Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

Hello all.
I was recently given a good condition Perception Dancer which I am considering putting my 12 year old petite daughter in.
My question to the board; Is this a good Kayak to start up a young inexperienced girl in? Or should I, trade it/sell it for something else for her which would be more user friendly. She has floated on the set on top styles kayaks only. We as a family spend many days/nights canoe camping the Buffalo and other Missouri rivers with some day floating.
NO serious WW floating.
Thanks in advance!

Should be a fine starter kayak, Might be a tad large for a petite 12 year old, but will certainly get her started on easy floats.

That was the KAYAK for many of us more seasoned kayakers.

Glad to see one is still in service!

I second that It's a good design and if she needs adjustments in
thigh and knee pads, it's a pretty easy fix with mini-cell foam.

Best Regards
Jim

This is all good news!!!
Thank you both very much.
However, how can / where can I obtain a newer skirt for this Kayak? The one that came with it is so stretched out and brittle that I would consider it inop.
Thanks again
Brett

This is all good news!!!
Thank you both very much.
However, how can / where can I obtain a newer skirt for this Kayak? The one that came with it is so stretched out and brittle that I would consider it inop.
Thanks again
Brett

ooo in Hot Springs would be a good place to start looking.

I've never used them. A contact person there would be?
Thanks

Jeremy is the man, give him a call and he will give you good advice

Third the motion on it being a good boat to start with ESPECIALLY for floats like the Buffalo where they may be some longer pools to negotiate.

The Dancer is great for learning basic boat control - will cruise the pools much more easily than a "modern" short playboat, and is a good boat to learn to roll in. It is also fully whitewater capable; just not suited for some of the "rodeo" or "play" moves like you often see at Rockport. But it will still surf like a champ.

I don't think there is, but it is possible that there might be slight variations in cockpit dimensions depending on vintage; be sure to measure the cockpit length and width and have that in hand when discussing spray skirts.

Contact info for OOO at http://www.ouachitaoutdoors.com/Home.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For a 12 year old, get a Snapdragon or other "easy on, easy off" sprayskirt. You don't want it to be super-tight on the boat. Be 100% sure she can pop the skirt without help, even if a little bit scared. If you're not sure, then start her out with a nylon skirt instead. Those aren't quite as nice for rolling, but are OK for river-running, and if a kid forgets to reach up to release the skirt, they can still just fall out of the boat because the nylon skirts don't stay on the cockpit rim nearly as well as the neoprene ones.

O-k all! Thank you all for pointing us in the right direction here.
I have only one more question about the 12 year old and her new to herKayak. I need to get her a decent youth paddle for this old dancer and where could I find one at a modest cost? A used one would be great if one was available somewhere.
Thanks
Brett

HI! It's good to see others getting their children "on board" with kayaking. My nine-year-old son loves it, and my fourteen-year-old daughter enjoys it occasionally. As for the paddle, you can get a good starter paddle from Ouachita Outdoor Outfitters when you go for the sprayskirt. We have purchased EVERYTHING we have needed from them, and they are outstanding! When you explain what your experience and ability-level are, they will get you what YOU need, not what THEIR finances desire. We have had several insstances where they could have chosen to sell us a more expensive version but didn't choose to because we were not/are not at that high abiblity level/need. They are good honest people with a true love of the sport. Best of luck to you, and I hope to see you all on the river sometime soon. We have not floated much lately; the school year has simply had too many demands.
Sandy

I've been impressed with the Werner Desperado as a decent paddle with really good value; the youth version of that is a Werner Amigo, but I don't know if it is the same "steal" as the adult sized version.

Paddle weight is one of the number 1 factors in how you (your daughter) will feel about using the paddle at the end of a long day. As others said, Jeremy at OOO will point you in the right direction, a conversation with him and hefting some paddles in the store can do far more good in helping you decide than anything I could say here.

A couple of opinions:
1) If you have to go new (vs. used) due to lack of used paddles for sale, don't look only at price. A lighter, better handling paddle makes more difference than I can really explain; just remember that the paddle makes thousands of strokes by the end of one day, so a little bit of difference really adds up.
2) Don't be tempted by 0 degree offsets. They may seem more natural at first, but the truth is the body ergonomics forces you to rotate your wrists MORE with a 0 degree offset than if you get a 30 or 45 degree offset paddle.

Having the right paddle is day long comfort
and makes what ever you paddle perform to it's maximum

Having the wrong club of a stick is agony with every stroke
and no matter what you paddle it will be perform like a overweight slug

My advice is to spend a lot more time, effort and money on finding the right paddle than the boat!!!