When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Yamaha 212SS 2009 and the Yamaha 242 Limited S 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 — Yamaha 212SS 2009 at 21,0 ft versus Yamaha 242 Limited S 2012 at 23,5 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Yamaha 242 Limited S 2012 tips the scales at 3 519 lbs — 490 lbs less than the Yamaha 212SS 2009 at 3 029 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Yamaha 242 Limited S 2012 is rated for 11 passengers, while the Yamaha 212SS 2009 caps at 9. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Yamaha 242 Limited S 2012 could be the deciding factor.