well, im currently in a 1/2 soil, 1/2 ebb-flow grow, 8 each... Ebb and flow is probably the best to transition to, when switching from soil. Ebb-n-flow requires the least amount of maintenance in my opinion, compared to DWC/bubbles, aero, and drip systems. The main advantage I've seen between my hydro and soil grows are that the plants the ebb-flow system generally grow about 15% quicker, and with less inter nodal stretching, allowing for denser and shorter plants yielding the same amount. They also allow for you to grow your plants closer together, because they arent limited by the soil's rooting capabilities.. much smaller buckets hold many more roots than the larger buckets used in soil, allowing for HUUUUUGE growth.