When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Cypress Cay 260 Cozumel LE 2009 and the Cypress Cay Cozumel 230 LE 2011 are pontoon designs with aluminum construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 425 hp, the Cypress Cay 260 Cozumel LE 2009 has a 422-hp advantage over the Cypress Cay Cozumel 230 LE 2011's 3-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 81 gal and 81 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Cypress Cay 260 Cozumel LE 2009 is rated for 17 passengers, while the Cypress Cay Cozumel 230 LE 2011 caps at 3. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Cypress Cay 260 Cozumel LE 2009 could be the deciding factor.