There is so much more speed on the wave on this kayak compared to plastic SOTs, it holds the wave face nicely (tri-fins) and is very responsive to movements of the body and paddle when working the wave face. This kayak will allow you to pull MUCH more agile moves than other SOT surf kayaks. It is just awesome on glassy groundswells. It works well in any conditions though. Carrying to/from the beach and general handling from the vehicle are easy due to the light weight and more manageable size of this kayak, I have carried it on the shoulder (with the straps) for three quaters of a mile on several occasions. It is so much easier to manage in heavy conditions, especially when entering the water....much less buffeting/dragging/arm wrenching in incoming broken white waves. At the end of a ride it breaks easily out of the broken surf to get back out faster. Previously, all high performance surf kayaks were sit-in type/decked and not all of us are that confident in that type of kayak especially in the surf. Trying a kayak for the 1st time is always a poignant moment but the Master was easy to handle from the outset. The foundation for this is the good stability of the kayak that allows confidence in the surf. Punching out through the surf is easy, the kayak has good rocker and easily rides over all wave sizes, either unbroken or white water. I’ve noticed that when waiting out back for a wave for extended periods of time, just putting a single foot in the water (borrowing from waveskiers) makes it extremely comfortable and even more stable; I could sit like that all day. Turning is straight-forward and catching waves and finding the best wave sections after take off is noticeably easier than on plastic SOT kayaks due to faster acceleration.