Always good news to hear about people thinking and tinkering instead of apathetically accepting the status quo ! Nice work guys, keep us informed on the progress , please. Http://bit.ly/detroitkayak

About the reviewer Michigan doesn't have any real elevation, hence no "real" rapids. I attempt to kayak all year, enjoying the spring snow melt for increased water levels. Test environment Paddled on rivers like the Huron, Clinton, Shiawassee, Grand, Manistee & Detroit River along with numerous inland lakes and the Great Lakes in Michigan Review Decent boat, but I modified it quite a bit. Aluminum Yakima footbraces combined with a Bomber Backband were put in. I also swapped in a more aggressive thigh brace. The hatch makes it great for short trips. The length (12 foot) means you have to work a bit getting into eddys and you won't do any cartwheels in it. The removable skeg was helpful in the beginning but I learned to paddle without it. The center foam crossmember means you need split front floatation bags but the crossmember adds lots of rigidity to the nose. Had a blast doing some kayak sledding on a snow covered hill one year. It's a nice hybrid mix of whitewater and sea kayak with compromises on both ends of the spectrum. Conclusion I would recommend it as a beginner kayak for simple river running and lake...