Nick, you provide fuel for my thesis. We know that the Nordkapp and the Anas Acuta are very different and different-looking boats, and you assure yourself that the designer had vastly different design goals for the two boats. And certainly one can instantly feel the difference when paddling the boats for 10 minutes, putting them on edge, etc. Yet the fact remains that, vast differences or no, all the boats I've discussed and you've discussed are fine rough-water boats in the hands of a skilled, experienced paddler. That's all I'm saying: The boat, not so much. The kayaker is the heart of the equation.

Kayaker729, I apologize for hijacking this thread. It's just that, in sea kayaking, like everything else, opinions are everywhere, all over the place, and I just like to stop once in a while--rudders vs. skegs vs. neither, skinny sticks vs. Europaddles, high angle vs. low angle, etc. etc.--and try to assess whether there are real truths behind the opinions. Often the box is empty.