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I bought my Independence kevlar solo canoe (and bent shaft wooden paddle) in approximately 1992 and have taken great care of it ever since. The canoe is beautiful, weighs only 35 pounds and is great for trout fishing, bow hunting, canoe camping and getting a great upper body workout. It is sad that Mad River canoe no longer makes such a fine product. I am comfortable using it on big open water with winds up to about 15 mph and on gentle rivers. It can be paddled in very shallow water. One can move fast with little effort on the lakes even on the windy days. It performs best adding about 15-25 pounds in front and rear when going solo with little or no gear. My wife has vertigo but does just fine sitting up front in a crazy chair while i kneel and lean against the rear thwart to help distribute the weight. I would like to be reunited with my Independence in the next life, though i hope my heirs will enjoy it for a good long while.