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I am new to this sport but am excited to get past renting the gear! What is anyones suggestions on type of boat to get, or any other tools. Or if there are any for sale- I am interested. Would love some input...
Something stable and comfortable. I made the mistake (kinda) of buying a boat for my fiance that was too aggressive and very tipsy. So, after a season of paddling it, I got her into my creekboat (Jefe by Liquidlogic) and she loved it.
The confidence that she has gained is huge and she is much more excited about getting on the water. Now while she is small (5'2" and 115lb) and the Jefe is quite the boat for a beginner boater to handle, that genre of boat (river runner w/ relaxed edges) is a great boat for her to be in. If I could do it all over, I would put her in a Little Joe or a Trigger.
But by far I think the best boat to start off in is the Jackson Fun series.
My wife has one and loves it. Nothing wrong with a river runner as suggested above, but you'll have a harder time progressing faster in a river runner. With a free-runner (good for play and going down river) you will find the boat can preform through your progression.
Side note, as you look for a paddle here are a couple of things to think of.
Look towards a small diameter shaft, and if you get cold easily get some gloves and get used to paddling with them. My wife did not, and now it is hard for her to use gloves (paddle feels weird with them) leading her to get cold faster. Colorado has cold water, I use my gloves until mid to late July but I've been called a wuss too.
but you'll have a harder time progressing faster in a river runner.
What kind of progression do you mean? Like freestyle? B/c I used to think the exact same thing until I got back into the beginner scene. I strongly feel that way too many new paddlers are buying playboats and wanting to learn how to loop/wheel on flatwater instead of learning how to have good, solid river-running technique first.
I've been stopped on class 2/3 lately on the Poudre by beginner paddlers that want to learn how to do a bow stall etc. while they still are not comfortable with eddy turns.
It's a Yin and Yang situations in my eyes. If you're very comfortable on a river then your progression of technique, for controlling a boat and running a river will be quicker. After all, at what point do you really need a playboat? Carthwheels?
The boat you pick is determined by what you want to do in the sport.
Downriver only, or learn to surf and play while going down river.
I can only speak from my experience. Which is I started off in a downriver boat, and it took me years to get to a place where I understood what was going on in a river. I spent the last two seasons in playboats and free-runners and it has made a huge difference in my abilities and confidence. My buddy started in a playboat. He caught and passed me in skill and confidence in less than a season. Granted I wouldn't recommend that to everyone, he is aggressive, and has a stunted fear gene.
This is only my philosophy, but I know others share it. Get a versatile boat to begin with. Not a playboat and not a creek boat. Try out going downriver and playing in playparks. Learn read and run skills as well as getting into surf holes. You need all the skills to be a good comfortable kayaker.
I could flip the scenario on you. I've ran across boaters who have spent two seasons in downriver/creek boats, and are afraid to get flipped over because they only practice their roll in the pool or eddie. The boat hinders their ability to learn, because they don't need to have a solid roll doing II/III runs in a creek boat.
I think the most important obstacle for a beginner is getting used to being upside down under water in a boat on a river in a rapid. Your not going to overcome that doing II/III in a downriver boat.
Playing gets you tons of brace and roll practice. Along with entering and exiting eddies. You also get comfortable getting stuck in a hole (which will happen to everyone).
Going downriver gives the read/run and scouting skills as well as a great place to practice what you've learned in the playpark.
Unless you're willing to buy two boats out of the gate. I think the best beginner boat is a free-runner. It will keep most sane people from running stuff out of their league while giving them the ability to go down fun runs, and visit the playpark.
No your not going to be able to throw loops in the free-runner your first time in the park, your also not going be able to run the Narrows your first time out either. But the free-runner class with give you the chance to do both disciplines to a degree in which you can decide which one you'd like to focus on.
It depends on you but just about any kayak school you go to, they will put you in a river runner. I think its a stable way to start and will also teach you good technique. If you are hanging out at the playpark and not going downriver as you progress, sell the rr and buy a playboat. I think the burn, trigger, lil joe, mamba, diesel work well in this category, have fun.
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Granted I wouldn't recommend that to everyone, he is aggressive, and has a stunted fear gene.
I'm not going to get into a big arguement about which route is better. But, keep in mind that most women have a "self-preservation" gene that most of us men lost a long time ago. I was a very, very strong advocate that a playboat off the bat is the best way to go. It will FORCE you to learn edge control, balance, drive, etc that a creek/river runner wouldn't force upon the new boater.
After seeing the beginner boating scene agian (it had been years for me until recently) I've reverted away from that view of things and become a more conservative instructor. I want new boaters, and especially people who might be more timid to have the best time that they can.
Not every boater wants to get to the gnar and I would guess that a good 75%+ of whitewater boaters never get off class 3 and are perfectly content with it.
Have a good first few experiences on the river and it won't be your last.
I am going to have to agree with peaches here. A playboat or even a river running playboat is going to feel more squirrly than a true river runner. If a newbie is constantly feeling uncomfortable and swimming they are going to hate trying to kayak and might give it up. Yeah some people learn how to kayak at an exponential rate and are fine being in a playboat off the bat, but I think most people take at least a season or two before they are ready to be comfortable in a playboat. I think it is important to have an idea of what kind of boating you want to be doing in two years. As an instructor that is what I ask people who are looking at boats to decide what is right. Also if you buy a quality river runner like the Trigger or Diesel then you should be able to sell it later and easily have enough money for a playboat or river running playboat. Start safe and happy, do what ever you feel comfortable in.
To answer your question:
Riverrunner- Liquid Logic Trigger
Riverrunning Play- Wavesport EZ or EZG
Playboat-Dagger Kingpin 6.1 or Wavesport Project 45 or Jackson Fun and Star series
I would say the Trigger is the most comfortable and "stable" feeling boat it is also a pretty sought after boat by women.
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