I bought four different kayaks my first year. Started with a old 14ft Carolina. Sold it & bought a 16ft Chinook & picked up a white water that I never used. I sold both those & just today picked up what I think is the boat for me. Its a 2008 Perception Avatar 16 & its in mint condition. Paid $400. Only if the lakes would thaw. Spring is coming!
You’re ahead of me by one. My first kayak was purchased June 2014. By October 2014 I had two more. I credit (blame?) Pnet for that. Still have all three, although one is going away this spring… but I’ll be back to three soon after.
Hope the Avatar is the boat of your dreams.
BTW, you should hang a red flag on the stern of that trucked kayak.
Had my neon green/orange safety(work) vest tied onto it just wasn’t on there in the picture. I regret selling the Carolina. Was a fun boat & its what led me to Pnet. One more kayak would be nice for friends who want to go, But don’t have a boat of their own. Three is a good number!
seven is better!
Four boats in the first year, you say? --That beats the number of times Hollywood celebs change spouses/partners in the same time period…Oh yeah, you got it bad. Soon you’ll be like many of the rest of us: Where four is the absolute minimum number one has in his/her quiver all the time(But hey, who uses only one golf club???) 
You’re not done by a long, long ways and that’s just pertaining to the boats.
lol I’m already looking at another boat! Its a great time of year to buy. I don’t have many golf clubs, But I do I have a collection of metal detectors. I needed a kayak to get on some old spots I found and in the process became addicted to paddling. February is a short month & things start melting in March. The adventures aren’t far away!
This is an old one, but for the few who haven’t heard it:
Question: Why do you have 3 kayaks?
Answer: Because I sold the 4th one.
The Avatar is very nice. Just make sure whatever boat a friend borrows from you is a lot slower. Makes them work harder and you can blame it on their poor paddling technics.
The Perception boats got me hooked. I can see it now…my kayak tied off to my girlfriends towing her around because I won’t wait up…maybe I should get a fast boat?
There’s always faster boats. 
@J.Cook said:
I can see it now…my kayak tied off to my girlfriends towing her around because I won’t wait up…maybe I should get a fast boat?
You just described my first two years of kayaking with my wife. There were many trips where I towed her in order to get where I wanted us to go in the amount of time we had. She’s much better now due to improved skill and a boat that’s a much better fit.
Instead of a fast boat (or additionally to it) learn an efficient forward stroke and safe towing practices. You’ll probably be able to tow your girlfriend faster than she could ever paddle herself.
@J.Cook said:
The Perception boats got me hooked. I can see it now…my kayak tied off to my girlfriends towing her around because I won’t wait up…maybe I should get a fast boat?
Sounds like an excellent plan: a faster boat for your girlfriend and toss in a few lessons on the forward stroke as well. Valentine’s Day is coming up.
Better yet, get a tandem kayak–So as to be fully rounded in paddle sport, you must come to fully appreciate the term “Divorce Boat.” >:)
tandem is only a divorce boat if your paddles can hit. Get a long tandem like a Libra XT
@PaddleDog52 said:
tandem is only a divorce boat if your paddles can hit. Get a long tandem like a Libra XT
I beg to differ: Tandem is only a divorce boat if one leaves his ear plugs at home.
@spiritboat said:
Better yet, get a tandem kayak–So as to be fully rounded in paddle sport, you must come to fully appreciate the term “Divorce Boat.” >:)
lol… we used to canoe tandem. Turns out we’re both much happier in our own boats.
depends on relationship some are unfix-able LOL. I don’t have to worry about her and I don’t have to yell to talk. I get into a little trouble coaching her strokes! :#
lmao
