haha i love the healthy competition. wait, did i say healthy? ah screw it. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

honestly though, the poster says he's sailed a 16 for 20 years so i don't think we necessarily need to do reinvent the wheel of hobie 16 up-to-date-ness debating. Some serious - oh no, serious? - yes, serious things must unfortunately be considered. this includes... 1) will you be sailing with a group of friends, just one crew, or solo? 2) are daggerboards an issue? 3) how much performance are you willing to sacrifice for more simplicity and stress-free ease-of-use? for a group of 3 or 4 people, a hobie getaway or 18 would fit the bill, since both of these are fun boats for casual cruising. i don't think the 18 would have any problem going through surf, but the getaway is underpowered compared to the 16 and i'm not too sure how it does in east florida surf (i sail there too). i've heard that the getaway is great for the solo sailor who sometimes takes out some friends, and that single-handed, the getaway is just as fast as the 16. if you're just sailing solo or with one other person, getting another 16 is one option, but you could also get a Prindle 16 which shares the Escape's buoyancy. as for the rudder system, i'm not too sure.

I went to vero beach a week ago and walked on the atlantic side for a few hours and saw a 3 or 4 Hobie 16's, 1 Hobie 18, and 2 Prindle 16's. This may provide some insight into what some people with your conditions are choosing.

Where on the florida east coast are you?