: Is he still in touch with the Vancouver paddlers? What are they paddling and
: what insight into the selection process can they add?

Yes, he is contemplating going on an introductory course in Skye run by
the same group, which is based in Scotland.
Their website
has some info on the Vancouver trip, and it is apparent that they shipped
kayaks from Britain to Canada. That is an expensive and difficult thing to
do, which suggests that they must have had some serious customisation that
they couldn't get done to their satisfaction with kayaks bought or rented
in Canada or the US.

I believe that the two paraplegic paddlers were in the front cockpits of
double kayaks for much of the trip (though the details on the website are
very sketchy and this impression is from Mike's report of a conversation
he had with one of the participants), and this is not something which
appeals to Mike - one of the reasons for asking here about ideas for
single boats.

Andy