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I have been paddling and boating for at least 50years. My experience includes open water racing, owning and paddling a surf ski, and also some white water. The Scapa is a nicely made boat, and since owning one for the past 18 months I have had no problems with any indents forming in the hull from the padded bars while car topping. This is not uncommon with plastic boats and usually easily corrected by leaving out in the sun.

I am probably a little overweight for the Scapa having put on a little more weight than usual recently after suffering some health setbacks. I have been thrown out of my Scapa twice without warning recently, an experience which has only occurred to me once before in the surf ski when I was not paying attention and a breaking wave caught me on a 45 degree angle from behind.

The Scapa has absolutely no secondary stability, and being flat bottomed is virtually impossible to prevent capsizing if not kept totally flat on the water. I have prevented countless tips only by a reflexive brace, however last week I was sitting on flat water adjusting my drip ring, got slightly off balance and without my paddle available to brace I was gone. On another occasion I was crossing a minor eddyline with small ripples and was entirely unable to prevent a capsize.

The bottom of the boat is a surfboard. Surfboards work well when lying down but a narrow surfboard is not designed for sitting. The boat may work if your weight is well below recommended limits, however with this shape I cannot imagine it not capsizing, if lent anywhere beyond 30 degrees, while not bracing. Don't ever expect to relax in turbulent water.