Dear Georgia coast,
I agree with all of what is in the previous posts. Its hard to say
what boat will fit with a persons individual paddling needs.

My paddling experience in Georgia is limited to just two places.
So take any advice as being on limited knowledge. I have paddled only
Cumberland island and the Tybee area. The Tybee stuff I was guiding/ teaching a skills course.

Still I think the coast of Georgia does have some regional
characteristics that would make some characteristics
more valuable. first much of the Georgia coast has a shallow run
of water that runs for miles off shore. It means much more complicated
water and very technical paddling. then I have found in other places.
Secondly, the ever moving mouths of rivers means there is 400 years of
human made, often sharp obstacles under that water just waiting to
bite a boat bottom. Secondly those obstacles can produce a lot of very
strange waves that appear from no where. as currents flow and ebb around
islands etc. If your going to play in river mouths I'd say get a boat that you can roll easily. GA is
also shrimper territory. So ya want a boat
that can dart out of the way of a big nets dragged behind even bigger
engines. It may sound silly, but in the tidal mouth of a tight river
you can be battling an outflow as a shrimper is using the same current
to fill a net.

My first thought is a question. Where are you planning to paddle?
My experience in Georgia is that boat bottoms see a lot more action
then they do in other places I have been. All those back cuts in the
Tybee River Tidal marsh are lined with the sharpest oyster shells I have
ever seen. The rivers have sand bars bars that have to be picked
through when returning from the off shore stuff. Or alternately the standing waves over them worth
playing on. But that is more boat bottom on more sand.

In my trips to GA, I had my boat sliced by rebar on old pilings and
corrugated steel on old sea walls and even grazed on blocks of old
spanish Fort cement. I even got bumped twice by dolphins. (Very cool)

So what ever design you pick. for GA water, I'd strongly suggest putting
on some extra layers of 6 Oz glass to the outside of the hull.
It might be wise to think smaller draft as well.

If your planning to gunkhole in the tight tidal creeks and cuts think not only higher draft, but also
shorter keel length. Those tidal cuts are
about a boat width, are often inches deep and they are never straight
for longer then a short boat length. If your doing the cuts also plan on regularly reglassing the bottom
of your boat.

If your going off shore thing wind profile. This Snow bird Yankee has consistently been surprised by
the wind off shore in GA. I duct behind
a lot of headlands, but if your going to be doing mostly long shore
work, (paddling off shore between rivers) I'd look for something that
tracks well in strong winds. You may have it harder here, because most
of the put ins are in rivers or just above long thin water flats.
Thus a deeper keel with skeg may compete with getting ashore, through
beach pans and sand bars. I found the off shore paddling to be real
changing stuff. I was in a 19 foot boat and picking through the sand
bars that extend out 6 to 12 miles off the coat to be pretty darn
difficult in that big a boat. So I would suggest a shorter length boat

If your looking to play in the standing waves in the Tybee River or
anything like it... I'd think one of the low volume play boats designs.

Finally, the last piece of it is how long your going to stay out.
Are you day tripping or packing for a week of overnights. Are you going to play in the shoals for day
or circumnavigate a barrier island in a week? Longer trips mean bigger boats. Are you in dry areas
packing water or is fresh water available.

For myself If I was paddling Georgia coast line and I had a lot of
paddling experience, and If I was doing trips that were 3 days and under
or had plenty or resupply options along the way. I would be thinking
the outer islander, the night heron or the shooting star or the Merganser.
If I was going to do off shore paddling and no tidal creeks and very
little play in the standing waves off rivers I'd check out Guillimot and
the North Star, and try rolling each to see which one ya like from the
bottom up.

What ever ya do say hey from the to the waitresses at the Breakfast club in Tybee. They actually
duct taped my yankee fingers behind my back and force fed me grits... and at trips end pack away
a 33 inch sea food platter and a Jamaican Red and white out on the island access road for me.

Hope it helps

!RUSS