I recently bought a Katana 10.4, and while it’s a nice boat, it doesn’t really track as well as I’d like. I would say I am a 30-70 whitewater-flatwater kayaker. A hybrid is what I am looking for, but I want a kayak that leans more to flatwater than whitewater. The Katana seems to lean more to whitewater. I hear the Axis however, is more geared for flatwater. How much so? Is the tracking really that much better (both with and without the skeg)? I never go past Class III, so I don’t need Class V maneuverability.

It’s somewhat of a hassle for me to exchange the Katana to an Axis, so I wanted to get feedback first. Thanks!

i think you’re spot on with the assessment of the two boats. However, I would keep the katana. If you learn to paddle it well then tracking the boat shouldn’t be an issue, but it will be a bit slower and require a bit more effort on the flats but since the axis isn’t much longer and is also wide I can’t imagine you’re giving that much up. You’ll be the better paddler for sticking with the katana. In other words improve your technique, get some more seat in, and you won’t need to switch boats. Learn to paddle the katana efficiently. If you want a hull that is faster or more efficient on the flats then there are better (longer and narrower) boats out there than either the katana or axis. Buy the long boat as a second boat for flatwater. The katana has a steeper learning curve than the axis but many people learn to paddle it straight with the skeg up. Put the time in or if you are only going to paddle just a few times a year then swap out the boats- the axis will go straighter with less technique, it will have even more initial stability, but it will be harder to turn and harder to empty and won’t have the structural integrity of a ww kayak.