Karma is the best choice
Paulie,
Karma! Dave Frank's right. Do yourself a favor and get a Karma.
I've owned a Karma M, Karma S, and a Villain S. The Villain had been the best boat (now second best) prior to the Karma. You'll find the Karma is more responsive (crisp), the ultimate in stability, is light, very fast, carves beautiful arcing eddy turns, tracks perfectly, punches through and pushes out and away from holes and drops like a dream come true, is very fast, rolls up effortlessly, boofs like a champ. rides up and over things, fends off weird seams and currents, and is incredibly stable and predictable.
They are large volume boats, but they drive like they are smaller. Anyone that hasn't fallen in love with one just hasn't dialed in the seat position and outfitted it to fit them. Once dialed in the Karma is the absolute best performing boat ever made. The Mamba, Nomad, Shiva, Burn, Stomper, and Recon are all good boats, but the Karma is truly better. It is the complete package. Don't let anyone talk you out of one.
I don't know your size, but at 155 I most loved the Karma M when hauling lots of gear. I now love the Karma S (14 gallons smaller though and I'm already at the top weight limit, so can't add a bunch of gear weight. I have my Villain S for that, though.). The Karma L looks huge to me, but I know it should perform the same as the other two sizes. It will be unshakably stable and paddle like it smaller if you outfit it properly. I add and glue custom sculpted thigh hooks into my boats to compensate for the large volumes. Jackson athletes use added Happy Seats to secure their fit. Once dialed in the Karma is as stable as a battleship with the performance of a formula one race car.
I'm not sponsored or work for Jackson or any store. Just have 34 years of experience with boating class III-V+. I buy my boats from Four Corners River Sports. Give them a call. Those guys are true gnar boaters and have an awesome store.
Best Wishes!
Ken