Hurricane Santee-Thumbs Up!
I have the Hurricane Santee XL (the predicessor of the 116 or whatever it is now, and I love it! I say get a inexpensive, easy to load and paddle boat and see where you go from there. I can carry mine across the road and throw it in the lake or load it up myself and drive a few hours to a river. Know your personal limits and the limits of your boat and always go out the first time with a buddy.
And wear a PDF, and take a class if you can.
I got my start in a 111 loon.
Bought it for fishing.Now I paddle a solo canoe cause I like the room and challenge of staying upright. Still have the loon and am considering a Pamlico 140. I keep reading about how swell they are!
My rec suits me
My son and I started with swiftys and I have since bought 2 more. They take me everywhere I want to go and definitely into places that longer boats can’t. I’m not into whitewater at all and I’m certainly not in any hurry when I’m out paddling! The only thing I would suggest is don’t buy tandems unless you have a good divorce lawyer- no seriously why buy a boat that you always have to take another person with you or that makes it that much heavier to handle. I love my swiftys cause I don’t worry about scraping them up and they’re light enough for me to handle alone. Your wife might appreciate that for herself if you can’t go some day and she wants a nice getaway! Of course safety stuff goes without saying, but I can go at the drop of a hat leaving a note behind as to where I’m heading and I’m off! I also fit my 70 pound German Shepherd in the boat with me most of the time too!
jonbfox
What is your impression of all the informaton you have read here about the rec boat?