: Was using the NDK as an example of weight, something I don't much enjoy
: picking up.

No doubt. Nick's point is that weight does not equal strength. NDK boats are legendary for poor quality control in their antiquated hand layups, their use of inferior materials (chopped-strand mat instead of glass cloth) and excessive amounts of gelcoat, which has very little strength. These substandard materials and construction techniques make the boat unnecessarily heavy. A boat built built with high quality materials (vinylester or epoxy resin and woven cloth fabrics) and modern techniques (vacuum bagging or resin infusion) will be much lighter and more resilient, making it far more durable.

It seems that NDK is pretty much an anachronism in the the kayak market, as all the other major manufacturers have switched to better materials and modern construction methods. The only reason they can sell boats at all is that their designs are good and have become "classics", and they're living off that reputation, though there are much better constructed alternatives that perform just as well. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the current recession turns out to be the final nail in their coffin. On the bright side, maybe then Nigel will sell the designs to a company that actually knows how to build boats.