I've had the Impex Force Cat 3 for 2 years now. I've been paddling for 13 years and this is my second boat. The first was a Current Designs Slipstream. As a small paddler (5'4", 110 lb), I've had trouble finding a boat that fits. The Impex is almost the perfect boat. I love its speed and responsiveness. It's a breeze to roll. That said, I do have some reservations about recommending it wholeheartedly:
- My feet sit EXACTLY below where the screws for the deck lines jut down into the cockpit. Since it's a low deck, there's not much room in the cockpit so my toes often catch on the screws when I paddle.
- Despite very gentle treatment, the gelcoat seems prone to acquiring hairline cracks. I haven't contacted the company to ask about it yet, but it's on my list of things to do.
- When I first bought the boat, the skeg control next to the cockpit leaked. By the end of a crossing in choppy conditions, my cockpit was sloshing with water that came in through the skeg control. That's been sealed and it hasn't been a problem, but it was disconcerting.
Overall, the construction quality isn't nearly as nice as that of the Slipstream, but the ride more than makes up for it.
