While I think velocity through the water can have an effect, don't discount increased experience for your observation. Much of the stability of a kayak is dependant on the skill of the paddler.

> 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?