Hello
I was hoping to get to help/ suggestions.
I am a total newbee to kayaking and I about to purchase my first kayak 
!
I am looking to paddle lakes and slow rivers. The sales person at REI suggested
The Perception Prodigy 10ā¦ā¦ā¦I was hoping to get some input if this is a good beginnerās kayak or should I be looking for something else?
Thanks for any and all input.
What are your goals?
ā Last Updated: Jul-02-08 10:41 PM EST ā
If you are looking to really learn kayaking skills that'd get you eventually to bigger water, or paddle with others who may have touring kayaks, or plan to get further from shore than you could swim, not the Prodigy 10 or its similarly very rec type kin.
If you want something to paddle around the shore of a calm water situation with and not worry about any of that, a boat like this might work for you. It still needs float bags though.
Itās fine to get started but ā¦
It will work fine for flatwater paddling on lakes and slow rivers. Itās a good idea to take a kayaking lesson and rent a kayak or two before you buy, then you have a much better idea what you will like and will have some basic skills. Let folks know where you live and they can point you towards someplace that can give you a basic lesson.
The guy was an idiot!!!
ā Last Updated: Jul-03-08 12:54 AM EST ā
in my opinion
G_K
A real paddle shop
will often be much more helpful. And after talking with guys in the local canoe club, I know which retailers are worth dealing with and which ones to avoid.
There is one local dealer that really does sales as much for a hobby as anything. He apparently doesnāt need to make 40% profit on each and every boat to keep his business afloat (pardon the pun).
A 10 footer on a decent sized lake will not be ideal for covering distance very fast. Lots of folks use 12, 14, and 16 foot boats for lakes and small rivers, but you will obviously have more weight, less maneuverability, and a slimmer wallet as you go up that ladder.
jim
My brother-in law has one
and likes it a lot.
For the bucks, I think it is a good starter yak.
As a matter of fact, any thing that gets you on the water is a good kayak.
Look through the classified ads here and see if you can get a little better used boat for the same price and then if you canāt, (which I donāt think you will), I would say get it.
Cheers,
JackL
Spent a few summers paddling theseā¦
When they were Swifties, but itās the same boat. We paddled the heck out of the ones they had where we go each summer for a few years until we wanted to go further than we could with those boats. So yeah, no contest that theyāll get you on the water.
Itās what you want to do after that which can be the issue. We simply had to get more boat to do what we really wanted, so I am very glad that we hadnāt spent any of our own money on the Swifties. My sister and her husband have Old Townās equivalent, Otter Loons, and spend tons of time in them each summer on local ponds and lazy creeks around home. They are great boats for that purpose. But they also want to do ocean and larger lakes - for that theyāve learned to sail.
Those guys
are salesmen, not kayakers. The last time I was in REI browsing I was approached by one and was astounded by his lack of knowledge of his products.
So true
When people ask, āDoesnāt REI have lots of experts there?ā I have to laugh.
REI looked very high zoot and full of knowledgeable people when I was new to cycling; but the more I delved into a sport, the more I realize that I could find better expertise and prices at smaller family owned shops that specialize cycling. The same is true of kayaking.
I do dig (litterally) their dent & scratch sales and its the only reason I have a membership.
I second the advice aboveārent first. Iāve been renting kayaks for a year. Its a pain in the butt, but Iāve gotten an idea now of what I want, and Iāve learned enough to set a realistic budget and Iām ready to buy a boat.
could be a great kayak for you
the Prodigy 10 could be a good boat - a GREAT boat even - depending on your needs and goals for paddling.
You already know where you would like to kayak for the immediate future so think about where you would like to kayak in the next 2-5 years. Also, think about what you would like to do while kayak, or what type of kayaking you want to do.
There is a financial investment in kayaking. If you wonāt have the money to invest in a new kayak fairly soon then I would think carefully about the type of kayak. If money isnāt really a concern then buy the Prodigy and paddle the heck out of it.
If you decided on the Prodigy you might want to buy āfloatā bags. They are air bladders that go in the back of the kayak, behind the seat, that keep it floating if the kayak fills with water.
G_K, being sarcastic?
I couldnāt tell by the tone or inflection of your post. I know you have paddle a kayak similar to the Prodigy in the past so I couldnāt tell.
Not the same
The Swifty and the Loon are even shorter.
Cheers,
JackL
That different?
Ok I am wrong on the length - but is the Prodigfy 10 really any more boat in what it can handle?
try the Necky Manitou sport
I was amazed at the tracking on this little boat.
Sarcasm
ā Last Updated: Jul-03-08 6:52 PM EST ā
Most of the ones I've met in REI don't _hit about paddling but they still make recommendations because they have the perfect boat for you.
Paddlin' on
Richard
QCC kayak
HI,
My recommendation is a QCC kayak. They are made and sold right from their small shop in NW Wis. I own a QCC 400X, am a female, slight build and can handle it quite well to car carry it. It is 48 lbs without anything in it.
It is fast enuf for me, not a tub, and very comfortable. It is a fantastic price for all you get considering all the others out there that have middlemenā¦The tracking is wonderful and it has great hatches for storage, oblong, not round ones, so itās easier to load and unload, wonderful bungee system.
Canāt say enuf great about it. This is my first kayak, have tried several, you couldnāt pay me enuf to switch to another brand.
The company personnel are great to work with and bend over backwards to help you out. YOu can even tour their tiny shop. Welkum to Wisconsin northwoods.
They have a decent sized lake very close by to demo a kayak on also.
I have the rudder and love it!! I can sneak in and out of marshy swampy areas. Have received many compliments on it. People who have ātest drivenā mine on our lake are VERY impressed.
YOu couldnāt have gotten me near a kayak 4 years ago. Then I started seeing more and more women with them on their cartops and started asking questions.
This one is a sea kayak, 15ā3" long. Iāve only had it on local lakes, but it would be fine on the Great Lakes and handles the waves wonderfully on our lake on a windy day. Itās definitely NOT a barge like the plastic ones.
AND Iād say get a kayak you really want, youāll want it for a long time. And get decent lessons, preferable in an indoor pool in winter to begin withā¦great way to have fun and learn alot.
ARR
YOUR KIDDING, RIGHT??
this is her FIRST kayak.
ummm
I had an Old Town rush that I paddled for three months before upgrading directly to a Tempest 170, and should have done it sooner. Still have the Rush as a loaner/kids boat and it is still fun to paddle now as I have more experience.
Nothing wrong with waiting and getting the kayak you want.
Paul
Iām lookin for
a woman of slight build who owns and can handle a QCC400X. Please e-mail me for long or short term relationship.
Paddlinā on
Richard
I hear cricketsā¦