I bet your going to get a lot of opinions on this one. I'm no vet as I've only been doing this for about 10 years but I'll put my 2 cents in for what it's worth. I own a bell merlin in black gold and since it is the only solo I have ever paddled I cannot speak comparatively. What I like about the boat is it seems to be an excellent all around craft. Some might be faster, others might be better is swift whitewater etc. But if you like to fish this boat has good stability, decent speed and handles rough water very well. It can also handle a good cargo. I have had her out for 13 days at a time with no regrets.