: Ken,
: Just curious...how tall and heavy are you? And, based upon your skill level,
: how did you find the SS stability, etc.?
: Did the bow throw spray just when you hit a wave or because it was "so
: fast"

5'9", 170 pounds. Initial stability was good. Didn't really test secondary stability - afraid to without a spray skirt (I knew I forgot something) because it was cold and windy (excellent for testing stability and tracking - both of which were quite good). The spray was with every wave. The bow would slap the top of it, and the water came up on both sides. As I said, a little ballast in the rear should help this tremendously - less weight on the bow, less slapping. I think the part of the boat most overlooked is the stern. It gives the boat a longer waterline, which helps with speed and tracking. As far as speed goes, it was one of the fastest on the beach. Not as fast as my CLC Patuxent 17.5, but a lot more stable, and a little better tracking.

By the way, I also paddled the North Star and Shearwater's Baidarka. TOO BIG for me. In fact, so big that I wasn't comfortable enough in them to offer any other comments on their performance. So unless you are a lot larger than me, I would advise against them.