I have finally got a few evenings to work on the Solace. It is going together fast, I am on the 4th panel (the hull has 5 panels on each side). I was impressed with the seat and it was fun to make. The kayak has a high volume cockpit area. If you have big dogs they should have plenty of room to breathe under the deck even with sandals on. If you are short you may feel a little low in the saddle compared to the bow deck. The hull is well designed and appears to be an efficient design (I will know in a couple of months). So far I am still impressed. The building process is a little different than other S&G boats I have done. I think you can learn a little from all of the different kits.