Aca Certified

Whitewater Kayak Ideas?

So I've decided to really get into whitewater this year. I have an older 11' Whitewater boat which simply isn't suited for anything Class III and up. A coworker of mine is an ACA certified Whitewater Kayaking instructor, and plans to re-introduce me to the sport. My question is...which boat should I get?

I know that's a broad question, and I have a few guidelines.

1) It must be under 8' 5" or so to fit in my dorm room upright.

2) I'm working with a college student's budget, I'm hoping to buy used at under $400

3) I'm going to be mostly in rivers & creeks, up to Class IV. It would be nice if this boat could also be used to surf when I go back to the seacoast, but I have another boat for that, so it isn't essential.

4) I'm 5' 10" average build, 170lbs

So...what kayaks would you guys recommend?

With those criteria, you should have many boats to choose from. A majority of modern boats these days are under 8 feet (though a very recent trend has been toward longer boats, e.g. Remix, Green Boat, Axiom).

You could go with either a pure river-runner or a river-running playboat. River-runners will be more forgiving in the harder stuff, while the river-running playboats will be more fun in easier waters.

For river-running boats, Wavesport Diesel, Dagger Mamba, and Pyranha Burn are popular (I have a Burn that I'm happy with on Class IV). Not sure if you'll find one for $400 yet, but you can probably get close. Some older river runners to consider might be the Wavesport Z, Necky Jive, or Pyranha H-series.

For river-running playboats, I had a Wavesport Score that I used up to Class IV, though it was a bit of a challenge with its slicy ends. Still that and the smaller Forplay might work for you. Other possibilities might be the Wavesport EZ series (probably Big EZ), Pyranha Inazone, or Necky Gliss/Bliss.

Those are just models off the top of my head that friends or I have used and liked. There are certainly others. Check paddling.net and eddyflower.com for reviews and specs.

For More Aca Certified Info Click On The Blue Links Below