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I wanted to gather some opinions from you all regarding a Wavesport Extreme built in 1992 for a brand new kayaker. I plan to use it in lakes for 95% of the use for casual recreational use. Later on I'd probably throw in some slower rivers. Is this thing gonna spit me out after so much as a sneeze? I do want some stability at this point. I am 6' tall and 167lbs-170lbs all geared up. (PFD, paddle, etc) What would be a fair price for the boat alone without any extras in seemingly good shape?
1. There are better 'lake' kayaks out there on the market that will be easier to get into, get out of, better all around comfort, and better designed for use on flatwater. I've seen several of these 'recreational' kayaks on the used market for a $200-$500 hundred lately.
2. How much should you expect to pay for a WaveSport Extreme? $100-$200 max, and that usually includes a skirt, floatbags and sometimes a paddle and more. Similar boats/packages are popping up on Craigslist and the Buzz as people do spring cleaning.
3. If you can get the boat and gear cheap enough, it may be worth it and IT do exactly what you're looking for it to do - lake use and some river use. You should fit fine, I was around 210 when I paddled one.
Thanks for the replies thus far guys. My thought initially was to spend $440 (with tax) for a new Old Town Rush Kayak. It appears to be a great all around Kayak and will even allow some use in Class 1-II later on if I choose.
However on second thought, and being brand new to the sport I figured going used may make the most financial sense in terms of less (if any) depreciation after the purchase.
I can get the Wavesport Extreme for $100 with no gear. Pics show it to be in good condition. My gut tells me it would probably do exactly what I want it to and at less than 1/4 the price of a new Old Town Rush (unable to find an OT Rush used). I'm guessing by the very bright colors of the boat that most of its life has been spent stored indoors and not out in the damaging UV. Assuming it was stored indoors with minimal to moderate use, what lifespan could I expect of the plastic hull/deck? Build date was 1992.
I plan to purchase a used paddle and PFD too to keep initial costs low. This will serve to also lessen the bosses whining about "another hobby?!?!".
RE the lifespan of the kayak - the kayak will likely last longer than your desire to own it, unless it has visiable cracks, kinks, holes, tears, etc. Plastic kayaks are made to be very durable.
You make a good arguement about cost/depreciation. In the end, it's likely going to come down to three things:
1. Cost - less performance, less comfort - in the name of saving a few hundred $$. As a newbie, not a bad way to go. $100 is a small investment and you can upgrade later, once you know you'll stick w/ the sport.
2. Performance/comfort - a recreational kayak made to be used primarily on lakes will have better performance/comfort on the lake than the Extreme. You're likely to have a better experience with a better performing product. But you also run the risk of spending a lot of $$ upfront, only to find out you don't even enjoy the sport and taking a hit on the backend when you try to offload the now 'used' kayak.
3. Combination of the two: find a used recreational kayak (and/or package) that may cost $300-$500, but will be cheaper overall than buying a new Old Town and gear (paddle, PFD, etc).
Here are a few examples I saw within a few minutes of searching.
RE the lifespan of the kayak - the kayak will likely last longer than your desire to own it, unless it has visiable cracks, kinks, holes, tears, etc. Plastic kayaks are made to be very durable.
You make a good arguement about cost/depreciation. In the end, it's likely going to come down to three things:
1. Cost - less performance, less comfort - in the name of saving a few hundred $$. As a newbie, not a bad way to go. $100 is a small investment and you can upgrade later, once you know you'll stick w/ the sport.
2. Performance/comfort - a recreational kayak made to be used primarily on lakes will have better performance/comfort on the lake than the Extreme. You're likely to have a better experience with a better performing product. But you also run the risk of spending a lot of $$ upfront, only to find out you don't even enjoy the sport and taking a hit on the backend when you try to offload the now 'used' kayak.
3. Combination of the two: find a used recreational kayak (and/or package) that may cost $300-$500, but will be cheaper overall than buying a new Old Town and gear (paddle, PFD, etc).
Here are a few examples I saw within a few minutes of searching.
Thanks for the links. I just missed being able to purchase the awesome package in the first link by 30 minutes! It was easily worth double the guys asking price. I looked at the Frankenstein also but after some research I found it was definitely NOT for newbies like myself due to its total lack of stability.
I have seen a few "Perception whip its" pop up. on Craigslist. Are you familiar with these? Would these work well for lake use primarily? I also found a Pyranah Mountain 300 (c. 1997) but was unable to determine through internet searches if it would work well for lake. The guy is asking $350obo for it and a Perception carbon paddle. Price seems way too high...would you agree? Thanks!
I agree with what's been said. A lake/rec/touring boat would be more suited for your interests but if your just looking for something cheap to find out if you're interested in pursuing the sport, something like this would work.
Along the lines you're talking about, I've got a Pyranha Stunt 300
That's a really nice offer from COUNT - keeps it cheap, let's you figure out if you like the sport and move on from there with very little investment.
You asked about the 'whip-it' from Perception - technically speaking ANY whitewater type kayak from the last 30 years will work on a lake - but none will work as well for flatwater (lake) paddling as will a recreational kayak specifically made to paddle on a lake.
Whitewater kayaks have evolved in many ways, and while a kayak like the Whip-It may work great for one person, another person may dislike it very much. same with the Extreme, Frankenstein, etc.
But, for $50-$100, you can't go wrong with any whitewater kayak - as long as you can fit in it comfortably. That will at least let you 'try' it out before committing more money.
Lastly - you may want to look into renting a recreational (lake) type kayak, take it out for a day and see what you think, etc. Will run you $50+, but could be worth it.
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