Although not brand new to kayaking, this is my first kayak purchase and I have been paddling with it for about 2 months now. As a petite woman (5'1", 110lbs) I find this kayak very comfortable and easy to manoeuvre. The cockpit is smaller, more narrow, than other sea kayaks so it fits really well and feels stable. It also tracks really well even without the skeg and moves fast on the water. The hatches seem pretty water tight, no leaks so far. Overall very excited about this kayak!