I noticed in your profile you are looking for a 16 or 18. I would avoid the 18 as a starter boat as it has dager boards that are a big distraction (you can not EVER let them hit ground or you risk MAJOR damage).

One thing to consider is parts and fleets. There are large Hobie16 fleets world wide, but i am not sure about prindle fleets. You will probably also find more used hobie parts than prindle, but both are fun cats.