I purchase this second hand 2002 Netherlands-built fiberglass Silhouette through the Paddling.net's Sale Classified late last Summer. The original seat and backrest was broken, so I replaced it with a low profile comfortable molded fiberglass seat and backrest. Aside from the seat, I was impressed with the solid construction quality -- a bit on the heavy side at 53 pounds but very solid construction with no voids in the gel coat or rough edges. The workmanship is very good. I'm a experienced paddler but an elderly man of 5'6" and 145 lbs and not a strong paddler. With this kayak, I can easily keep up with the younger and stronger paddlers in my group. It allows me to paddle long trips nearly effortlessly. Initially, I found that the semi-round bottom was a little jittery, but I quickly overcame this problem and adding thigh and knee braces. I had very little problems kayaking in rough and windy conditions. The secondary stability with the hard chine is very good. A little tough to turn but edging it helps a lot. This one has an ocean style cockpit that's only 23" long. If only it had a little longer cockpit opening for easier entry and exit, then I would keep it. It's a screamer. A younger agile person would love it. As I see it, it's definitely for the experienced small-medium person not much over 180 lbs or over 5'10" - probably perfect for a woman.
