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For the most part...you get what you pay for.
If you are fishing outside of the bay you need a real solid boat. Most of these lower cost boats have little freeboard and lots of fancy trim that sells at boatshows. Most can't take any real seas and have little weight and not enough deadrise. You will get the snot kicked out of you if you try to actually run half these boats in open water with winds over 15. not to mention 30.
Tell your friend to push the lenght to 26 and get the regulator...will mop up just about anything in its class. One ride on a rough day will without question convince you. If if is out of his range back down to a 24 but there is a big difference in this 2'.
Contenders are nice too...just that the lines are....well....kind of flat and just not as pleasing to the eye, but they can take a beating.
No matter what you get, compare reputation, deadrise, freeboard,hull weight, and fuel capacity, then cost. If cost is at the front of your list you will end up with a shiny new light weight boat that while it may look pretty in your driveway but you wouldn't want to take it offshore.
Remember this: Good boats don't need good salesman, they sell themselves. If you have some sales guy (making a fat comish)twisting your arm, IMO you should move on. Good boats don't need arm twisting, the sales guy KNOWS a good boat will sell.
PS...go for a ride on a day when it is blowing before you spend a penny. If they will not do that, walk...no, run away fast.
Good luck
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