any kayaker here? NEWB request help

So I started doing roll classes this spring and got my first taste of easy white water on the middle yough this past sunday. this is something I think I am going to like to do and despite my very cheap rental rates having a boat to practice in my own pool would be sweet. It would also be nice once I feel confident enough to go out with people other than my class.

I found this boat locallly on craigslist and was wondering if this is good boat for a newbie. BY newbie I can ferry ok well pretty good for a first day on water, I can surf, I can do 360s in a wave, have a decent stroke, and just starting to learning how to roll(hope to nail it more in the flat water this wednesday).

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/boa/1181099704.html

the boat would be used mostly on the yough near ohiopyle Pa, I have read up and supposely its a really easy to use playboat that can also be used to run rivers. The past couple days my rental has been a Pyranha Ammo(size M) which I found really easy to control except in some holes where my newbiness and edgyiness of the boat caused me a couple swims.

so should I go look at this boat?
if I do what should I check out when I get there?

and is there any other questions I am leaving out?

 

 

Duct-tape covered holes. They tend to suck the fun out of a day...

 

I'm not very well versed in whitewater, but I helped my parent's buy a couple flat-water kayaks last summer. $300 seems like a good price, we couldn't find anything cheaper then $250 that wasn't crap.

 

Look for deep gouges or compression spots. I would be more worried about a deep gouge, as the may eventually break through. Compression spots aren't that big of a deal, the plastic used in these boats is pretty darn flexible.

 

Judging buy the life jacket he has pictured in that add he didn't paddle very much, I can't even canoe comfortably in one of those.

 

Go look at it, at the very least.

 

EDIT: Links opening in the epic window really suck, I had to type this 2x

looks pretty good. Iv only been white water kayaking once and it was a blast. Check about repairs if any. One guy in my group had a kayak that had had a patch done before and it came out half way through. Doubt this helps much but im sure others have imput

PM Cloudpeak.

OK, BWPA, didja buyit??

I didn't check in soon enough to see what it was. How has WW kayaking treated you? Has it been a rush? Have you been worked in a hole yet?

FWIW, I don't paddle WW much anymore - converted to sea kayaking big inland lakes in BC in my old age. Used to do WW quite a bit in Colorado, tho. Still have the boat and occasionally to a little river floating, just to maintain a little skill - with the emphasis on little.

Antique boat by your standards - the last displacement hull Dagger continued to make, so no flat 360s. It has enough bow volume to do an actual pop-up in the right hydraulic, though. New playboats will bow squirt or cartwheel, but they don't have enough volume in the end of the boat to pop up very well. My boat will stern squirt just fine, though. In fact, I've flipped it over the stern a few times.

I think WW kayaking is a great summer substitute for downhill skiing. It might motivate even more adrenaline than skiing. The anxiety factor is much more significant in kayaking than it is in skiing, I think. When you fall down skiing, you usually slide to a stop, after which you can collect yourself at your leisure. With kayaking, if you flip, you have a major problem that you have to solve immediately. And you're not going to stop, unless you get pinned against a rock, which is a major faux pas if you're upside down. If you solve your problem by swimming, you're still not going to stop, and by the time you get yourself, your boat and your paddle to the side of the river, you might be exhausted. If you roll up, good for you, but you're probably in the middle of something that demands your immediate attention, even if you're still disoriented from being upside down.

It's definitely a rush!

Anyway, hope you're having fun with it.

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My presence here means a village somewhere is missing its idiot.

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I have an older boat but it's a good one.  Have a solid roll, with and without paddle.  Recently I have only been out to play in the lake and do a few rolls.  My buddy  bought a new boat and was excited about gettting out.  Then he had his hip replaced.  I'd really like to get back into some ww.  The river is the Deerfield.  Has a dam release and some class 3 plus some fun spots to play.

Anyone wants to go, I'd give it a shot.

BWPA, they have a school that actually teaches kayaking.  My buddy got his roll there.

Hey BushwackerinPA, did you buy a boat?  I just saw this thread as I've been AWOL this summer....padding!

If you haven't bought a WW boat yet, I suggest getting a boat that's not TOO forgiving so you learn your edging....you'll be better off in the long run....and when you learn to roll, it won't matter as much.  Some good suggestions for newbies are:
Pyranha Ammo (as you've demoed....you'll learn the edges in time)
Jackson Fun
Wavesport Fuse

If you want a true river runner, then look at:
Dagger Mamba or Axiom (a very nice boat)
Wavesport Diesel
Pyranha Burn

Get a flat planing hull boat, not a displacement hull (rounded) boat.  Then you can surf. 
The Middle Yough is a great place to learn, and you have the advantage of park and play at Ramcat Rapid.  When you progress, you can then do the Lower (with someone experienced, of course)!

So, did you learn to boat this summer BWinPA?  TwinTips boat recs are spot on.
Been a great boating season on the East Coast.

Couple of Pics from this past weekend down this way.

I guess BWPA is ignoring his pages.

Teledave, where are these shots? It reminds me of around Asheville, NC. I haven't been there for many years. But we used to slide down a shoot (pic 3) like this on our asses when I was a kid. : )

The ledge drops are on the Tellico, the other shot is from the Ocoee; both in SE TN.

teledave, nice shots!  I'm in the process of getting back into kayaking, researching what boat to get and such, and your shots just fuel the desire.