When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Zodiac Medline Sundream 2008 and the Zodiac Pro 550 2010 are inflatable rigid designs with rigid inflatable 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 — Zodiac Medline Sundream 2008 at 16,0 ft versus Zodiac Pro 550 2010 at 17,2 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Zodiac Medline Sundream 2008 tips the scales at 871 lbs — 176 lbs more than the Zodiac Pro 550 2010 at 695 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.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 80 hp for the Zodiac Medline Sundream 2008 and 90 hp for the Zodiac Pro 550 2010. 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.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Zodiac Pro 550 2010 is rated for 12 passengers, while the Zodiac Medline Sundream 2008 caps at 1. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Zodiac Pro 550 2010 could be the deciding factor.

At this size, power-to-weight ratio matters more than outright horsepower. The Zodiac Pro 550 2010 comes in at 8 lbs per hp versus 11 lbs per hp for the Zodiac Medline Sundream 2008. The lower the ratio the more explosive the acceleration — meaningful on a short RIB where bursts of speed, quick planing, and agility in surf or tight waterways define the experience.

Top speed is rated at 42 mph for the Zodiac Pro 550 2010 and 42 mph for the Zodiac Medline Sundream 2008.