Diamante (Susquehana) – light layup
I don't know if it is still true, but the layup on the older Diamante (Kevalr, bought in 8/2001) is quite prone to cracking. Both mine and that of a friend have developed significant cracks where the deck meets the hull on both sides, front and back. Actually, his is a year older, and when I heard what was happening to it, I checked mine. Sure enough, it was starting to crack. So I reinforced it front & back with extra glass.
So, that light layup that makes everybody go "ooohhh" when they pick up the boat, has its drawbacks.
On the whole I've enjoyed my Diamante. It surfs even the smallest swell; is lively and turns easily, but is a bit hard to put on edge and to roll (high primary) compared to many boats these days (Explorer, for example). It handles rough stuff pretty well, and is a reasonably dry ride. At 16 feet, it is not the speediest boat on the bay, but it's more competitive in following seas (thanks to its surfing tendency).
The leaky hatches are definitely no fun. The installed backband was a disaster as it tended to release its ratchets and ride up under the coaming, and that eventually shredded the cover. Also the backband attached to the seat rather than the coaming, so stress on it stressed the seat which eventually cracked and had to be replaced. If I'd had the time, I would have put in a custom foam seat, but luckily my friend had already done that, so he gave me his old seat to replace mine. I refashioned the backband, cutting it down and removing the awful ratchets, and attached it to the underside of the coaming rather than to the new seat. But that seat is comfortable.
Anyway, I do think I'm going for something more Brit and/or low volume next.
--David