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I just purchased the Castine 135 and so far am really enjoying it. I'm 5' and 110lbs. I have been paddling for a few years now. I'm not an expert but also not new to kayaking. I've taken it on local waterways in my area of western NY, and also in Narragansett Bay, RI. It handled the large swells and wakes from fishing boats very well. And I'm not used to that type of water, so I was a bit anxious, but made it through fine.

It's quite a step up from my Pelican 10' boat. It was quite a bit wider than the Castine, and very stable. However, the Castine is stable, something I worried about since it is so much narrower than my previous boat, but I've had no problem with that.

At that time I did not have the optional rudder installed, but had it on order. It tracked very well without it. Since then I did have it installed. So far I'm not sure that it's really needed, but if it is, I now have it.

I would suggest that the thigh pads be beefier...they are quite a thin plastic pad. The ones on the WS Tsunami are more comfortable. I haven't had any leaking problems with the hatches, and I like the hatch covers very much. It seems like the boat will be able to hold a lot of gear if I decide to go camping at some point. I would really like to have a paddle holder and maybe a few attachment points to add a camera or light, etc. At some point I may change the seat back to a backhand as I'd like to learn to roll, but that is maybe for next year. Overall I'm glad that I've purchased the boat and looking forward to learning more about it as I continue to paddle it.