Agree. Only one rudder boat of 17.5, and only use it to recover when corrective stroke becomes tiring. Then agree how it’s faster to lose .5 mph with rudder down than deplete your finite energy. That brings up a good point: are the “rudders” (not skegs) on some boats noticably more efficient.
The most important factor about a boat’s design, and thus how it will paddle and how you will enjoy paddling it, is the hull design. That is the bottom of the boat. When I was younger, say twenty years ago, I spent too much time reading about and studying hull design. There were three major kayak builders, and this is generalizations I observed of them. Dagger-flat bottom, Perception-egg shaped/oval bottom, Wilderness System-somewhere in between these two, roundish flat. I’ve owned a Dagger touring boat for twenty + years and would not recommend one.
Isn’t Dagger’s area of expertice in white water boats. My favorite is WS multi-chine. I recognize the drawback and accept the tradeoff. Seems that Perception owners love their boat, but while discussing details, they usually concede that its edgey. Kayaks are a series of tradeoffs.
Yes about Dagger being WW oriented. However, Dagger hit a home run with the Stratos series whether 14.5 (I own & paddle an L) or the 12.5.
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The Dagger Magellan that they produced in the 80’s and 90’s was a highly competent 17’ ruddered touring kayak. I owned one for a while and the only reason I got rid of it was that it weighed over 60 pounds. The folks I sold it to loved it and as far as I know, use it to this day.