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I've had my Mirage 580 for more than 10 years now. It was bought new to replace a plastic Dagger Apostle (that I kept) and is a beautiful bit of equipment to use. My local paddle is either river or coastal, generally around 40 kilometres. It handles it all. It's carried me down the Hawkesbury River in the annual overnight race (111 kms) half a dozen times, I've spent a cold and soaking wet Easter on the Myall Lakes having paddled in from Bulahdelah loaded up and loved it, It has taken me out amongst the whales off Montague Island mid-winter. It has ample capacity for camping gear and food. I've some bigger trips planned over the next 12 months - back to the Whitsundays in winter, possibly Bass Strait next summer and I know it will handle it fine. Unloaded, it revels in the bigger swells we often get on the south coast picking up and surfing downwind and making a decent fist of things punching upwind.
My wife isn't much of a paddler but I'm comfortable giving her the Mirage to paddle knowing she'll be safe in it, while I take the slower Dagger - it means our speed is similar and she feels special getting the fancy kayak. My only gripe is the common one of the seat - its actually not bad, but then I got a DD3 Albatross ocean ski that felt like it had been made just for my butt. Have tried different combinations of padding but haven't struck Nirvana just yet. So while mine's got some miles under it and the odd character rash, it goes every bit as good as new. I don't think I'll ever be looking to replace it and have no doubt it was the best money I've ever spent.