> I'll let that one go, since you may be low on sleep, having gotten in at
> 4:15AM and all...:)

> Dean

Sorry, what I should have said is that compared to other boats that I have paddled that are the same size the Arctic Tern doesn't feel as big. I use a nylon spray skirt that doesn't push up my PFD. If you put thick padding in the right places, it does not feel like you are inside a huge kayak, you can get a snug fit in the AT. The Dyson Baidarka and the CLC Cape Charles (23.5" beam vs. 23" on the AT) are similar in size but feel much bigger. I also like lower volume kayaks, my Putz has a 21" beam, but I did have to modify it to fit my average size 10 feet. The deck was designed to be fairly flat, but I put a lot of camber in it at the cockpit to make room for my feet. I also found that the AT is not blown around by the wind as much as some smaller kayaks are. I believe this is because the stern is low in comparison to the bow. Yes I can feel the wind blowing on the kayak, but it is balanced so it doesn't weathercock much. It is not a perfect kayak, but compared to others of similar size, it is my favorite.

Mike