I took my own advice and paddled several boats at the Southwind Kayaks Paddlesports Expo98.

I went in with the expectation that I would confirm what i thought I wanted.

I thought I would want something stable like the Guillemot Great Auk, that would turn fairly easy and paddle at a decent speed without alot of effort. I like the look of the Great Auk because it reminds me of a whitewater kayak.

I found that what I really want is something more like the Guillemot Play with a whitewater style deck, like the Current Designs Caribou. I found that easy turning and the ability to learn eskimo rolls would be more important to me, and due to my unusual sense of balance, a more tender boat would not be a problem.

I can easily change the deck shape to get what I'm after (aesthetically), but the hull needs to be the right shape for the performance characteristics I want.

The moral: TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.

I would have been happy with the Great Auk, and will probably build one for longer trips eventually, but for my first boat I'll want something to goof around in tight spaces, and to learn techniques, including rolls.