Thanks for all the info. I have another question. My buddy has a fish cat panther and he doesn't really like it...he says that he can't turn it using his fins, that he has to use the oars. He thinks the pontoons are too big and long without enough rocker. Am I correct in assuming the VV expedition will handle well just using fins? I would like to use oars when I want to cover a lot of ground, but then use fins when actually fishing. I'm leaning toward the VV expedition; the weight issue is an important one for me as I will pack it once in a while. I plan on using it for lakes & rivers. Thanks again for the help.