I've had a WM Kodiak for over 10 years and used it on most rivers in western WA, some in BC, along with several lakes. As Stonefish pointed out, it's not speedy on lakes, or rivers for that matter. But it gets the job done. I'm acquainted with Dave at Catchercraft. The Freestone has a real rowing frame, so it can handle heavier whitewater than the WM. However, the WM can handle heavier whitewater than I want to take on. I've run my WM on the Sol Duc and through Moose Rapids on the Dean, so the Humptulips, Wynoochee, and Satsop are a piece of cake. The WM has less weight and bulk than the Freestone, so it packs up and loads better in a float plane or helicopter. The Freestone tracks better and rows faster than the WM. It comes down to the trade offs that are applicable to your situation.