AutoCAD Civil 3D :: SSA In Place Of HEC RAS

I have been using SSA (and formerly Stormnet) for quite some time.  However, this has been mainly for onsite sizing of storm drains, detention, etc.

I have a new project where I need to supply a 'flood study' for the effect of a culvert we are installing across a stream.  To me I can accurately model this in SSA with the irregular channels, junctions, etc.  I have calculated the peak 100 year flow using Andersons method and plan on adding this into an upstream node as an 'External Inflow'.

The local reviewer prefers HEC RAS due to his familiarity with it, of course.  Having not used HEC RAS before I have been reading the manual and it seems to me that SSA would just as accurately model the flood. 

1.  I assume that to find the effect of the peak 100 year flow, HEC RAS would use a Steady State Flow analysis with this peak flow.  I believe SSA would accomplish this same task using my calculated peak Q as an 'External Inflow' in the most upstream node (note, I am only modeling a few hundred feet of channel.)

2.  It is easy enough to plot HGL profiles, but I can't think of a way where I would be able to plot/show the flood depth of water in my irregular channel cross sections I would input.  I will instead print out the defined cross section from the dialogue box and manually draw in the water elevation.  It would just be nice if it was automatic.

3.  Any other general input as to why I may want to use HEC RAS instead of SSA?  It just seems like a time sink for me to get up to speed on HEC RAS if I can accomplish the same in SSA.