Hey Everyone,

I am just getting into white water paddling and am VERY new to it.
I took a course this summer in a ZG48. For me, the fit was great, but I was
quite nervous in it, always felt like I was going over (ok..yeah, I did a lot ;o))
I think the shortness of it made me a bit nervous...and I had no white water experience,
so I was probably more tense than I should have been.

Anyways, I just want an entry level boat that will inspire confidence and I can
Iearn to roll in. Nothing aggressive. Do you have any recommendations? I am not really in an
area that I could demo a lot of boats, otherwise I would.
I don’t anticipate doing anything more than class 2-3 at this point. I just want to
get my feet wet...yuk yuk!
I am a 5 foot 6 female...about 140lbs (ish)


Thanks,

~Vicki

Look at the Dagger Mamba 7.5 creeker, Wave Sport Diesel 65, Liquid logic Remix 59, and the Jackson hero. the links for these boats are in order to the way they are listed here.

dagger.com/mamba-75-creeker
www.wavesport.com/diesel-65
liquidlogickayaks.com/remix59.cfm
www.jacksonkayak.com/kayaks/product.cfm?product=heroseries

Thanks Cjcc ,

I have someone looking to sell their Wavesport Diesel 65, so I think I will check it out. I appreciate your input and I will look at the other boats as well. There are SO many out there and the information is so subjective to styles an abilities.
Cheers,

~Vicki

Look for creekers or river runners

Id say avoid low volume bow/sterns

JK Sidekick/Hero
Pyranha Ammo
Fluid Solo
Bliss Stick Mini Mystic

as long as it has a lot of volume in the bow and stern...

AND DEMO!!!!

What rivers will you be going to the most? Also, I would want to lean you towards either a planing or a semi-displacement hull boat. Another one to look at would be the Prijon Creeker 225. Keep in mind that the Ammo is made as a cross between a playboat and a creeker, which will mean that it will be harder to roll than most river runners. If you want a longer boat, the Liquid Logic XP9/XP10 or the Dagger Green Boat are both kayaks that would also be able to go fast and punch through holes. I have personally been looking at a Fluid Solo for around 1 month, and I have not seen any bad reviews for it since they upgraded the outfitting in 2006.

cjcc wrote:

I have personally been looking at a Fluid Solo for around 1 month, and I have not seen any bad reviews for it since they upgraded the outfitting in 2006.

Pull the trigger on the solo... They are AWESOME!!! I promise you wont regret a thing

Hi Vicki,

First off, welcome to Playak, and to WW kayaking!

It is important to match your kayak not only to your own abilities and needs, but also to the types of rivers found in your area. Read through this, it may help you:

adrian.playak.com/index.php?option=com_c...=view&id=93&Itemid=5

The ZG is a full on play boat and would not be the easiest of boats to start on, but at least you survived. A full on creek boat might be a bit of an overkill for you, especially if you have big volume rivers around that are not that steep. Perhaps a river running play boat would suit you better - something with edges that are not too aggressive, a flat, planing hull and a little more length than a full on play boat. Go to your local shop and pepper them with questions, if anything is unclear, then come back to the forum and perhaps someone here can help you out.

Good luck, and have fun!
Adrian

Agreed, I don't think you should go with a creek boat or big water boat just yet. check out Jackson Fun Series, they are the most common boat here in the states for beginner classes due to their versatility on water, ease of rolling, and confidence inspiring stability. what you were in was somewhat of a playboat so keep that in mind, it's much more aggressive and harder to control than a pure river-runner or even a river runner and playboat cross. The main reason I say this is because as you progress in the sport you may want more of a challenge, or to start front surfing waves, and a creek boat or big water boat will not be suited for what you want. It's likely you'll progress quickly and you'll end up buying boat after boat until you get what you like, so your best option is to pick something that can handle different situations and progress WITH you as opposed to limiting you.

with that said..

DEMO DEMO DEMO
buying a boat isn't like buying a pair of shoes...
Many gear stores will let you demo boats, or have days that you can demo every boat in the store, and check out some local kayak clubs, they could give you lessons, demo boats, and more. Good Luck!

Firstly,

Thanks to everyone for all the information.

Adrian, your site is extremely informative and very helpful. Thank you for the link. I have sent it along to a couple of friends that are also thirsty for knowledge
I think at this point, I will sit back and just take a look at a few different boats and try to figure out what is best for me.
I must admit, do like the idea of trying bow stalls and tricks like that.

Thanks again guys...your experience is appreciated!

~Vicki

Great stuff. Glad it helped you!

Have a look at as many boats on the net as you can. See what grabs your fancy. There are many different manufacturers offering quite a bit. Check out some forums, but obviously exercise caution too. Good luck, and have fun!