My philosophy is to stay with the older technology for almost as long as its available or until the new product has proven itself over years. Yes the Verado has been on the market a while and it has proven itself, but is not widely accepted in the bass boat market due to the size and weight. Let them reduce the size and weight and it will be a whole new ball game. In addition, theres not a faster, more reliable, more fuel efficient engine than the Opti Pro XS. Therefore, get the Opti!