I have a Necky Looksha, a 15' sit-in touring kayak with dry storage front and rear and a foot-operated rudder. I live near a large slow-moving river, so I tend to paddle that more than anything else. I also frequent lakes and a few coastal estuaries here in CA. My favorite thing to do is load up the boat with my camping gear and do overnight trips with friends. I don't do whitewater. My boat is a compromise, it will do light river work, it paddles nice on open water and has plenty of room for overnight gear, but it doesn't excel at any of those things. My next boat will be lighter (kevlar), at least 17' in length to make more room for gear and make it faster in the water and slightly narrower for more efficient paddling. I have a carbon paddle that lowers the effort level down a noticeable amount. I am anxious to do some paddling later this year!