I've read several threads on this very topic. Answers vary widely and seem to come down to what style the poster already owns, where they boat, and what their intended usage is. Toss in the typical confirmation bias on Internet Forums, and you have a wide spread of opinions. Which makes sense - sort of like asking what kind of car is best - there are many variables: commute, family, work, etc.
Flybridges: People like the openess and the social interaction. Visibility is superb. Complaints are stairs/ladder access, often fewer instruments, and visibility from fog/spray if it is enclosed. Also depends on how the flybridge is enclosed - hardtop with soft siding, full enclosure (or forward facing windows), or no enclosure whatsover. I personally like a hard-top without side enclosure, maybe temporary curtains when needed for shade or modest rain protection. It's a good place to be at-anchor.
Lower helms: people like being near the living spaces of the boat (head, galley) and closer to the engine room. Complaints are visibility - especially rearward - is not always great which varies widely by boat.
Pilothouse: people like the dedicated control space that almost always has decent visibility forward (aftward runs the gamut). Twin PH doors provide decent ventilation. Complaints are choppiness of layout, cramped seating in smaller versions of the PH configuration, and lack of true outdoor space.
Before this post, I responded to a TF post from someone looking for buddy boats from Bahamas to Panama Canal, and up to California. While I do not know of any formal groups - especially for a Powerboat, my suggestion was to work east through the Bahamas, down the Turks & Caicos to Jamaica, then do the 550 nm hop to Panama Canal - chances are he'd find buddy boats at the major ports such as Port Antonio Jamaica, maybe cruise Bocas del Toro near Panama for a while. To me, the perfect boat for that trip would include a flybridge for visibility in shallow waters such as Bahamas and Bocas, but have a good lower helm space for the long runs in open water.
Bottom line - in my opinion, the better question is under what circumstances do people prefer a flybridge or lower helm. From there, you will need to figure out what your intended usage will be and plan accordingly. I've spent a lot of hours in San Francisco Bay, Southern California, some in PNW, and now Florida. I can tell you that boats with flybridges almost always have people on the flybridge, at least during the day-runs most are making - I suspect many/most also have lower helms. In PNW where temps are cooler and a bit more damp, flybridges are fewer and usage is less.
My personal boat - a Willard 36 sedan - does not have great lower helm visibility due to the high bow and low deck house. It's fine for offshore but not good for running crowded channels. A sistership used to be docked a few slips away and he would always dock from lower helm. Not me - I'm not comfortable docking from below. I have done it, but vastly prefer the upper helm. Most PH boats are fine for docking from below. GB-style trunk cabin boats are usually pretty good too as they have a side door access.
Really runs the gamut. You have to decide how you plan to use the boat. Day trips and protected water runs in the ICW/AICW, Loop, or Sacramento Delta will lean heavily towards a FB. Offshore or long runs, not so much.
Peter
