: All good questions. And with all due respect I would answer your questions
: with a couple questions that may eliminate some of your problems.

: What kind of Kayak are you thinking about, where will it be used, (lake,
: river, ocean) and how big is your son? Has he done much paddling?

: 17 feet is a lot of boat for most big folks. I`m 6-2, 220# with 12-12.5 feet
: and my 17.5 is plenty of boat for me in the Atlantic Northeast. If your
: son were going to be using this boat, say, mostly in calm waters (a lake?)
: and he is a young man (average size teenager?) he may be happier with
: something a lot smaller.

Matthew - he's about 160 lbs 5'10" and will be paddling in NYC waters as well as coastal Maine. No lakes. He's leaning toward a kayak called an Expedition Sport which is 16'9"

: Hope this helps. MBF