I haven't noticed any decrease in the tracking ability with the UHMW. It does add some weight though. Yes it does provide the "best of both worlds" in terms of giving you the toughness of alum and the ease of slipping over rocks. It has saved my tail several times when I was learning how to row. I have noticed that many of the folks out here on the oly pen row alum, probably because we tend to bounce off a few more rock then other folks. As the saying goes "it's not if you're going to hit rocks, it's how many and how hard" They say that the new glass boats are pretty tough, but I go with what the guides row and that's alum. If you row alone alot you will want to get something to balance your boat out front to back so that it will row more easily for you.