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I brought my Katana from new, going for the action spec over the river spec as the shop told me it was really quite unnecessary. I think they were right. Once the boat was set up, it fitted really well and let both relax and really lock in.

That said, I’m a size 10.5 foot and on the upper end of the weight scale, while being quite short (5’9”) and found that it’s only really comfortable with paddle shoes. While I’m happy with it, it didn’t seem as rigid or well made as my wife’s piranha crossover, but make no mistake, its very well made. I feel comfortable and confident in it, and it’s really a very versatile boat.

I’ve used this for about 6 months now on slow moving water and flatwater and would feel really happy on proper moving water. While I haven’t used this in whitewater yet, I have used a loaner dagger on the local course and feel that the katana would be more than enough for its intended use, if a little large for smaller sections. It’s obviously quite a long and wide boat for WW.

If using it for camping, it could be a bit limiting. The hold is large but would put a lot of weight in the backside. The nose IS accessible, but it can be a chore. I’d be inclined to only use it if you have to. Airbags would be the priority if you wanted to use it on moving water, I think.

The rear hatch on mine leaks a little from new... It’s not major, but it’s there. And because the things not as stiff as its counterparts, id be a bit worried about the hatch blowing off from a hard hit, but that’s easy to safeguard against.

The rigging is good, but I’ve had to remove some bungee so I could add some dyneema lines to make self rescues viable. I’d happily use this for touring shorter trips, any 1 day paddles, WW, and I think even limited coast exploring. Its only really on the extremes that you’d want a different boat.

I’d say its overall limited areas would be thin whitewater stretches, long trips (without support) and a lot of sea work. Chances are though, you’d reach your own limits before you reach the boats.

Overall it’s a really nice boat with only some minor niggles.