Considering getaway as first cat

The 18 will be more fun. Neither boat is a difficult race boat. Given your mast up wings out storage, I think it comes down to this:

H18 is more fun, wetter, faster, scarier, harder to sail, easier to capsize.

Getaway is drier, offers better storage, bounces off of rocks.

If your family/crew won't mind the spray, go with the H18. I've had mine for 10 years now and love every bit of it. You are right to look at the SX boats. I have not tried the taller mast, but the SX wings are well worth it.

Although...I’m not claiming to be a superior sailor, but last summer I was on a broad reach across the length of Lake Medota in Madison, WI, on the same tack as a 18 with wings and 2 people on board. I was alone. I was slightly faster than the 18, passing them and gaining a few hundred yards on a long tack. Maybe they slowed down to take a look at my boat?

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks

Wish I could get a spin on each... only cat I've been on was a H16.One of the main reasons' for considering the 18 is I thought they were really stable, If the 18 capsizes alot easier I may lean towards the getaway. Its sounding like the Getaway isn't that much slower... the mtn lakes here don't get alot of wind and are small( 10-15 miles of shoreline)

The 18 capsizes easier because it is more powerful. It isn't less stable, it just has a taller mast and more sail area. Besides, capsizing isn't nessisarly bad, in fact it can be a lot of fun. As far as getaways passing H18s, it happens all the time. Speed on a H18 is more sensitive to tuning than it is on a getaway. A well sailed H18 will go 14 knots when a getaway can only muster 12 knots. A poorly tuned H18 will only be faster than a poorly tuned Tiger.

D-PN Ratings for the two boats:
Hobie 18 (Std/Magnum) 71.4
H16 76
Hobie Getaway 83.3

https://cdn.ussailing.org/wp-content/up ... lasses.pdf

I must agree, i have owned 16s and 18s the 16 will rear sink. the 18 will turn over but being on the edge of disaster is the best part of sailing a hobie. one of the first things you should do on a hobie is to practice righting the boat that is safety first and can be a lot of fun. you are also correct it is harder to flip a getaway and you may never fly a hull as well. i have been sailing quite sometime and one summer when i was without a hobie i rented a getaway and never got the windward hull up out of the water. nothing much more fun than on the wire out on the wings.