First, +1 to what feelay said! I think it's the new composite construction that make the newer hulls so much tougher than the older one's. Now, My 2 cents, I bought an entry level Stratos 176XT (glass boat) when they first came out in 2007 mainly because of the very popular add touting the stability of the Stratos in a side by side with a Bass Tracker Tournament 175. Now, after fishing the boat for over 7 years in the timber infested backwaters of Lake Palestine and out in the open of the same lake where the roller's can quickly grow to 3 & 4 feet with only a 15mph wind from the right direction, I feel confident that I can make it back to the ramp even if the wind picks up. Though I may be wet & I will likely get bounced around, if handled correctly it's as safe as about any comparable rig. I have slid up onto and down off of many stumps without damage. There is storage space to spare and though it won't hold ALL my gear (heck, I'm a "Tackle Ho" so a mid-size U-Haul professionally packed won't hold all my gear), it carries everything I need on any given outing. Having fished from aluminum "Bass" boats too, in my humble opinion, there isn't any choice. Fiberglass all the way!