value propositions in the pontoon market. You are getting the fastest, most powerful engine in its class at a price that was not possible six months ago.
This rebate is time-limited and tied to show inventory. The boats that qualify are the ones on our floor at the show. Once they are gone, the rebate pricing goes with them.
Monterey Elite: Up to $10,000 Off
Monterey Boats is offering up to $10,000 off on the Elite Series — the VST bow rider lineup that has been turning heads at every show we have attended this year.
If you have been following the conversation around tritoon vs. bow rider, the Monterey Elite is the boat that changes the equation. It takes the European adventure boat hull — vertical stem bow, deep-V deadrise, rough-water capability — and pairs it with an American family interior that seats 8 to 10 comfortably. The Elite 23 OB starts at $90,642. With $10,000 off, that gap between a premium tritoon and a premium sport boat closes significantly.
We will have the Monterey Elite on the floor at both shows. Come walk it, sit in it, and compare it back-to-back with the Godfrey Monaco.
How to Shop the Floor: A Practical Guide
Walking a boat show without a plan is how you spend four hours looking at boats and leave without making a decision. Here is the framework that actually works.
Step 1: Know Your Number Before You Walk In
The single biggest mistake buyers make at boat shows is walking in without a budget anchor. Dealers are good at showing you "just a little more boat" — and at a show, with 200 boats around you, it is easy to drift $20,000 above where you started.
Before you arrive, decide on your all-in number: boat, engine, trailer, tax, title, and first-year insurance. Not just the sticker price. Work backward from your monthly payment comfort zone if you are financing.
At current rates, a rough rule of thumb: every $10,000 of financed boat is approximately $150–$180/month on a 15-year marine loan. A $90,000 boat financed at 80% is roughly $1,100–$1,300/month. Know your number.
Step 2: Prioritize the Boats That Match Your Lake
Not every boat at the Atlanta show is built for Lake Lanier. Lanier is a deep, clear, 38,000-acre reservoir with significant afternoon chop on the main channel — especially on summer weekends when boat traffic builds. A boat that performs beautifully on a calm inland pond may beat you up on Lanier by 2 PM on a Saturday.
For Lake Lanier, prioritize:
- Tritoons with the iAM Triple Tunnel Package — the third log and tunnel design adds lift and rough-water tracking that standard pontoons cannot match
- Fiberglass V-hulls with 21°+ deadrise — the Monterey Elite's deep-V hull is specifically engineered for this kind of chop
- High-horsepower configurations — if you are carrying 8+ people on Lanier, you want a minimum of 300 HP; 350 HP is the sweet spot for performance with a full load
Skip the entry-level configurations unless you are primarily a cove-and-anchor boater. The show floor will be full of 150 HP and 200 HP boats that look great and perform fine in calm water. Ask every salesperson: "How does this boat perform fully loaded at 2 PM on a Saturday on Lake Lanier?" The honest ones will tell you.
Step 3: The 8-Person Test
If your typical day on the water involves 8 or more people — a family of four plus grandparents, or a group of couples — do this at every boat you step on:
Sit down and imagine 8 people on board. Not just seated — actually living on the boat for 4 to 6 hours. Where do the beach bags go? Where does the cooler go? Is there room to move between the bow and stern without climbing over people? Can grandma get on and off the swim platform without help?
Tritoons pass this test easily — the perimeter seating layout and wide platform are designed for exactly this. The Godfrey Monaco 27-foot carries 14 people with room to spare.
Bow riders are tighter — but the Monterey Elite's VST bow design carries its full beam all the way forward, creating a wide open bow seating area that handles 6 to 8 comfortably. It is not a tritoon, but it is not the cramped bow of a traditional sport boat either.
Step 4: Ask About Factory Rebates vs. Dealer Discounts — They Are Different
This is the question most buyers never ask, and it costs them money.
Factory rebates are manufacturer-funded incentives applied at the point of sale. The Honda $10,000 rebate and the Monterey $10,000 rebate are factory programs — they come off the price regardless of what the dealer negotiates. You are entitled to them.
Dealer discounts are separate — they come out of the dealer's margin. A dealer who tells you "we're giving you $10,000 off" may be giving you the factory rebate and calling it their own discount. Ask specifically: "Is this a factory rebate, a dealer discount, or both? Can you show me the factory invoice?"
At Carefree Boat Sales, we will show you both — the factory rebate line and our dealer pricing — so you know exactly where every dollar of savings is coming from.
Step 5: Lock In Your Build Slot If You Want Spring Delivery
January is the peak season for manufacturer build slots. If you want your boat in the water by Memorial Day weekend, you need to order by late January at the latest — and for popular configurations (Monaco 27-foot with Honda 350 HP, Monterey Elite 23 OB), the build queue fills up fast.
Buying at the show — or placing a deposit at the show — typically secures your build slot and locks in show pricing. If you wait until March to order, you may get the boat, but you will not get the show rebates, and you may not get it until July.
What Carefree Boat Sales Is Bringing to Both Shows
At both the North Georgia Boat Show (December) and the Atlanta Boat Show (January), you will find us with:
Godfrey Monaco Tritoons — the 2027 lineup with the Honda BF350 V8, including the 27-foot platform that hit 52.2 MPH in independent testing. These are the boats that made us the #1 pontoon dealer at the 2026 Atlanta Boat Show and the #1 BF350 V8 Honda dealer three years running.
Monterey Elite Series — the VST bow rider that is changing the conversation for buyers who want sport boat performance with a family-friendly layout. Up to $10,000 off at show pricing.
Our full team — David, Jeff, and the rest of the Carefree crew who boat on Lake Lanier every weekend. Not commissioned salespeople reading from a spec sheet — people who can tell you exactly how a boat handles in the afternoon chop on the main channel because they were out there last Saturday.
Come See Us at Both Shows
North Georgia Boat Show December 10–13, 2026 · Gas South Convention Center, Duluth, GA northgeorgiaboatshow.com
Atlanta Boat Show January 7–10, 2027 · Georgia World Congress Center, Hall B, Atlanta, GA atlantaboatshow.com
Can't make it to the show? Call us at (678) 725-3749 or browse our current Lake Lanier inventory — show pricing on qualifying boats is available before and after the event for serious buyers.
Related reading:
Explore Topics
Written by
Carefree Boat Sales Team
Content creator and writer sharing insights and stories.
