UKC

Hi

I want to start kayaking, I'v done it before and it's allot of fun!
But I'm on a tight budget, does anyone know of any good beginner boats (plastic, NOT sit on top either) that can be bought new for under £250?

Thanks

In reply to Evilllamas:

I can't think of any new boats for under £250, let alone good ones. If you're on a tight budget then it might be worth joining a club? They will have a full set of equipment you can borrow, as well as having coaches and people to paddle with.

In reply to oooaaah: Hey, try the uk rivers guide book forum might be something on there or ebay might surprise you. Also you could try the brookbanks website they have a second hand bit on that hope this helps.

http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/
http://www.brookbankcanoes.co.uk/services/second-hand-equipment

In reply to Evilllamas:

river or sea?

In reply to Mikkel:
lakes and rivers for the moment, am a beginner so wont be trying any fun stuff for a while anyway, and would probably get a better boat for fast flowing rivers etc.

In reply to Evilllamas: Hi I have a plastic river boat for sale with spray deck i think its a pirahana its blue its abit used but perfectly working. I live nr blackpool so to post would be silly offers around about £60 also have bounacy aid and brand new paddle u can have lot for £100. Its not a sit up and beg thing either.

In reply to stuart58:
you've got mail!

In reply to Evilllamas:

You won't get a new one for that price, but you'll easy get a good 2nd hand one. tbh you don't really need to pay much more that £100 for a good 2nd hand one.

Size, you can't just buy one, it's not like something you hire at the local park duckpond. They are made in different sizes to fit different leg lengths.

My son has just outgrown his, need to get him a new one now.

I live in the lake district, so there's no shortage of places to try out, and people who own them.

In reply to Evilllamas: You will easily get a secondhand kayak for the money you want to spend. You need to match the type of kayak to your intended use and your basic frame size, although all come with adjustment. If you want some more specific guidance on models etc pm me your approximate size and your intended use. Cheers,

In reply to Tiberius:

Not true - size is related more to what you want to use it for than leg length. Broadly speaking, long, narrow boats are intended for going fast over long distances and short, narrow ones are highly manouverable but slower.

Although it's true that there are various designs that are made in different sizes to suit bigger paddlers, it's more to do with weight than leg length - getting your legs in a short boat is more down to the style.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

Interesting theory, but I assure you, my son's legs simply no longer fit into this:

http://playak.com/article.php?sid=2477

In spite of it being an excelent boat, and handling my weight quite easily (I'm about 2 stone heavier than him, but shorter legs).

In reply to Tiberius:

I'm not saying that's the whole story - I can't get in a 212 and I've tried, either, but I do fit in a 222 - but your original post that different boat lengths were down to paddler leg length was misleading overall. I do, for example, fit in other, shorter boats than a 212 that are a different shape around the knees and cockpit

In reply to Evilllamas: There are some truly great rivers in the lake district. I white water kayak a lot more than I climb, and I'm in the lakes/north wales most weekends, when there's rain.
I would urge you to find a club or other people who paddle so you can try on gear and find what niche of the sport you fancy, before you part with any cash. The majority of stuff for <£200, unless its been broken, is rubbish, with the exception of some classics like the inazone.
Also, I'm sure you already know this, but please don't paddle alone, esspecially on anything thats not a flat lake. To the untrained eye what appears to be a small, beningn weir can in fact be deadly (eg. http://www.uniyaker.co.uk/to_link_to/evil_weir1.jpg )