Arkota vs Buffalo, as a solo
Manuverability: The Arkota is hands down more agile; you can catch an eddie with about half the effort. Also, once I found a place to surf, I was surprised how nice it was to not have the front chine digging into the water which usually leads to bad things. I'm not real sure how you measure rocker, but seeing that the Buffalo has 2.5" vs 4" with the Arkota, I felt the bow/stern of the Arkota is much more angled/softer(?) than that 4" would lead you to believe.
Tracking: The Buffalo takes this one, barely. It took me one looong pool for me to barely notice that I was having to ever-so-slightly accentuate my J stroke.
Stability: Buffalo takes this one. Apparently the extra 2" width and flatter bottom on the Buffalo is the real difference. The Arkota wasn't super tipsy by any means, but I would be hesitant to give this boat to a novice.
Speed: Not real sure. I really think the Arkota might be faster as a tandem boat due to it being narrower, and the Buffalo being faster as a solo due to the chines helping with the tracking.
Waves/drops/splash: Arkota. If you compare the hulls in the first 2' of the bow/stern, you'll notice the Arkota has much more volume. I also bottomed out the back of the Buffalo going over a low water bridge whereas the Arkota never touched it.
Summary: the Arkota would be great for intermediate and up paddlers that want a 16' boat and still tear up some good whitewater.
I know it's not the most professional review in world, but it's what yall get.
