I purchased this boat in 1998 and it has since proved it's ability to kick butt in every type of water I have taken it in. 4-day solo kayak camping on class III water. Day trips on class IV-V (!) water including 6-8 foot drops! Loaded big lake open water touring (Lake Superior) in 3-5 foot waves, where the rounded deck proved just how efficient this design is at going THROUGH the waves. I can't say enough good things about how nice it is that one boat can do all this and more. The simple addition of a rudder and hardware can make this boat the ultimate stable sea-kayak as well! It's trihedral hull is the most stable of any I have ever paddled, and the ROOM is great for big paddlers or those who like showing up on club trips with EVERYTHING. Not to mention quite a pretty boat. When I take this boat on whitewater trips, people ask, "Is that a Sea Kayak?". And when I take this boat on Sea Kayak trips, people ask, "Is that a whitewater kayak?". But both are not actually quite correct, this boat is all that and so much more. Calling it a either is much akin to calling a Humvie a sport-utility vehicle. I would call this a TRIPPING kayak, and a damn well-built one at that. If there would be one boat to pick to take down long river tours or wilderness expeditions, this boat definitely gets my vote.
The flipside being that this won't be the boat you use to rodeo or cartwheel. And you definitely won't win any races with a Sea Kayak with this one. But how many Humvies do you see at the Indy 500?

Recommended: Yes