What's happening in retail... brief update

Screw talking about it, lets RACE 

Good idea!  There should totally be an NCKA race event with prizes! 

Something like this:  HMB - Harbor to south green can, round the can to the outside towards the red can, round the red and head back to the harbor around the close green can.  Total distance is like 3-4 miles.  Oh, and maybe a 1 minute/pound fishing bonus!  lol 
 

Does "best" also include which models are easiest to load/unload from car, beach launch and land? 

Maybe a race could consist of a functional assessment - everyone meets in the parking lot and starts at the same time.  First to get a crab ring placed in a designated area wins!

Edit: Nolanduke beat me to it, haha

I'd love to see all classes of kayaks race, it would be too much fun 

Best in what?   For fishing I loved my Outback.   I am a big guy and was stable and the gunnels were nice to use as small table setting up gear.   Sure the Revo was faster, and narrower.   Grumpy bought one as he was a smaller person and was easier to paddle.  Only reason I went to the inflatable I11s was not going to climb to top of camper to wrestle the Outback up top.

In more uplifting news, Swell Watercraft is investing in US production capabilities by building a factory in Iowa. Particularly exciting to me is indication that they'll be introducing a 16' version of their Scupper in 2023. I've yet to see the design, but if it's anything like the Scupper 14 I'm sure it'll be plenty sexy.

Curious about this too. The original scupper pro TW were great boats. They were the preferred "guide boats" out on Santa Cruz Island. The outfitters even went so far as to begin purchasing used ones and repairing them because the guides liked them so much for the caves. I always liked the original Scramblers too (non XT).
So the adventure company invested in like 10 of the new swell "scupper" 14's and (although I have not paddled one myself) the word is that they are the last pick on the beach for singles. I guess they looked great but just don't compare to the older ocean kayak design? Maybe a 16 ft version will have some tweaks that might help.

In more uplifting news, Swell Watercraft is investing in US production capabilities by building a factory in Iowa. Particularly exciting to me is indication that they'll be introducing a 16' version of their Scupper in 2023. I've yet to see the design, but if it's anything like the Scupper 14 I'm sure it'll be plenty sexy.

Curious about this too. The original scupper pro TW were great boats. They were the preferred "guide boats" out on Santa Cruz Island. The outfitters even went so far as to begin purchasing used ones and repairing them because the guides liked them so much for the caves. I always liked the original Scramblers too (non XT).
So the adventure company invested in like 10 of the new swell "scupper" 14's and (although I have not paddled one myself) the word is that they are the last pick on the beach for singles. I guess they looked great but just don't compare to the older ocean kayak design? Maybe a 16 ft version will have some tweaks that might help.

Last pick on the beach for singles -- do you know if it's renters or guides doing the picking? I haven't paddled one yet either but have seen them in person and they look pretty sleek.

Best in what?   For fishing I loved my Outback.   I am a big guy and was stable and the gunnels were nice to use as small table setting up gear.   Sure the Revo was faster, and narrower.   Grumpy bought one as he was a smaller person and was easier to paddle.  Only reason I went to the inflatable I11s was not going to climb to top of camper to wrestle the Outback up top.

I was going to go from Outback to the Itrek11 but after patching 7 holes in my wife's Itrek9 I decided against inflatable for myself. It's super nice for traveling and camper life but I can't risk the possibility of deflating out by myself in remote locations.