When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Striper 2301 Walkaround I/O 2013 and the Striper 2605 Center Console 2012 are deep vee designs with fiberglass 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?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Striper 2301 Walkaround I/O 2013 at 24,2 ft versus Striper 2605 Center Console 2012 at 25,6 ft. At 405 lbs and 425 lbs respectively, both sit in a similar weight class — either should pair comfortably with most mid-size SUVs and half-ton trucks, though always confirm your specific tow rating with the motor added.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 320 hp for the Striper 2301 Walkaround I/O 2013 and 300 hp for the Striper 2605 Center Console 2012. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Striper 2605 Center Console 2012 carries 16 gallons versus 12 gallons in the Striper 2301 Walkaround I/O 2013. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Striper 2605 Center Console 2012 is rated for 7 passengers, while the Striper 2301 Walkaround I/O 2013 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Striper 2605 Center Console 2012 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Striper 2605 Center Console 2012 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 7 passengers and at 25,6 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Striper 2301 Walkaround I/O 2013 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 1 that costs less to run day-to-day.