Step 1: The Basic Equpment

I'm going to be honest with you. I got lucky. When I decided that I wanted to start whitewater kayaking as a humble college kid, I thought there would be no way that I could afford to purchase the long list of necessary equipment. How was I ever going to afford a boat, a paddle, a spray skirt, a helmet, life jacket, float bags, etc. etc.?! BUT, luckily for me, my uncle used to dabble in whitewater about 15 years ago and no longer used any of his old equipment that was stashed under his house. Being the nice guy that he is, he offered any and all of it to me indefinitely so that I could get started in the sport that brought him so much joy and excitement.

Needless to say, the equipment was all at least as old as I am, so I did have to spring for a few new pieces including the float bags since they were dry rotted and mildew-ridden. I also figured it would be a safe idea to invest in a new helmet that fit my head snugly. The good news is that John Hopkins did a study to find the best and safest helmet. They concluded that it was the WRSI helmet and it retails for only $87! My local shop didn't carry this particular helmet, so I settled for a less expensive, well-fitting WRSI helmet. You can find name-brand helmets like Shread Ready, Predator,WRSI and Protec for as little as $40 (and often on sale!!).

My uncle was also a good bit more...round than I am, so his XL spray skirt was letting a little more water into the boat than I was comfortable with. But again, I got lucky. A former coworker of mine was working the summer as a raft guide up at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and she had a similar boat to my uncles, with an old skirt that she no longer used/needed, so she hooked me up. Thanks Brandie!

So here I am, for less than $100 (plus some racks to put on top of the car to transport the thing) I have everything I need to get started. Perfect for a college kid!

My list of gear now includes:

• Perception Corsica Boat (copyright 1988), Teal
• Perception carbon paddle (also as old as the boat), purple and white
• Perception skirt, teal-ish
• An old school, no brand name PDF, bright purple
• WRSI helmet, blue
• NRS float bags
• sponge (any large sponge will work)
• throw rope
• Speedo water shoes ($9 on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods!)

So I throw it all in a gear bag my uncle also sent my way, and I am ready to hit the river...or well, at least the lake or the pool. You gotta start somewhere!

A few tips for those of you who may not be as lucky as I was and have to find your own gear. Boatertalk.com has a gear swap page where there are ALWAYS boats and gear for sale at discounted prices. Great Outdoor Provision Co. also sells demo and used boats on their online site. I would recommend checking the classified ads of your local boat club as well, like the Carolina Canoe Club, but unfortunately, you have to be a member to access that section of their site. The good news is that it is only $15 for a full year-long membership! And it is well worth it, but I'll touch on the CCC in another article. Also, just use the internet to your advantage. There are lots of great deals out there!

My last tip would be to go to local events like Rollapoolooza in Raleigh or the Week of Rivers with the CCC up in West Virginia. There are always people swapping and selling gear at GREAT prices. My girlfriend just got a LiquidLogic Lil' Joe along with a paddle (both in excellent condition) for only $250 at Rollapoolooza this past weekend!

So don't let retail prices scare you. Look around, and you can be paddling on a college student budget in no time!