always a good topic for new players... i'll add my two bob
tell you the truth i always have gone with bigger is better and most people cant believe i carry such a big pump so far but i have to tell you water on demand is nice, pressure is fantastic and being able to run all weekend without adding fuel makes my prospecting a little greener.
I'm running a Honda gx200 6.5hp with a p180 pump puts out up to 68000 litres per hour or 1135 pm with a head pressure of 180 feet so finding a water source and pumping up a gully to the gold is very easy.
I do have several pumps in smaller size but i dont tend to use them because they are too noisy or i have to fill them too often.
with regard to hose well hose aint hose... great lesson there jembaicumene in patching hoses, there really is no other way to repair that will hold long term other than the example above.
If you can afford it go red, seriously blue hose is not designed to be bumped and vibrate along rocks and it wont last get braid or at least red hose. cant tell you how much blue hose ive cut and mended in the past.
Since buying only red hose ive never seen even a pin whole, with the red braid the upside it rolls to half the footprint of rubber hose.
this stuff is the good rubber hose it doesn't tear easily and ive actually seen a car towed out of the mud with one of these doubled over
if you cna get hold of this braid this is the best hands down hose ive ever come across, when wound like this 25 meters is actually smaller than 15 meters of red lay flat. size wise it fits nicely in a milkcrate.