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My 13-year-old grandson used the Vag for the first time, and it went great. He's shorter than 5', but well-coordinated & adventuresome. Used the double paddle & sped all over the lake.

I liked my Royalex Vagabond so well that I invested in a graphite model, which weighs half as much. I do slow river/flatwater only, and have had it out maybe 6-7 times for 1-3 hours. The model continues to rank high in terms of stability, glide, speed, and handling. I use a double paddle almost all the time. I've been on a couple of group trips with other middle-plus-aged folks in sea kayaks. No problem keeping up with them and my boat is far easier to move on land. I plan to get spray covers to reduce windage.

I think my Voyager handles well in wind already, but my wife and daughter-in law sewed up some spray covers that really help. Ripstop nylon, velcro patches, open square cockpit in the middle.

(limited to two 2-hour flatwater outings so far) This is my 3rd solo. Had an Old Town Pack, which I loved, but wanted more glide, so got a WNN Sandpiper. I liked it well, but I'm a clumsy oaf, and the Sndppr is a bit wobbly. On the basis of the other comments here, I ordered a Vagabond, and so far, it's what I wanted. It's got even more glide & speed than the Sandpiper, and is definitely more stable. I got a factory footbrace, which also adds a lot. Only negative so far is the weight, at 43 lbs I think, 10 more than Pack and 5 more than S'piper. No problem loading at home & offloading at the lake (pickup bed), but I could really feel the weight when I got home. Would not be a problem for someone younger & fitter, I'm sure. I'll add more when I've had more time in it, particularly on the twisty Class I river I like.

Tried my IK 116 for the first time yesterday, on a small lake. I bought it to pop in the back of my camper, which I can't do with any of my 3 rigids. Positive: Light, easy to carry, Easily foldable/storable, Easily inflatable, VERY responsive, tracking & turning, Tracks well, Well-built, Highly visible
Negative: Skeg makes shallow water launching a pain. (But I know it's needed), Zippered skirt rather confining-could be built w/ more slack.

If my wife like it when she gets a chance to use it, I'll buy another. They would really enhance our camping life.

Bought a used Otter in excellent shape, primarily for my wife, secondarily for 8-year-old grandson. We have a tandem, but weren't going out much, so I bought a solo Old Town Pack canoe, which I love & use lots. My wife loves the Otter, and I think we'll go out more together now. She likes the independence, the stability, and the ease of handling, compared to the bow seat of our tandem. The grandson loves it too, although he managed to tip it. I find the Otter a little confining and feel it needs footpegs, but I sure enjoy the weight, speed, and stability.

I've extolled this product often on the chat forums of paddling.com. It enables me to carry 1-3 canoes/kayaks in the bed of my Ford Ranger, which is far easier and more stable than putting paddle craft on top. Essentially, I lift the boat thigh-high rather than over my head, and tie it back to the rear bumper to avoid sliding out. Sitting in the truck bed eliminates wind forces on the boat in transit. Paddles can ride in the boat, lighter stuff in the truck cab. The L section which forms the crosspiece on which the boat sits behind the tailgate can be inverted so that a person can carry cab-high if they wish. The MINOR drawbacks are that it's a little heavy, and requires a receiver hitch to be installed.

More on my Pack: tried the closet pole stiffener in the bottom, found it created a keel effect which made it VERY wobbly. 9' kayak paddle works great.

These reviews sold me on the Pack, and I have NO regrets. I'm too old and stiff for a kayak any more, and can't lift my 66 lb Easy Rider up any more, so this is just right. I've used kayak blades twice, and am now looking for a 9 foot 2-piece. as shorter ones get too much water in the boat and up my sleeves. I'm also thinking of a foam saddle, but have no experience with them. Are they tricky to install, are they uncomfortable for hours of use? I'm also experimenting with the pole-in-bottom concept to reduce oilcanning.