My wife and two boys also join me on occasion for a paddle or tossing he pole in the water...

Welcome. But, I don't recommend tossing your pole in the water. That can get expensive.

See you on the water, for sure!

The big difference is the seat. You can't retrofit the new lawn chair style seat onto older models. If that's a big deal to you, you'll want to get a 2015 or newer. If not, then you can get something a little older and save quite a bit of moolah. If possible, you'll want to test drive to see if the seat is that important to you.

I agree with M. Swayze that the outback is probably going to be the better choice. But, I'd suggest you test out something pre-2015 to see if the seat will work for you. I have no problem with the seat on my 2014 Adventure, and if you're OK with it, you can save some money.

Disappointed that there is no Captain Kirk or Mr. Spock color scheme. That's a deal breaker for me...

Why not just mount it inside the hull and shoot through the hull? You'll be fine if you do it right and it's really simple not to mention you don't have to hassle with the arm or transducer being in the way... Ever!

Hey Jude, don't make it bad...

FWIW, I agree with RippinLips.

I realize this is an older post but I came across a good deal today.  The GPS store has mail in rebates for SH radios.  Here is the most budget friendly floating waterproof option that I am picking up ($85 -$20 MRB = $65 before shipping & taxes).  Hope this helps some other anglers looking for a quality budget safety device... good 'till the end of the year.

http://www.thegpsstore.com/Standard-Horizon-HX150-Handheld-Marine-VHF-Radio-P3493.aspx

Holy cow, that is cheap.

WTTM, CJ.