Need Help With Picking A Boat

[tikiman91]

I need help picking a boat that is right for me. I am 6 ft. 145 lbs. I want a boat that will be forgiving while running a river but i can also play around in if i wanted to. I have just began paddling. Have ran up to class 3 rapids. I have only limited money so it needs to be affordable.

[gh]

So what have you paddled in so far?

[tikiman91]

I have paddled the dagger mamba 8.0 and a jackson fun.

[possumturd]

Originally Posted by tikiman91

I need help picking a boat that is right for me. I am 6 ft. 145 lbs. I want a boat that will be forgiving while running a river but i can also play around in if i wanted to. I have just began paddling. Have ran up to class 3 rapids. I have only limited money so it needs to be affordable.

there is only one way to to this:

Demo Demo Demo,
Demo here
Demo there
Demo everywhere.

Sit in all the manufactures boats
Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo
Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo Demo

Then buy used

[Alpine Sports]

Yeah, demoing is the best way to go if you're gonna be plonking down a good bit of money for a boat. Most shops (like us for example) will apply the cost of a demo as a discount to the price of a boat so you don't end up paying for the demo if you end up getting the boat. Some suggestions for your size:

Wavesport EZG 50-stable, forgiving river running player

Dagger RX 6.7 or 6.9-more playful, easy to roll river running player, take the smaller size if you want more play or the bigger if you want more stability, you'd probably fit well in both.

Dagger Mamba 8.0 or Wavesport Diesel 65-Both river runners with a bit of a planing hull and harder edges for surfing

Jackson Fun-Stable, river running player that has a good mix of stable and playful.

We've got everything but the Jackson boats around to try em' out, and we're having a sale on boats from now til' the 4th if you're looking to save some money.

[teletumbler]

I would recommend anything similar to the Jackson Fun or Wave Sport EZG. Just about every manufacturer has something similar. There provide adequate river running capability as well as excellent play potential. I agree with the previous comments, demoing is the best way to figure out which outfitting you like best.

I started with an older Perception Whip Lash (similar to the RPM) and it was good to learn in but wasn't very playful. I upgraded to the EZG 50 last year and love it, I've run pretty decent class 4 in it and it plays pretty well. In bigger water it tends to get squirted a lot but other than that it handles very well. I've run everything on the Poudre except the Narrows in it and had no issues. And if surfs like a dream!

Whatever boat you get, will be a great place to start and no matter which one you get by the middle of the season you'll have a list of new boats you want. So just get one and start getting wet!

[gh]

Well you paddled a fun, what did you think?