Hey Pete, I held off getting an exotic paddle for five years, and now I've got three. You should see how easy my daughter takes off with the 200cm T-2. What inspired me to get her one was seeing her roll up in the 220cm TAP T-2, for the first time this spring after learning how to roll 8 months before with only 15minutes instruction. I think this paddle really is a killer for smaller people where lighter construction doesn't have any consequences for heavy use. Anywho Whetstone and Lightning are at the top of my list.