I am just getting into whitewater i live in Ohio and have been paddling the flat boring rivers around here for five years. I have rafted the New and the Gauley rivers in West Virgina and the Yough in PA. I will be starting on the lower yough and then the New river. I am 24 5'6\" and weigh 145 i am looking for a good boat that i can progress with i am not htat interested in something great for begginers cause i don't want to out grow it in a year. I want a boat that i can run the river while stoping to play in some waves. I am preaty adventuous so i would like a crazy fun grip it and rip it sort of boat somthing agyle. I would like to eventualy run the Class V's of the Upper Gauley. the catch is that i also need to fiind a boat for my girlfriend who is not as balls out as i am but wants to hag with me and rip the same stuff as me. she is a little shorter than i am and i Don't know here weight (she wont tell me) but she is a regular skinny girl about 5'3\" I want to get here a boat that is resonably comfy and can rip anything with a degree of control and forgivness. She wants to run the river and enjoy it while i get a little wild. but she doesn't want some dumb slow sissy boat. iwant here to be able to surf some waves and have room to progress. Any help would be Greatly Apreciated. Oh Yeh Used Would Be Awesome so IF ya Know Anyone!!!
Some other info would be cool to like what are the best Paddles and Life vests and Cool helmets. I am sort of a gear freak so i like to have good stuff I am sure any one in to Cool sports can relate to that. any way Your A Nice Fella for helpin me out Hope to See on THe rivers. IF Any one will be on these rivers and would like to run me down it I'll buy the beers thanks.playak.com/media/com_joomlaboard/emoticons/bounce.gif

I live in Cincinnati and go to school in Evansville. Check out Jackson kayak is good. Whitewater Wharehouse is a GREAT Store they are located in Dayton. Where about in Ohio are you located?

Sorry forgot to add Check out Cincypaddlers.org they are a yahoo group they are extremely helpfull. Check out cincinnatikayak.com another great website and a great guy is the webmaster on it. and Columbus outdoor pursuits is another good club. the OAC is another good club.

I live near Cleveland Thanks for the help. I am realy interested in the store you mentioned. I would realy like to check it out. what rivers have you done or would you recommend that are around ohio. Thanks again

Well Check out www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River...te-summary/state/OH/

I am sure there is a club in Cleveland. I will prolly go to the store on Friday and check it out. They have great selection.

As far as boats go, if you're looking to do a bit of everything then the jackson Fun, wavesport ezg and Liquid Logic Cross-river are probably a good place to start. You won't run any class v creeks in them but they'll get you well past beginner stage.

You might want to look at the LL Trigger for your gf, it's a river runner that'll surf well too. If she wants more of a playboat then the smaller sizes of those boats above would work too.

Hope this helps.

Check out the Riots also...

maybe a Turbo or an Air..

great boats!

there's a nice little WW run below the dam on Paint Creek resevoir which is just west of Chillicothe, OH (i used to live there). I've seen guys run that when it was 10 degrees F outside!! brrrrrrrrr.... a little too cold for me! that's why i live in Charleston, SC now!

check out our gear and boats at www.eomkayaks.com