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Sterling Reflection or CD Karla or...

dermot said:
i'm 6'1" and 200lbs with size11 boots.. the Karla was wonderful, playful, trustworthy - but we were in flat water (indian arm),
seems like it handles much like the SisuLV, but lighter / smaller / and more responsive to small inputs

the Delphin i have is the 155 v2, the larger one, in corelight, and the oposite side of brackets around the SisuLV, the Delphin feels heavy, needs to be pushed to respond, it was great when i weighed 275, i could toss Delphin around like a toy, now that i've lost weight the Karla is just better for anything that does not involve rocks and/or a tent in the back hatch

i've been told the Delphin 150 is diffrent boat, and today it's probbaly a better fit for me, or most likely anyone looking at a Karla

one other thought.... the Delphin is a complete PITA after a few hours, i wedge into it very snuggly, but the feet cannot move what.so.ever.
so i'm wedged into frog leg position with no wiggle room - in the Karla there's absolutly tons of leg/foot room i could paddle with knees up surfski style, super comforatble for me

i replaced both the footpegs and the seat in the Delphin, have not felt a need to do that in the Sisu, identical outfitting in the Karla

one thing the Delphin has going for it is the (near) unbreakable build. truly takes a licking and keeps on ticking
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Dermot, this is super helpful. And you are I are practically the same size, so it's good to hear about how comfortable you were in the boat. And I agree a plastic boat makes sense for major rock hopping. I could buy the Karla AND the Delphin (or maybe a Stratos) for the price of the Sterling if I decided to go that route!
 
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After all the great insights and advice, which I appreciate tremendously, I thought I'd provide an update... I ended up purchasing a Reflection. Turned out it was really my only choice, anyway. The local Current Designs dealer, Kayak Academy, told me that they had no Karlas and had been informed by the manufacturer that no additional orders were available until the end of the year. Apparently product chain disruptions coupled with increased demand, all due to COVID, have result in a significant shortage of boats and gear in a number of areas.

Regardless, I have no complaints. I surfed on the wind waves in the Tacoma Narrows on Sunday and spent the whole afternoon with a big-ass grin on my face.

Hope to see you all on the waves.
John
 
You will be a very happy boy! Enjoy. Sterling is a good partner.
 
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