Re: [Paddlewise] Need you advise, help, suggestion on how to proceed

At 07:53 PM 6/17/99 -0400, Jeff Rowland wrote:
>Hi
>
>>   Need some advice, suggestions, whatever words of wisdom on how to
proceed.
>I have been interested in purchasing a kayak and have decided on a fiberglass
>one.  For the last month, I have been doing a lot of research on all the
>models available and have identified some models I would like to consider.
<the rest of message snipped>

Jeff,

I would not buy a kayak that I did not get a chance to paddle first. I
don't know your skill level, but a common mistake that I often see is for
novices to agonize over finding the "perfect" kayak. After a year you will
probably want a vastly different boat, one with more performance or one
that is more specialized to the aspects of kayaking that you wish to
pursue. This is not always the case, but it seems to happen much more often
than not with the paddlers that I know. I recommend that new paddlers find
a used plastic boat such as a sea lion and use it for a year. After that
time you will have the skills and knowledge to find a boat you love and
sell the plastic boat for about what you bought it for. As always, YMMV.

Best Regards,

Greg Stamer



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