Hey guys.
I've been canoeing for quite some time now, but I'm interested in getting into kayaking (I've only kayaked slow water in rented boats), and i'm looking to buy a kayak to learn the ropes, and have some fun in.
I'm not real crazy about doing HUGE water or anything in this boat, but I would like to be able to take it up to class 2 or 3 eventually(If I don't kill myself first). I'm about 6'4 215.
I figured that this would be the proper forum to post this in. If it's in the wrong place mods, feel free to move it.
I appreciate any comments! Thanks guys!
Rich
New to kayaking . . .
Fighting for peace........
Isn't that like screaming for quiet?
http://www.Paddledog.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Isn't that like screaming for quiet?
http://www.Paddledog.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Cowper
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- Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:39 am
- Name: Cowper C
- Location: Conway, AR
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There's so much information to absorb and share, I'm struggling just a little bit on which way to point you.
One problem is the wide variation in what people call "Class 2/3". Most guide books tend to rate things conservatively (give a slightly higher rating), partly because they describe the river at it's "optimum" level, but also because it helps protect the author from a liability standpoint if someone gets in over their head. So you'll see the Big Piney called a "3" because it has some really nice rapids at the right level, but you'll also see the Cossatot or the Ocoee river (eastern Tennessee) referred to as being "mostly 3's", even though they are easily a step or two above the Big Piney in difficulty.
Any boat made can be run down one of the easier "Class 3's" in the hands of a skilled paddler, but having the right boat does make it easier for a newer paddler, and more fun for the advanced paddler. My suggestion here would be to focus not so much on what the marketing material says the boat is "capable of", and instead, try to figure out, what kind of water do you want to do the most often? Pick the boat that is designed with that in mind.
If you want to run something sprinkled with lot's of Class 2 rapids, and relatively shorter pools, then you should be looking for "whitewater" and "river running" kayaks, probably in the 8' to 10' range in length.
If you will run mostly on things like the Lower Buffalo, where there are more Class 1 shoals and some longer pools, then you might want to gravitate to slightly longer boats, which can be paddled through the pools with less effort. These might be called "river runners", "recreational", or "cross-over" designs, and would be generally longer than about 9'. (Note, I'm sort of making up these general length ranges as I go along, because there have been so many new boat designs developed in recent years.)
How comfortable are you in the water, like when your head goes under? Some folks just never get over the feeling of being "trapped" in the kayak when they first turn over; even if they can control it, they feel panic trying to creep in. This makes it very hard for them to learn to roll, and sometimes they even get tangled in the boat or injure their shins getting out just because they struggled and tried to get out too fast, instead of in a controlled manner. These folks would have more enjoyment in a sit-on-top kayak or a recreational/cross-over design with a bigger cockpit.
Since you're not a small person, I should mention that as you review what weight range a boat is good for, it is much better to be near the middle of the recommended range than at the top end of it. You weigh 215#; but if you get a boat that says it is good for "160 to 220#", you will find two things: 1) In your winter gear, with lunch on board, you'll weigh a lot more than 220#, and 2) the boat will be much less stable for you than it is for someone who tips the scales at 180#. Once you get some experience under your belt, you could handle the same boat, but as a relatively newer kayaker, this lack of stability may cause you to be upside down more than you want to be.
There are several threads further down talking about what boats people like; look through those. I also noticed a Wavesport Z for sale at a cheap price on the for sale board; that was a good boat, if you're wanting a Whitewater-river-runner. It also has enough edge that you won't be "pampered" by the boat too much; you will learn to paddle. And if you don't like it, you won't have lost much money.
I have to close by saying what we always say: Try before you buy! Go to boat demos, pool sessions, or club events like Canoe School (even if just as a spectator, since registration is closed), Recreational School, Rendezvous, and try to paddle a few different boats, even if only for a few minutes on flatwater or in a pool. You will find out very quickly if you can make that design go in a straight line, and can make a turn without flipping over.
One problem is the wide variation in what people call "Class 2/3". Most guide books tend to rate things conservatively (give a slightly higher rating), partly because they describe the river at it's "optimum" level, but also because it helps protect the author from a liability standpoint if someone gets in over their head. So you'll see the Big Piney called a "3" because it has some really nice rapids at the right level, but you'll also see the Cossatot or the Ocoee river (eastern Tennessee) referred to as being "mostly 3's", even though they are easily a step or two above the Big Piney in difficulty.
Any boat made can be run down one of the easier "Class 3's" in the hands of a skilled paddler, but having the right boat does make it easier for a newer paddler, and more fun for the advanced paddler. My suggestion here would be to focus not so much on what the marketing material says the boat is "capable of", and instead, try to figure out, what kind of water do you want to do the most often? Pick the boat that is designed with that in mind.
If you want to run something sprinkled with lot's of Class 2 rapids, and relatively shorter pools, then you should be looking for "whitewater" and "river running" kayaks, probably in the 8' to 10' range in length.
If you will run mostly on things like the Lower Buffalo, where there are more Class 1 shoals and some longer pools, then you might want to gravitate to slightly longer boats, which can be paddled through the pools with less effort. These might be called "river runners", "recreational", or "cross-over" designs, and would be generally longer than about 9'. (Note, I'm sort of making up these general length ranges as I go along, because there have been so many new boat designs developed in recent years.)
How comfortable are you in the water, like when your head goes under? Some folks just never get over the feeling of being "trapped" in the kayak when they first turn over; even if they can control it, they feel panic trying to creep in. This makes it very hard for them to learn to roll, and sometimes they even get tangled in the boat or injure their shins getting out just because they struggled and tried to get out too fast, instead of in a controlled manner. These folks would have more enjoyment in a sit-on-top kayak or a recreational/cross-over design with a bigger cockpit.
Since you're not a small person, I should mention that as you review what weight range a boat is good for, it is much better to be near the middle of the recommended range than at the top end of it. You weigh 215#; but if you get a boat that says it is good for "160 to 220#", you will find two things: 1) In your winter gear, with lunch on board, you'll weigh a lot more than 220#, and 2) the boat will be much less stable for you than it is for someone who tips the scales at 180#. Once you get some experience under your belt, you could handle the same boat, but as a relatively newer kayaker, this lack of stability may cause you to be upside down more than you want to be.
There are several threads further down talking about what boats people like; look through those. I also noticed a Wavesport Z for sale at a cheap price on the for sale board; that was a good boat, if you're wanting a Whitewater-river-runner. It also has enough edge that you won't be "pampered" by the boat too much; you will learn to paddle. And if you don't like it, you won't have lost much money.
I have to close by saying what we always say: Try before you buy! Go to boat demos, pool sessions, or club events like Canoe School (even if just as a spectator, since registration is closed), Recreational School, Rendezvous, and try to paddle a few different boats, even if only for a few minutes on flatwater or in a pool. You will find out very quickly if you can make that design go in a straight line, and can make a turn without flipping over.
Trash: Get a little every time you go!
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Susan Tinker
- ...
- Posts: 205
- Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:37 pm
kayaks
I see you are in NWA. Go to Pack Rat in Fayetteville. They have a pond out front and you can try their demo boats. Like Cowper said, try before you buy.
I would say, once again Cowper is spot on...I have gone though four boats so far in the past two years because I have improved or honed my ability and aways try to paddle with someone that is a better kayaker than you. Thanks Eric, Nick, Bill "Fish", Ryan and so many others. 
Life is a garden....dig it!!
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