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I just recently purchased the new model Valley Sirona 16.1 RM. As an experienced 200# kayaker, I find this boat to be very nimble especially for a 16' kayak. It is extremely easy to turn and I really like the solid secondary stability when playing in the surf. It does a nice job of riding up the waves as opposed to purling. I've not had the pleasure yet to paddle it in high winds to see how it handles it, but with the skeg, I expect it to track appropriately.

The seat is very comfortable for all day paddling. This is a 4 hatch boat and after playing in the surf and lots of rolling, all hatches, including the deck hatch were bone dry. These hatches are much easier to seal as opposed to our other Valley boats. The deck hatch is a 100% improvement over the Valley pod from previous models.

The fit and finish of this boat is on par with other Valley boats. This is my third Valley boat as I have a composite Aquanaut and a poly Avocet in our family's fleet.

I purchased this boat on spec as I was looking for a 16' RM kayak to play/teach with. So far it fits my needs. Hope this helps. I look forward to more reviews of this product