So true.... This thread has gone a bit sideways already so here is a ramble.

Sean, I know you are a soul lost to a hopeless addiction, and if one has a plethora of different kayaks already, then obviously a little experimentation is going to be on the cards, if only for the sake of novelty.

But, for those of starting out, months could be wasted building a potential lemon.

There are so many good designs out there, with great plans to go with them, and at negligible costs in the overall project, that life is too short for most of us to get anywhere near trying them all.

When I first started building these things, back in 1979, there were some nice designs available, but there was far less choice, and it was a lot more difficult finding designers, and reviews of a boat's performance were simply not to be found. The Internet has made everything so much easier, although too much choice can be confusing too I guess.

Some of the designers from that era seem to have disappeared from sight. Probably deceased by now.

If it were me, starting out now, I would be like a chicken in a locust storm.

I would find an established design with the characteristics that suited my proposed use, and buy the plans. Why not take every advantage you can in this time of great communication to get the best result possible. Time is the one thing we will never get back, we should spend it to the best purpose possible.

Et