Lee, the advice you got here is dead on. The new vs used is strictly a personal decision. With used, you will save some $$$, but with new you can get exactly what you want, the colors you want, and usually a longer warranty. As for the boat choice, it is almost always wise to go bigger, with very few exceptions. Boats are much like cotton. “THEY SHRINK WHEN THEY GET IN WATER!” A boat that seems perfectly fine in the showroom or in the driveway, gets small very quickly once you launch it, pick up your fishing partner, and begin moving around either fishing or accessing your tackle and gear. You will probably not regret going bigger but could quickly regret buying a boat to small.