Voucher What Should I Buy

RadarControl

Ok I got a voucher for Great Outdoors so looking for some suggestions on what to spend it on. There is not enough to buy a kayak. I'm doing the beginners course with WWKC in June so considering buying some of my own kit. At the moment thinking of

• Wetsuit
• Booties

Anybody got any items they would recommend?

OldmanMondeo

Get a good cag. This will keep you warmer than a wetsuit. If you swim you only in the water for a short period of time, but you could be hours on the water with a breeze blowing on you.

yomchi

Yeh a cag and wet bottoms would be ideal. We're just finishing up the first set of courses in WWKC at the moment, after the first week everyone came back with a wetsuit. For the first 3 weeks you'll be spending an amount of time in the water.

What day are you on?

MugMugs

RadarControl wrote: »

Ok I got a voucher for Great Outdoors so looking for some suggestions on what to spend it on.

Ask them for a refund and go to iCanoe ? :P

Be careful when buying OP...

Possibly bring somebody who knows what they are looking for with you if you can.

RadarControl

Thanks for the info. Might be a bit of a stupid question but what is a cag and it's purpose? Looking at pictures on net looks like a jacket so presuming you wear it over the wetsuit?

I put down for Tuesdays as I play tag on the other two nights the course runs.

yomchi

MugMugs wrote: »

Ask them for a refund and go to iCanoe ? :P

Be careful when buying OP...

Possibly bring somebody who knows what they are looking for with you if you can.

This is 100% true, my mrs went to buy me a bouyancy aid for christmas, she asked for a white water with relevent spec... she came home with a polo jacket. Very frustrating.

A cag/kag is a jacket yeh, it generally goes over anything warm like a fleece or whatever you like. It's purpose is to keep you dry up top.

OldmanMondeo

Your correct on what a cag is, it is a jacket that keeps you warm and dry. You can get dry cags that will help keep water out better. As yomchi says, the first few weeks you will spend more time swimming than canoeing, but once winter gets in and your skills improve, you will spend more time in the boat rather than out of it. Neoprene pants will be good for the winter, but remember, Kayaking is not cheap, it will be years before you get all the gear you want, unless your a rich git Most river trippers get drysuit nowadays, they cost around €500.

Zuppy

yomchi wrote: »

This is 100% true, my mrs went to buy me a bouyancy aid for christmas, she asked for a white water with relevent spec... she came home with a polo jacket. Very frustrating.

Maybe it was a hint to try Canoe polo

yomchi

ZuppyLurk wrote: »

Maybe it was a hint to try Canoe polo

You're starting to sound like someone I know! And I don't care how rough it is ;)

Zuppy

It's not rough. Canoe polo is a non contact sport (ish) ((honest)) (((sort of)))

yomchi

I started kayaking when I retired from contact sports... I don't need another

I prefer the challenge of me versus me on the river as opposed to me versus some crazed polo player :P

smily10

get a good spraydeck, probably best not to get it in great outdoors, go onto lomo instead.

OldmanMondeo

Bad idea. Wait until your more into kayaking before you buy a spraydeck. WWKC will supply these when you need them. There are many different sizes to fit both the person and the different boats available as well as been made from different materials. Get your personal clothing, then a BA, Helmet and paddles. Boat and spraydeck should be bought together.

Zuppy

Booties!!! Go for the comfort and the grip.

MugMugs

LIDL are shifting short wesuits.

Nice wee things.

Dont get a wetsuit. Be hardcore like me and wear board shorts and a Cag in the middle of December !

That way you even two weeks off work afterward ! :mad: