A friend and I are looking for our first kayaks and have decided to
buy kevlar boats. We're 6'/155# and 5'-8"/135# respectively.

We've tried a number of Perception, Necky, Seaward and other kayaks.
So far we've liked the Perception Avatar best. But we cannot find any
reviews or comments on this kayak which apparently was first sold in
2003. Anyone have experience with the Avatar or other knowledge of
it? Compare it to the perception Eclipse?

As of July 27,2003, it appears Perception isn't taking any new orders
until October. Anyone know why? Some rumors say they are retooling
for new models and others are that they are just backlogged on glass
boats.

We also liked the quality of the Seaward kayaks, but again, they seem
to be few and far between when it comes to user experiences and
testimonials. Seaward is apparently a quite small company.