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First, let me state that this is my current and only kayak and that I transported it from Maryland to California in January 2014. I started out 3 years ago with an new inflatable AE Firefly, which I quickly returned and found a pristine used Point 65 North Martini modular rec kayak on CraigsList. I loved its portability but not it's slowness in the water. I sold it to a dialysis nurse who could put it together and take it apart in record time. My next kayak was a roto-moldedm ruddered, Necky Elaho HV. I purchased in the dead of a Pennsylvania Winter without a sea trial. It's lack of primary stability made each outing in the chop a challenge for me. It proved to be a chore to take the 65 pound beast out of my Greenbelt, MD basement storage for those early morning paddles. I sold it to a 115 pound kid who worked it's secondary stability to his advantage.

I thought I had found my yak when I purchase a NDK Explorer. It was my go to boat for long paddles on the Anacostia River and around Kent Island. For my birthday I attended Brian's kayak build class at the Delmarva Greenland Paddling Fest and built a Cape Falcon F1 under his expert guidance. It proved to be a great kayak. Before I moved back to California, I sold the NDK to a willing buyer, and put the F1 on the Hullivator for the long drive across the country.

The Cape Falcon F1 has proven it worth on surf zone entries and landings in the Monterey Bay, choppy paddles on Elkhorn Slough, and long paddles in San Francisco Bay. I haven't looked at another kayak since I found how adaptable I have become on different waters with the F1. I don't miss the cold winters, basement storage, and heavy kayaks of the Mid-Atlantic.