I've grown for alot of years and as a punk kid my first few were soil. A few years later a racing buddy let it slip he was growing hydro with drip/rockwool slabs and let me check it out. First time I had seen 6.5 ft trees! Needless to say, I started a grow immediately using same set-up and was hooked!!! I used this style up till a few months ago when I made a bunch of mistakes trying hydroton in the same set-up. Imo hydro is waaaaay easier but you do have to pay close attention and dont fuck up. Cool thing is you don't have to worry as much as most people think with the fine expierienced cats around here willing to give EXACT processes and formula's, who could fuck that up? This last grow the info provided here alone gained me the confidence to try DWC....The old addage about trying new things..well...FUCK N A RIGHT!!!! I think it is easier and lower maint. than the slab shit. I am currently following a tiny tweaked version of Latewoods formula and these bitches are the healthiest plants I have grown in almost 20yrs!! and they are each only in 2 gal of solution. I AM GOING NUTZ waiting for them to finish to see what it brings.(2wks in bloom) Give it a shot and if you spend some quality time with the ladies I am pretty certain you wont be sorry.