We have a Start as a family/friends board, great thing.
So I'd say go the Go if you want to play with it too.

Cheers

I have access to a Go 155 as well.. initially I was expecting it to be a tame, slow to respond barge (well.. that's what it looks like! It's 84cm wide after all.)

Certainly, with a <5m sail in under 10 knots it is exactly that, and you really have to try to fall off it. Great for instilling a sense of confidence in beginners, and the (relatively) deep double concave bottom provides plenty of traction to get back upwind without a fixed centre fin or retractable centreboard like many of the other boards aimed at this market. The slightly older models have a full EVA deck, while the newer ones only have EVA on the bits you're supposed to stand on. (not the bits you inevitably fall onto!)

Once the wind gets up a bit, and you put a more respectable sized sail on it, things start to get more exciting (in a non-freestyle sort of way). We have a 70cm fin on our one (which is really too big for the sails we use on it most of the time), and it leaps onto the plane with barely any encouragement, and tends to stay there despite all the holes where I sail on flatwater.

It will carve a very tight turn if you commit to the back corner. Being so wide means it collects a bit of air under the nose, so leaning forward while going upwind is a must, and if you go too fast, just lift off, and the front end of the board acts like a big air-brake!

It's almost more fun than my wave board - certainly less effort per grin.. but then the grins don't last me all week like a good wave session!

I haven't tried any of the others so can't compare, but I'd be cautious of going too big as it tends to limit a boards usefulness to just beginners.

Go's seem to keep their value too, probably because they're so good that nobody wants to sell them..

Thanks for the replies. A little more thinking about the psycology of my wife (that doesn't sound too good does it?), and I think I need to remove myself from all factors in this decision.

I think I need a board that she will not get frustrated and dispirited on like 200L. If that means a board that I won't have much fun on then that's a small price to pay to have her actually learn, and continue to sail. Then, if she doesn't get too frustrated, and progresses she can move on down in size and increase the fun. Then I'm the winner in a years time.

Yep, get her lessons, then the Go

Another vote for lessons and Go.