It's quite a conundrum!

Personally I'm more of a river runner than a playboater, but I like
playing. For me the right compromise is to use a 2.5m (ish) playboat for
river running. That equates to an older longer playboat, which doesn't
actually have much more (or any more) volume than than the latest ultra
short things - which means it takes quite a bit of skill and confidence
to keep it floating and not pinned on rocky rivers, but there is no
better type of boat for big volume rivers!

For getting back into the sport, first try and find your old canoe club,
or if you moved away find a new one. That way you can try boats and find
people to paddle with. Try boats like I've just described if you want,
or if you are a little more conservative try something even older like
an RPM or a Kendo or something - you certainly shouldn't plan on running
anything steep in a 2.5m playboat until you have got your skills brushed
up and you are quite happy with the way they handle!

There is no need to get a slalom boat unless you are going to do slalom!
Any of the more modern playboats will be as much fun to paddle (although
not as light) and you don't have to worry about smashing them.

You talk about practising strokes and then maybe surfing - a flat
bottomed playboat will rock in the surf so definitely look at one of
them rather than something a bit more laid back. Interestingly because
they are flat and wide playboats have great stability (until you catch
an edge, but that's no worse than in a slalom boat) which means you can
work on your paddling without worrying about wobbling, but when you come
to renew your roll it might be a little more tricky than you remember.
Look on the positive side though, once you get the hang of rolling a
playboat you know your roll is strong!

Trying to think of some suitable boats. I paddle a Glide and a Session+
which are playboats that are out of fashion now but I think are very
good. The glide isn't very forgiving if you catch an edge, but I didn't
find it hard to get the hang of that. The Booster would probably be
good, a Quadro might be OK (I found it had too much volume for me but
this might be desirable for you), the Pyranha Inazones are extremely
popular - look for the original 230's which are one of the best all
round boats around and will be cheap second hand. I can't quite remember
the names of Daggers bigger boats, I think I'm thinking of the Outlaw
and Showdown, but I might be wrong!

Oh, and there are virtually no boats like the dancer anymore, what
you've seen are creek boats for really steep rivers which are shorter
and have more volume than the good old dancer. I still use my spud for
that sort of thing but I'm tempted to get something more specialised!

Good luck and have fun!

JIM

Ken Catchpole wrote:

Having given up paddling about 10 years ago to concentrate on more important
things like women and drinking, I'm looking to get kitted up again, and was
wondering what kayaks people recommended for some non-serious boating. It's
all changed since I were a lad.

I used to have an Carbon-Kevlar Extra and a plastic Mi370. The latter was
great fun all-rounder, but the former was wonderful for handling, a bit of
slalom, and a ride in white water. Most boats nowadays seem to be
ridiculously low-volume stunt/squirt boats or stupidly high-volume
Dancer-style things. I guess I'm after something in-between and probably
plastic, with a flat back (to pirouette with). Mostly I'll be on flat water
(to practice my strokes & rolls), but I might venture out into the surf
again, and some easier white water.

Any responses appreicated,

Ken.