shops are great resources
and as good as the folks running them. I’m fortunate to live near Ace whitewater located in Fayetteville WV. Not only can I get great info and demo boats but I also take adavantage of the “free” shuttle they offer weekly. Brad is always ready to share his knowledge about boats. I also deal a lot with Whitewater Warehouse out of Dayton Ohio. The coowner, Bernie, is an old paddlin’ buddy who’ll deliver merchandise and boats to my door. My point is these people actively boat, are passionate about boating, and enjoy interacting with others. Yet, there’s nothing wrong with getting some other opinions or perspectives. That’s a good thing.
I shop at NOC
’nuff said
I suppose
everyone who called a kayak shop and got their questions answered never checked in here.
I live on the gulf of Mexico along the banks of the longest free flowing river in the lower 48. A new kayak shop opened nearby last year. That’s 2 within 300 miles of my house.
Do you shop for cars by walking into a dealership and asking what you need?
Good to have both if you can, but
…one of the draws to posting on a board like this one is that there is no obligation to buy anything from the people who answer you. When you call a shop, there’s always an implication that somewhere down the line you should buy from them. If they’re a good shop they’ll answer questions without making you feel like a jerk, but even so, I don’t like to push too much for free info when their clock is running and they might have actual in-person customers right there waiting for the staff to get off the phone!
how do you know people don’t call
Local shops for advice? Maybe they do both - call local shops and ask other paddlers.
I think part of the answer to your question is that new paddlers have little knowledge of their own to go on. That includes little knowledge of local shops and their employees, and how valid and trustworthy their opinions are. I’ve gotten the hard sell from a local shop before, and I had enough experience to recognize it.
A variety of opinions never hurt anyone.
Shops
I would never call a shop for advice unless I was planning on buying from them.
And U have to expect them to try to sell
– Last Updated: Apr-18-13 10:36 AM EST –
... you what they have. That's their livelihood.