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My family has owned our 19' flat back Grumman for at least 15 years after buying it off of an elderly gentleman who bought it new in 1968. This has to be the most stable, workhorse of a canoe ever. Yes, it's a staggering 120 pounds and paddles like a barge but that's what it is! On several occasions, I have had 5 200 pound plus people in it and it handled it like most canoes handle two!

If you need to haul lots of people and gear, need a bomb proof canoe, and don't need to portage, this is the canoe for you!

I bought this kayak used as a rental over ten years ago and I cannot say enough good about it. It is incredibly stable (I could probably stand up in it), tracks incredibly well for a short kayak (it has a molded double keel), is very light (only 38 pounds even in ABS plastic), and beyond tough (I have dropped this thing off my car more times than I can count, rammed it over hundreds of beaver dams, and drag it over rocks with reckless abandon.)

I love this kayak and wish it was still made because I'd by another one in a heart beat.

I have owned an Old Town Castine made of Prolink 3 for about ten years. It handles pretty well, kind of light on initial stability but not bad, tracks well, fairly fast for it's length and all around a pretty good kayak.

I rated it a 7 because it's not quite the right kayak for me at 6' and 250 but it's the prefect Kayak for my wife who is 5'7" and 140. She would probably give it a 10 but I'm the one reviewing it.

I am very impressed with how durable the prolink 3 material has been. It has been dropped off cars, drug over rocks, rammed over beaver dams and even got hung up on a submerged piece of re-bar that left a nasty scratch but nothing more!

Overall I'm happy with the Castine but my wife loves it.

I was a BWCA guide for two summers and the Voodoo bent shaft was my paddle! The tip of this paddle must be made from pure glory because I have beat and battered this paddle and left nothing more than a few scratches and maybe a 1/8 inch chip in the tip.

I love the feel of the large egg shaped grip and the oval shaft (very comfortable for paddling all day). I have probably give this paddle three life times worth of use and except for a few scratches and dents in the shaft it looks like the day I bought it from Piragis.

I have to mention it is a bit pricey but after breaking three BB specials, it doesn't look quite so bad. I wish I would have just bit the bullet and bought this paddle first.