Beginner White Water Kayak Recommendations
The rapidly growing sport of whitewater kayaking attracts a large influx of beginners each year. The first decision many of these new kayakers will come across is what kind of boat to purchase. There are several factors that play an important role in this choice. It can be a fun experience if you follow the right steps.
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Budget
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As a beginning kayaker, a fancy new boat probably isn't necessary. Boats can be very expensive (more than $1,000 in some cases), so work out a budget and stick with it.
Playboating
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Playboating, or freestyle kayaking, requires a shorter boat that's easier to spin and control. This allows the paddler to perform tricks on different river features.
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Creeking
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Creeking refers to running narrow, steep rivers. Two defining characteristics of creekboats are their length and their volume. Because they're longer, they give you the speed you need to punch hydraulics (where water recirculates back upstream and potentially traps a paddler by repeatedly flipping them over). The increased volume, or empty space in the boat, keeps the paddler on top of tricky currents in the river, and having more air in the boat means that it will return to the surface quickly after being submerged.
River Runner
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A river-running kayak is in the middle of a spectrum with playboating on one end and creeking on the other. River runners are shorter than creek boats, which sacrifices speed but allows you to perform some freestyle moves. At the same time, they are longer than playboats, which helps the paddler maintain control in rapids.
Boat Size
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When you've decided on the type of paddling you want to do, the next step is to pick out a boat that will fit you. A good starting point in this process is to look at the weight recommendations provided by the manufacturer of the boat. If you're within the weight range, you should hop in the boat (on land) and see how it feels. Your legs will be longer than the distance from the seat to the bow, so they'll be bent with your knees outward. Also worth noting is that playboats will fit more tightly than river runners and creekboats. A playboat that fits is generally the smallest one you can manage to squeeze into, within reason.
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