Re: before i buy...
I was in your shoes last year. I have found that it is best to buy a used boat first and find out what you use your boat for (if enough) and make your mistakes. <br /><br />Geography:<br />Where will you be taking your boat...Chesapeake Bay, Ocean, Lake, River?This will determain your boat options. <br /><br />On a large body of water such as the Chesapeake, you will find that longer boats and lots of freeboard are essential for days when chop is above 2 or 3 feet (this occurs more often than you think). If you have a 17 foot bowrider, you will likely make yourself sick, never get above 15 mph, or get very wet in these conditions. Also, if you choose a smaller boat in a large body of water, it might not be worth going with larger motor because you will rarely use the power.<br /><br />As far as options, get a boat that does not have any wood!!! 100% composite only. Other than required safety stuff, invest in a chart plotter/fish finder/depth (colored Lawrance is about $350 with GPS and depth base map at Boaters World). Save the rest of your bucks for routine maintenance, gas, and beer for the first year....And yea, take a safety course.<br /><br />The older pups on this site can provide some more tips.