I suggest an open
Aluminum boat with a 10-18 HP outboard for kids just getting into boating. There is floatation under the seats. They already know how to Swim....Right..? Aluminum is bulletproof. Can't scratch it. Bounce it off a rock..no problem.
Whalers are of course fiberglass. I rented a
Whaler on Lake George a few years ago with a 50 HP outboard. The boat could NOT get on plane because the space between the inner and outer hulls was full of water. Within 10 minutes of my taking delivery of this Rental I returned it for another. The next boat was the same kind of boat ..without the extra water. It worked fine.
The point here is that with an OPEN Aluminum boat you can SEE whats going on. NO SECRET spaces that may be flooded.
NB