I need something that can tackle the occasional Class I/II whitewater and also fit more easily in (or on) the car.Īs far as gear quality in general, I still have what many people would call a "starter guitar" and "basic climbing gear" but have progressed with both of them to an intermediate level over the years. Good comments, thanks for helping dissuade me. Interesting how much more thoughtful and cynical this thread is compared to the last couple times this popped up in December (you would think this was the best starter kayak ever!). I have used the intex Explorer inflatable with my kids on a lake and the ocean but now they are bigger and the inflatable ended up in trash as it had leaks. Got any recommendations for a 2+ person kayak. When you DO know about kayaks, it'll be great for your buddy. If you don't know anything about kayaks, it'll be good for you. Just you on a kayak is fun but having two and a friend is even better :-)Įdit: Some people seem to think I'm downvoting this. So, the cheap starter equipment serves the purpose of being your gateway and then will always be around for a friend or as your backup or 'beater' boat. My theory is that you can never really know which way you'll go once you get into that hobby (acoustic or electric? Whitewater or open water?) until you actually GET into that hobby.
This goes with just about any hobby equipment (guitars, mountain bikes etc). That being said, I do strongly recommend a less-expensive kayak to start with. Add a cooler (for aforementioned beverages) and your rear-end is dragging pretty deeply. The problem with these is that they will hardly carry a grown man.
I'm not going to preach trackability or whitewater worthiness because most people looking in this category just want a vessel upon which they can float and drink some 'beverages'.