Howard,

The windsurfer, then PWC, now kayak? assaults have certainly taken their toll. But hasn't the price gone up on everything? Competition is tough when a new yak is $1,500.

I'm saying there's a lot of H14s and H16s out there (the boats you and I bought in the 80's) going for $500 to ???, granted some are junk. And you are correct, at least comparitively speaking, set up is not an issue.

Down side, If you get hooked and your a struggling twenty something, the monetary step up from an old 16 is huge.