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when my wife and I became interested in kayaking some years ago we gravitated to solo sit in kayaks (Perception Carolina 14.5 and 16) due to their versatility. While my life loves her 14.5 my 16 (an older model) I found to be brutally uncomfortable to be in for more than a couple of hours. I've always enjoyed being in a canoe and when I first heard about the Next I was intrigued.

The Next is essentially a pack canoe that is narrower, with a lower profile and the most comfortable seat you can imagine. My initial impression when I first heard about the Next is that there has to be a trade off, it couldn't possible possess the best attributes of a touring kayak and a canoe and I suppose that is true. What it is however is something altogether different and depending on what you intend to do with it it could be just what you are looking for.

What the Next excels at is stability, comfort and room to bring stuff and and have access to it it while on the water. It's a great platform to take photos from and it can be paddled with a single or double blade. It also couldn't be easier to get in and out of. My concern was that I would not be able to keep pace with my wife in her Carolina but the Next is surprisingly quick and agile. We live on Long Island, NY and paddling in the bays along with the changing tides and currents have been no trouble at all. It does track pretty well but can have a tendency to weathervane a bit in a crosswind due to it's rounded hull shape. That hull shape also allows you to turn the boat completely around with ease which is particularly helpful in tight spaces.

There are some drawbacks the Next has too. For one thing it is a bit heavy and if you are car topping like we do it can be a bit rough after a day on the water to put back on the roof of your vehicle by yourself. Also being essentially a small canoe means you are completely exposed to the elements so you'll need to dress appropriately. If you paddle in rain or cold weather this might be a problem, and of course you can't Eskimo roll! I've also found that no matter where I position my drip rings I seem to get water in the boat from the paddle due to being slightly higher out of the water than a sit in kayak and also the modified strokes I find myself using to keep it tracking straight. This issue so far I have found no solution for except for keeping a sponge handy. I've heard some complaints about the seat coming out of the track but I have not experienced this at all so far.

In a nutshell the Next is really a unique boat with tremendous versatility.