While paddling home into a confused and foamy kind of 3 foot chop yesterday . . . I noticed that I was not really having to brace very much for stability (at least consciously) despite the waves coming from various different directions. Stability seemed to increase the faster the boat went, at least when I wasnt slapping down the backsides of the waves.

All this in a boat (Guillemot Coastal) that dumped me on the back side of a one foot wave within 45 seconds of first launch!

So, my question for the lurking design gurus . . . does a kayak's forward movement add to its initial or final stability in any way? I assume most stability curves are based on a static model -- i.e., assuming a boat lying still in the water. But does the movement of the kayak through the water create any kind of lift as the kayak begins to heel?

Or is it just an illusion, based on the natural, subconscious bracing you get with each paddle stroke it takes to keep the boat moving in those kinds of conditions?