This was my first kayak and when I bought it I was a rank beginner. The boat was stable and comfortable and a good boat to learn in. It is great for a large paddler and/or if you want to take a dog out with you. It is also very slow and rather like paddling a barge. After several years, some of the parts deteriorated, such as the deck bungees, the knee pads, and especially the plastic buckle for adjusting the seat. Unfortunately a call to the manufacturer was not helpful. I understand that they replace these parts if one's boat is still under warranty but if it is older than that, they won't even sell the parts to you. My son was able to make or buy parts from other places to fix up my boat for me. The worst part is the foot pegs, which were always popping out and were very difficult to get back in. Replacing those with better pegs improved this boat enormously.