Beginners white water kayak question

[fjdivis1]

I was looking into investing in a whitewater kayak but I am a beginner and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a reasonably priced yet good quality beginners whitewater kayak.

[gannon311]

Jackson rocker or hero. You can find them cheap $300 ish.

[fjdivis1]

Thanks for the information is it still a decent quality boat?

[hdh]

Whitewater School would be a great investment!!!!!!


http://www.arkansascanoeclub.com/Defaul ... eId=543452" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[fjdivis1]

Yes I was thinking the same thing but I first must come up with a kayak, I just didn't want to spend $1,000 on one then find out that I did not like it so I was curious what an entry level one would cost. if I am able to come up with a kayak I will definitely join the whitewater school!

[Ouachitoff]

Whitewater School would be a great investment!!!!!!


http://www.arkansascanoeclub.com/Defaul ... eId=543452" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There will be a lot of folks at the WW school on the Mulberry, even if you don't take the class, you might could talk folks into letting you try their boat out to see what you like.

Personally I think the Pyranha Burn, Liquid Logic Remix, Jackson Hero/Karma, and Dagger Mamba/Nomad would be good boats to start out on.

[okieboater]

Brad might have a kayak to rent at Canoe School
or
you might could do a rental from one of the outfitters
or
post here and see if someone going to Canoe School with some spare gear might rent it to you for some cash

I would not advise buying a kayak for Canoe School just to see if you like the sport

And, be careful as to how long you wait to register as Canoe School normally fills up really fast.

[Lupe]

I would say there's a LOT of good first white water kayaks to consider. What's best for YOU might depend on your perspective/attitude/aptitude. Some of the larger river runner designs mentioned are great for someone wanting to test the waters who is also perhaps a bit more cautious. They are more forgiving designs. The downside, is those forgiving designs are forgiving of your technique. That can be important for some as they get some basics under their belt. But too forgiving can hold you back from developing skills needed (or at least recommended) for harder whitewater. A more sporty boat design will be more responsive and give you feedback on your technique. If you are easily discouraged, this can be a very bad thing! But if you are a more adventurous go-getter who doesn't mind taking a few more swims while you ramp up your skills, then a more playful design might be the right choice.

But the best boat of all is the one you can find at a price you can afford that will get you on the water sooner rather than later. Almost no one ever picks one kayak and lives happily for ever after, the end. We end up with garages full of boats as we learn what we like and what waters we like to paddle. You don't know any of that yet, and you won't until you just get out there. So the answer is: just get out there.

Personally, I'm biased towards older model Jackson Fun/4Fun/Super Fun (right size for you depends on your height/weight) as they offer a nice blend of forgiveness, but sporty enough to still really hone good technique, but there's many many others that will do the same. Main thing is what ever model you find, make sure it's the right size for you (too small and it'll be too hard to paddle, too big and it will be too much like a tank and can hold you back just as much as too small).

Enjoy the ride!

[Lupe]

PS - also, you might want to consider School of Recreational Paddling rather than Whitewater...same curriculum, warmer temps, easier water, more laid back atmosphere. Both ww and rec boats are welcome at Rec School. This can be an easier first event to attend to test the waters.

Cheers