what OC1 should I buy to get started??

[Craig Smerda]

There's more than a few OC'ers in this part of the country... the Ocoee is the most popular boat you'll see people in around here.

The Outrage is a decent boat to start out in but most folks that are agressive in their learning curve seem to grow out of them quickly.

Rapidsriders is a good group... PurewaterPaddlers http://purewaterpaddlers.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; has a decent amount of OC'ers as well. Be sure to check out or get involved in the Buttercup slalom series... http://www.sws-wis.com/buttercup/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[philcanoe]

.... I feel you philcanoe. I've read through allot of those old threads and I was hesitant to start another, but I figured why not....

Just wanted you to know - that the options are many and highly personal. There's a great many boats mentioned here, some that I'd never care to own. Even if happened upon, when found abandoned somewhere. Does that mean they are worthless, certainly not. Only that becoming attached to the wrong boat, might possibly cause someone considerable problems. For you might get discouraged, or possibly become vary of making the next step. For getting matched to the correct boat will allow someone to maximized their potential. While the wrong may truly lessen a persons learning curve. In your case this sounds rather far-fetched, as the hook has been set; however getting a proper boat for you will make all the difference. Just like getting the right pair of hiking boots, the right baseball glove or bat, or even the right length paddle (opps - u'r next thread). I read posts on this and other sites, where the person is looking to improve, and then they name their chosen craft... and I think, "Oh no wonder !!!". Because they're doomed from the start, from the get go, before they ever got started.

[eddyhops]

What boat did you start in, Phil?

How many boat designs have you adjusted through since?

How many can you name that are now doomed to whitewater ambiguity, all as a direct result of their first boat selection?

[philcanoe]

Without uttering a name, there have been quite a few over the last three decades. Back then the club ruled supreme. There was no internet, and clubs served as the gathering place. They were a source of higher knowledge. There were even rival clubs, with at least three in the metro area of Birmingham Ala. It was sort of today's Facebook, where each was it's own little click, complete with varying ideas on what was good or proper. Even inside these broad headings, was the click within a click. It was cool to have this boat or that, but why would you ever want one of those. Personalities often drove the whole show, and some of these guys knew a thing or two. Often it was simply that he threw a good party. Thankfully I got to join this crew... for these guys wouldn't care if you showed up bare foot, naked, in nothing but a garbage bag. As long as it was over a PFD. J.D. (eddyhops) you knew this club, it's the one your Dad practically created.

And they let anyone in... anyone that added to the camp ground flavor.

Anyway after years of helping put on classes, and of taking newby floaters, and wanna be's. You knew some would excel, some wouldn't, some would remain, and others were practically already gone. Some people were re-shows regardless what happened, and it didn't matter what they paddled. Some which had the idea, took right to the sport, and then were soon gone. It's hard to determine a type, or who's gonna be bit by the sport. It's often near amazing who's going to be in for the long haul. However the one constant (IMHO) has been if your boat sucks, it takes a mighty special person to persevere. And some people will never buy that second boat.

And Yes - it's easier to tell someone their boat sucks, than to tell them the real truth; however sometimes it's true.

First boat taken down real whitewater - a Coleman - and thankfully it was just borrowed.

[TheKrikkitWars]

There's more than a few OC'ers in this part of the country... the Ocoee is the most popular boat you'll see people in around here.

The Outrage is a decent boat to start out in but most folks that are agressive in their learning curve seem to grow out of them quickly.

I'm not sure that it's a boat you'd grow out of so much as a boat that would become secondary (remember, you can never have enough boats); I hopped in an Outrage recently and found that it was a welcome change from my normal Prelude, an excellent complement to a shorter more agile beast... (Also with the right kind of eddy you could raise the heavily rockered bow up enough to drop it on top of kayakers boats as you broke into the flow, which was hilarious fun to do to members of a rival club after they insulted my choice of craft.)

[lung]

Be sure to check out or get involved in the Buttercup slalom series... http://www.sws-wis.com/buttercup/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sounds like allot of fun. It's going to be an eventful spring.

[lung]

(remember, you can never have enough boats)

Solid advise I'm still fighting the temptation to sell one of my tandems to pay for an OC1.

[Cheeks]

Some great advice I got from an unnamed boater was, every man should have three boats, a river runner, a creeker, and a play boat.

It seems silly when you start. Surely there must be a boat that does all three. And there are, kind of. The Spanish Fly was 'the' creeker for almost ten years, and was a more than serviceable playboat. Anyone who doubts the creeking ability of the MR Outrage or similar boats should check out some of Furtrapper Phil's pictures of Gorilla.

But, as you progress, you'll want a bomber creeker, a comfortable river-runner, and a fun playboat. At least, I do. If you think whitewater canoeing is what you want to do, I think the best advice I was given is buy a boat that you can beat the hades out of. Buy a boat that you don't mind boofing everything in sight with, trying some rock splats, and leaving a little Royalex/PE in the river. So that might mean getting the cheap-o boat from a club, petting the piss out of it for a season, and then realizing, hey, this creeking is awesome, I'm going to get an Option/L'Edge/Phiend/whatever. Or hey, I like surfing way more than running the gnar, I'm going to get a Rodeo/Blackfly/Spanish Fly/Tetse Fly/Fill-in-your-own Fly.

Between outfitting mistakes, pitons, forgetting to tie off the roof racks, or whatever, you're going to make a ton of mistakes with your first boat. I did. So maybe not investing a ton of money in your first boat is the way to go.

Canoes are like shoes and girlfriends, you gotta try on lots to find the one that fits.

[Craig Smerda]

Some great advice I got from an unnamed boater was, every man should have three boats, a river runner, a creeker, and a play boat.

Canoes are like shoes and girlfriends, you gotta try on lots to find the one that fits.

Or get one boat you enjoy that does everything pretty dam'n well.

If that doesn't work... just keep around the one's you really love and leave room for the one's you still 'need'.





The key is keeping them out of the wife's way...

[Shep]

Oh Craig! Don't you know stacking boats like that will oil-can the hulls?!? That's sacriL'Edge!

[dwd58]

Dang Craig, pm me when you are having a yard sale!

[Wiggins]

Do you have any prior kayaking experience with planning hulls? If so I would consider the more aggressive boats. If not try any boat you can get your hands on and make your decision from that. Failing that go cheap!

Kyle

[TNbound]

Between outfitting mistakes, pitons, forgetting to tie off the roof racks, or whatever, you're going to make a ton of mistakes with your first boat. I did. So maybe not investing a ton of money in your first boat is the way to go.

I still piton in my 9th boat...

But really, I think Cheeks has a point here. No need to spend a ton of money on a first boat. I started in an ME (100 bucks) and paddled it until it had an unfortunate incident in a big hole that ripped the gunwales off. From there it was a bunch of similarly priced boats until I found what I liked in a boat. And during that time I sure didn't feel bad driving the boats hard and generally beating on them.

I might get flamed for this, but I'd also say starting in a longer boat is a good thing because you actually paddle it like a canoe. Jumping right into a short boat would be a little odd if someone didn't have kayaking experience I think...

[Shep]

Jumping right into a short boat would be a little odd if someone didn't have kayaking experience I think...

I'd even wager that kayakers would be better off in a longer boat too. The nature of making a canoe go in a straight line is so different from making a kayak go in a straight line that having a boat that helps you out, and doesn't in anyway feel like a kayak, will probably help converts not try to use their old muscle memory.

Shep

[dl5205]

Hi!
another newb here, but I wanted to reply.
I started with a Mohawk probe 11 and consider it a very good newbie boat.
I have some thoughts on what I would want to point a new WW oc1 paddler towards.

Buy Something! Used may be the best way to go. But you may not have access to used.

Boats to look at: Ocoee! (say something bad?), probe 11 (my first [only]), viper 11, Mohawk Rodeo,
Maxim (why not), The L'edge is super hawt lately, Esquif Spark looks super cool for a beginner,
i recently saw a Millbrook Boats "Ignitor" for sale, used, on Kaz's facebook page for what looked like cheap,
Why not? If i was buying new, today, I would try a Millbrook Inferno.
DL