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The thin back design is very comfortable with the kayak-style seats in my canoe - I can lean back and not feel like there is something in the way. There is enough added bulk in the front that it is noticeable, but it's not an issue. It's comfortable in extreme heat thanks to good ventilation. It has almost no extra features -- the pockets on the front don't hold much -- but gets the job done and is comfortable. If you need more storage maybe opt for the fishing version of this vest, but I think the simplicity and minimal bulk of the Oso make it a better choice for simple day trips where you don't need to have quick access to lots of stuff.

Classic design, lightweight, easy to handle. If you've never tried one you may be surprised at how well it can move a boat - you don't always need a bent shaft or super wide blade. Makes it easy to maneuver silently in all directions, which I particularly appreciate when trying to photograph wildlife from a canoe. I wish I could use this more but my son has decided it's his favorite- I may just need to get another. The rock guard tip has proven pretty durable as well.

Fairly easy to install, provided you can find a way to reach across your roof -- if you want it to fit snugly around the bar it takes two hands to stretch the neoprene and secure the hook and loop all the way down the bar. Once fitted though, it does the job well and the black color and minimal branding make me feel fine about leaving them mounted for the whole season. I purchased to have an easier setup for carrying a canoe, and for that purpose it is adequate. I wish they offered a bit more padding and were a bit longer. The foam blocks I was using before worked better, but took longer to set up. I think if you are using this for a SUP board or something similar it would be ideal. Make sure that the width is enough for you -- these pads are just barely long enough to reach across the gunwales of my boat. I may try cutting them in half so I don't have to spend time aligning everything just so. See if you can get them on sale -- the full price is pretty steep!

Quick review: It's cheaper than most ultralight canoes, handles very nicely, can be set up in many different configurations easily, can be paddled with single or double blade paddles, and is light enough to be transported by a single person with ease. Excellent for long solo trips, shorter 2 person trips, or casual paddling with a few smaller passengers (kids, dogs). You need to be more careful about rocks and other hazards, and setting up the seating can be a bit fiddly at times. But if you don't want to do lots of whitewater this is a versatile boat that makes it easy to get on the water often! Couple all this with good customer service, and I find it easy to highly recommend a Slipstream canoe! Longer review: This is a very versatile boat! I went for a range of options that increase durability but add weight, and even with all of that plus a kneeling thwart it still weighs just over 30 lbs, meaning I can easily move it around by myself. After mostly traveling in boats that weigh 80 lbs or more, it's astonishing to me to be able to pull this canoe off my car, carry it around through the back yard on one shoulder, and maneuver it down into the basement by myself without straining -- all this means that I will use this canoe a lot! I was worried about getting a shorter boat, but it has plenty of space for me and two kids plus food for a day trip, or even 2 parents with the kids in the middle for a quick paddle around a pond. It could hold gear for 2 on a longer camping trip. It can be paddled with kayak paddles or single blade canoe paddles -- even from the seating on the bottom of the boat. The low seating makes the boat very stable, which is reassuring to our little ones who are just getting used to the idea -- and to their parents as well. With the kneeling thwart and 2 chairs that can be placed in a number of configurations for solo or tandem use (plus we throw a thermarest pad in the bottom for the smallest passengers to sit on) it's really easy to keep the boat trim by just moving passengers around. There is a bit of a tradeoff durability-wise -- you can't just load everybody up on the beach and then shove off as the boat needs to be floating before loading it, and rocks and other hazards need to be avoided more vigilantly than with canoes designed to take more of a beating. The modular seating can also be a bit fiddly to install each time (the clip in seats need to be removed for car top transport), but if I'm paddling solo on the kneeling thwart I can simply leave the seats behind and have an even lighter boat to move down to the water. What I gain for these tradeoffs is well worth it to me -- it's a boat that is light enough that it feels easy to use (which means it will get used a lot), short enough to fit in my basement (which means it will last longer and not take up space in our tiny backyard), and versatile enough to allow for quick changes between several seating set ups. It has turned out to be perfect for the ponds and calm rivers closest to us in the city of Boston -- I think it's just about the ideal family boat for us right now, as we can use it . Stan at Slipstream was very helpful throughout the purchase process. Slipstream has several models and we discussed the kind of paddling I wanted to do before settling on this one. You can order a custom build with your options (they have many colors available, lots of seating and kneeling options, flotation, etc) with no obligation or down payment -- if you show up for a test paddle and don't like your custom boat you can just leave it behind and go find something else. They don't have many paddle options in stock at their storefront, so it might be good to sort that out on your own. They make a broad range of boat models, from Wee Lassies up through longer 16' plus boats, and even a wood duck kayak. If you are in the market for a composite canoe you should really check out Slipstream!

The thin back design is quite comfortable, especially with the tall seat back in my canoe. Fairly easy for me to get a good fit with the available straps, but the design is on the basic side so you might probably want to try it on first if you have had trouble adjusting other pfds. Pockets on the front are a little smaller than I might like, but I still prefer the simplicity of this one to the increased storage of the fishing-specific version that NRS makes of this pfd. Overall I'm very happy with the Oso -- I'll wear it, feel comfortable, and it will do all I need it to do for the majority of my paddling (day trips on calm lakes and rivers).