After paddling an 11' recreational kayak (my first) this summer, a Wilderness Systems Coupe Del Rio, I decided to upgrade to a longer, narrower, quicker and more challenging boat. After investigating a number of different models and considering my budget, etc, I was off to Swift Algonquin as they had the model I believed was right for me - the Castine by Old Town. When I actually saw it and tried it out, I was not impressed especially with the lack of leg room - my feet were up against the bulkhead and it was not any quicker than the boat I already had. Disgruntled, I then tried the Old Town Nantucket - had the room but was not a fun boat to paddle and was too heavy for me to cartop by myself. Then the Wilderness Systems 15' Cape Horn. This was a fast boat with excellent performance but at 63 lbs it was too heavy for my purpose and a little on the pricey side. Back to the yard to look at the other models they had. The salesman noticed me drooling over the fiberglass boats and suggested I try one out. Thinking that they were out of my league cost-wise, I initially declined. Fortunately he was persistent and indicated that they had a 2001 demo that was still in great shape, weighed in at less than 40 lbs and because it was the end of the season, they were willing to deal. Thus my introduction to the sleek Swift Caspian Sea Classic. This is a 15'4" long and 24" wide rocket that is stable and a blast to paddle. It is bare bones with no storage compartments nor does it have a rudder (doesn't need one). It does have solid foot braces and a comfortable and adjustable low back seat. If you want the extras, get the Caspian Sea Expedition. I have cruised in all sorts of conditions and have yet to come up against anything it cannot handle. It is a fast, stable, easy to manageable kayak that I have had nothing but compliments about. Here is a company that you do not hear much about as they have a limited number of distributors and tend to focus on their canoes but they offer excellent goldenglass and kevlar recreational and touring kayaks. And the best part, I did not see a better priced glass boat, especially not one that had this quality and length. New, the Caspian Sea Classic lists for $1595 Cdn and I was able to purchase this one for hundreds of $'s less than this. Thank you Swift Canoe and Kayak for providing a "class act" at an affordable price. You can be assured that if I need a second boat or wish to upgrade in the future, I will check your line of kayaks first.