The rod holders suck. You need to replace them, or modify them with sleeves, like the foam pipe insulation.
The seat is very comfortable.
As it came from the factory, it was kind of noisy while sitting up on saw horses, but that was due primarily to vibrations echoing through the hull like a sounding board. I bought the recommended grease and grease gun and fitting from Amazon. You can download the manual from Amazon where it talks about maintenance on the last couple of pages and references the suggested equipment.
After greasing it up, it quieted down considerably on the saw horses.
In the water, it's an easy pedaling machine. On par with the Native Propel, though the drive system is a whole nuther animal than the propel system.
Stable. Turns well. Tracks well.
Worth the money - considering the Native is $2500, the Old Town is $2700 and any of the Hobie offerings are more or less, but have some limitations as well.
Were I to do it all over again, I'd probably go straight to the Pescador...but I have to say, the Native seems a bit more substantial in hull thickness. I like them both.
