weakening plastic
look for oil-canning under the seat, as that causes weak points in the plastic. and plastic wears off every time you hit a rock, and eventually the hull gets thin, especially under the seat where impacts cause the greatest forces. eventually, it’ll split. if you can find a used boat that was used just in class II-III, especially by a lighter paddler, it’s probably ok to go used. but a used creek boat that was used regularly in class IV-V had better be cheap to consider, and plan on replacing it sooner rather than later.
Overthinking - Just Do It
A couple of good pieces of advice here. Don’t buy a creeker from a class V WW dog.
But somebody who is selling a river runner or playboat because they don’t get out much… probably just fine Go ahead and buy a boat that fits you used for $300-$400 and go paddling. You can find boats like an old Necky Jive that are still in good shape and would be fine.
The 9 Ft Remix would be fine for doing some flatwater paddling and entry level river running.
Canoe
I understand where you are coming from. You are definitely in the same area I started out in but I had a different way out then you do.
I would definitely paddle anything you are considering. Since it is kind of hard to tell how a boat will handle in rapids while on flat water you could definitely test out how well it paddles on flat water. I think I paddled the remix 9 and 10 and to me it felt worse on flatwater than my cheapo rec boat. That is why I heavily started leaning towards a touring boat.
You could always get one of the longer crossover boats in the 12 foot range then see if you could talk your wife into letting you get an 8-10 foot play boat to use in bigger WW. Those play boats are pretty small.
How often do you go out in your canoe? Might be better to sell it and get a good touring boat then just rent a canoe or small boat to take the family out. Then you could get an all WW boat and be set, haha.
From the responses I got though I believe you can take some pretty good rapids in a short touring boat which is why I picked that as my “in between” boat.
Agree
I agree with this. Getting some information is great and I feel like I will really enjoy my purchase (14.5 foot boat) but if it doesn’t work out oh well. Kayaks hold their value pretty well so I can re-sell the boat and get soemthing else.
You can only read so much and experience will have to fill in the rest.
Hmm
I think silvercobra might be on to something. I’m normally loathe to recommend playboats to beginning WW kayakers, but if your only realistic access to WW is a Class II WW park, it might not be a bad way to go. If you went this route, I’d recommend something like the Jackson Fun series, which is a bit of a playboat/river runner hybrid, but is plenty capable of doing rodeo moves (actually easier for learning the initial skills like surfing and flatspinning).
The biggest downside is that, depending on your personal aptitude for WW kayaking, starting in a smaller boat might make the initial learning curve a bit steeper. On the other hand, you’ll have more skills that you can practice on flatwater. Plus, maybe your better half will be more amenable to a two boat solution if it involves one longer boat and a much smaller WW boat.
It’s nice there are lots of choices
– Last Updated: Jan-16-15 5:08 PM EST –
to pick from: ww playboats, river runners, creekers, hybrids/crossovers and touring boats. Modern ww boats usually have amped up outfitting- thick closed cell walls, hip pads, bulkheads or sturdy foot pegs,and heavier construction overall.
Many folks take many different kinds of boats down ww but when you think about safety, having a boat made by a ww manufacturer is almost always safer than using a touring boat designed for flat water.
Most of the "crossovers" are sold by ww kayak companies and have most of the ww features, as well as a skeg and overnight capability.
Be sure to check out the reviews on this website. Especially if your elect to not demo and are considering buying something new. The most critical reviews are often the best for learning about a specific boat.
I don't think there's anything wrong with getting a "first" boat cheap and then figuring out what you want once you've gained some seat time.
Some boats become like a trusted friend. You know how they'll behave before you even ask the question. Those are the boats you keep a long time. Others are like a one and done date. Paddling.net is the Eharmony of boats. Some are more com-paddle-able than others.
Haha
Thanks for the info.
Those last few sentences got more and more cheesy but it was funny.
Tsunami 145? HUGE
The 145 is huge for someone at your weight. You will be swimming in it. It was my first sea kayak and, while I liked it, I quickly outgrew it. Big cockpit, high deck, wide. I think you will enjoy it a lot initially, but if you want to learn more skills, you will soon be looking for something else, like a Zephyr 15.5 or Tempest 165 (you will be fine barefoot in it with the seat moved back).
Storage
You have a 17’ Canoe - You should be able to store a WW kayak and/or a REC kayak inside with out too much trouble. Then you can get a 14’ - 15’ kayak for the flat water.
Another option is one that I haven’t used, but I have friends that have … Buy the boat and store it at a friends. When the Significant Other notices it somewhat later you can say “Oh that one … we’ve had that for a couple of years now.”
I do understand that there may be a cost for purchasing gear without approval from the finance committee. When I went looking for gunwales and came home with some … attached to a new canoe furniture was purchased shortly there after.
To
Robbw. What part of the country are you in ? Most areas that have WW, have groups of paddlers to get together with. As far as the Remix XP9 goes,a little more detail on how I use mine. I paddled mine for 2 years, & am getting a new one this year. (Had to sell at the time-not cause of the boat) My scenario: Mostly paddle WW rivers class I-IV with short stretches of flat water in between rapids sections. Usually day trips, but some overnights-storage comes in handy. Hatch has NEVER come off when I have been upside down. Yes, it plows at top speed in flat water. I just relax, and paddle easy knowing I can’t go any faster. For just a mile or two of flat water in a day, who cares? On HUGE lakes, or long flat water trips-not so good. Friends with rec boats will whiz by you. But That’s what I have a rec boat for. On WW, handles like my Stomper, but just a little longer so technical turns are just a little more demanding. Overall, it’s the most comfortable boat I’ve paddled. The outfitting is great. Snap Dragon makes a skirt which fits perfectly. I’m 6’ 175 Lbs, size 11 feet. Plenty of room, but can adjust outfitting so your as snug as you want to be. (for rolling) I’ll just put it this way, I’m getting another one for the majority of MY type of paddling.
Yep
Ya, I know it is very large for my weight, but with my options it is limited. That is the max length I wanted and my size 13 feet with long legs makes the kayak around the 14 foot range a select few.
If I get a chance to try the other kayaks I was looking at I might re-sell this one and go for those but it is doubtful they will turn up.
When I get my full blown sea/touring kayak it will be expensive and in the 17-18 foot range, haha.
Chicagoland area…
I’m in the far west suburbs of Chicago. There’s a WW park on the Fox River about an hour’s drive south of my location on the Fox. There’s the Vermillion River a couple hours drive south of me. There is a WW club I joined on my first day of class (Chicago Whitewater Association). They have several trips they go on throughout the year. So, I should have a few trips I can plan on joining throughout the year. There are several low-head dams on the Fox River. I usually put in just above one and paddle upstream and back for my usual weekend paddling. The tailwaters still have some turbulence and look like they could still provide a little bit of fun well downstream of any danger zone.
Now that I know I’m stoked about WW and want to get a boat I can take out into WW, I need to make sure I pay special attention to all the different boats they have at my class and try out several of them to see what I like. I’m just bummed that there’s no class this upcoming week because of MLK Day. Having to wait longer to jump back into the boats and test them out is really trying my patience!
The more I think about it and read up on different boats and watch videos, I’m thinking I may want to get a true WW boat instead of a crossover. IDK, I hate being indecisive.
St. Francis
You need to come on down to Missouri and become familiar with the St Francis River near Fredericktown, MO.
The Missouri Whitewater Association does a spring whitewater paddling clinic on the Saint if you are interested. Their website is easy to find.