Profile

I purchased this canoe at The Quietwater symposium.several years ago and have had a learning curve from paddling kayaks. Mine is Kevlar flexcore that weighs40#. The initial stability is a little low but, the secondary stability is great. It does catch some wind so I keep a double blade for those times. I love this boat for small rivers and streams.

The Dagger Katana 10.4 has been a fun boat to own. I purchased the boat approximately 3 years ago and have used it on a variety of waters. on open flat water with the skeg down it can make good time across a lake. On moving water it maneuvers well around obstacles and I have had it on class 2+ rivers and had no issues. On the great lakes it has been fun to play with in the surf although it tend to really catch following waves. I would definitely make sure you also size try the Katana 9.7 as the 10.4 is big even for someone 5'9" and 200#

The Katana 10.4 is a fun boat on fast water and in rapids. It is extremely stable and maneuverable. On flat water the skeg is almost a necessity due to the amount of rocker the boat has. Due to the volume it is slow without having some current to help you along. I am 5'9" and 200 pounds and have way more than enough room. One nice feature is the zippered storage in the cockpit that is removable.

I Purchased a new 2012 Capella 166RM this Past June. I wanted the P&H version and not the Venture kayak one due to placement of skeg control. We took a trip on Lake Michigan in what turned into 3 foot waves and high winds, the Capella handled spectacular and the skeg being deployed kept me on track. The plastic is very stiff and I had no issue due to flexing. I would rate this as my favorite of my three boats.

This is my first kayak, had never even been in one before. I'd rate it excellent to learn in, very stable, tracks pretty well and very easy to transport due to size and weight.