Both of these look great, has anyone paddled both to compare?

Their use would be fitness/recreation.

I have a bunch of Mentors at my school here in the Caribbean.  They are well built and robust but still fairly light for a beginner ski.  The early models had big gaps on the adjustments and a floppy footstrap but they have fixed this now with more holes in the rails and a better supported strap.

I have heard some people say that it is less stable than the XT - I can honestly not tell the difference.  I have had complete novices paddling it in flat water without falling off.  It feels faster than the XT but that may be subjective - I have not had the chance to do a proper back to back test in all conditions.

I have not paddled the Honcho Guevara yet but I would say the Mentor is less stable but a lot faster than the Honcho Rookie.

Hope this helps
Stuart

I've paddled XT and Mentor a number of times: no question, XT is heavier, slower, more stable. I find the seat more comfortable; my paddle-mate prefers the Mentor.

Guys.

Thanks for the updates.  I haven't seen a review of the Mentor, but your comments have helped a lot.