I live in northern New England, and I’m looking to buy a kayak for fun and exercise. I do see one for sale in my local paper. It’s a Dagger Redline White Water Kayak.
Bottom line: I’m retired, avg height and weight, and in good shape overall. I’m not looking to get into fast moving rivers, but I’d like to buy a little more Kayak than I may need now. I do tend to prefer buying quality rather than value (price).
Is a “Dagger Redline White Water Kayak” something I should consider? It’s said to be in very good condition, and the asking price is $400.
If you aren’t going to kayak whitewater, do not get a whitewater kayak. You will hate it. It’s made to turn quickly in whitewater, not paddle straight on mild rivers & lakes. You should be looking at a recreational kayak, 12-14 foot length. If you plan to advance your skills and do overnight paddling trips, or do longer distances in moderate conditions, then get a longer touring kayak. Find a local touring kayak or canoe shop and talk with them. See what they offer and test paddle some different kayaks. Then start looking at your local craigslist to see what you can find used that is the same or similar to what you test paddled.
Here’s a shop that may be near you. They offer rentals and classes. The three less expensive rec touring kayaks they offer are under $1000 and would suit your needs, at least to start with. Try one out and then see if you can find a used one. http://www.collinsvillecanoe.com/sport-rec-kayaks
Second what Raftergirl said. The Redline is an old school WW boat that I think preceded the Animus. I just found the latter in a 1997 Dagger catalogue. The old school WW boats do have more hull speed than the boats that followed them, but they are still WW boats and designed to turn easily and a lot. This is not a characteristic that most new paddlers appreciate, especially on a windy day. It is the kind of boat that more seasoned paddlers take out of flat trips to build their stamina early in the season. Or take out when the paddle involves small creeks and hauling a boat over berms and around beaver dams.
The prices on these boats are terribly tempting, though I would say $400 is about twice what the seller should expect to get for a Redline. But get the rec boat, if you want to advance in skills get one in the middle length range with sealed bulkheads front and back.