Clay34 it's easy to tie up a lot of money in a kayak and kayaks don't hold their value like most boats do. My last boat I owned was a 24' Pathfinder bay boat. After year 6 or so I could count on spending at least $1500 and most of the time it was more like $3000 a year on maintenance. When you put a boat/trailer in salt water it really speeds up the maintenance. No doubt I have over $3K in my Hobie Pro Angler and I bought it used (got a steal of a deal) but that's pennies compared to what it cost owning a bay boat.