Re: Inflatable noob; Sea eagle gt20?
I strongly recommend you try to get onboard an inflatable of any type to see if an inflatable is something that might fit the bill. If you had not had a boat previously, I think this would have been less of an issue because, 'Hey! I'm out on the water!'. But this will be quite a step down from what you're used to, I would think.
That said, I have one of the less expensive 12 foot inflatables and think it's great. Hey! I'm out on the water! And there a lot of benefits to something that needn't require a trailer, can be carried with all gear in the back of a small SUV, and can get onto smaller (<1000 acre) lakes.
A website that I found extremely useful for side by side comparison of all the basics of the most common inflatables is:
http://www.allinflatableboats.net/index.html
I have no affiliation with the website whatsoever. At the bottom right, there are links to Inflatable Boat Comparison Charts. One for boats in the $85-$999 price range and another for boats $1000+. The prices are a little low now, but give you a good relative idea. Once you've narrowed down your choices, you can read-up on specific ones. And then of course you can come here and ask questions about the nitty gritty stuff.
I hope this helps. Good luck!