I have a 14 & wish I had a 16. Reason is that a 14 is really to small for more than one person. I'm 200 lbs & that's a full load for the boat so if you plan on sailing with your GF (or someone else), I think you would be better off with the 16. You CAN sail a 16 solo, but sailing an overloaded boat is like wearing clothes that are too small.