The subject says it all! And no, a barge is not an option, it will not fit down the Deschutes

I had my first whitewater rafting experience last friday as a company outting on the Clackamas river just south of Estacada, OR and I had a great time, even when I fell out of the boat =)

I'd really like to get into whitewater some more, but don't know enough interested people to fill a raft, and honestly I like the idea of just going out with 1 or 2 other people in kayaks.

I did a search for other \"beginner kayak?\" posts, but none of them really addressed weight all that much, which I imagine is a concern for someone like me when looking for a boat.

I'm 5'8\" and 310lbs right now, and need a boat that I can be comfortable in for 6-8 hours at a time, with room for a few beers/lunch and maybe a camp chair.

From the sounds of it, I don't want to look for something with sharp ends since they are good for speed but tip easier. I'm top-heavy already, so I guess I don't need any encouragement.

Rafting/kayaking looks like it could be the kind of exercise I could get used to, and ideally I'll be able to trade the first boat in next summer for something a bit smaller and more suiting to whatever kind of sport I'm interested in.

Right now I just need something for general class 3/4 whitewater. Any tips are greatly appreciated =)

If you want all that your going to have to get a Mohawk OutRage X Canoe and that might float you.

But you dont get a camp chair to fit in a kayak. THe only thing that could possibly float you and some food would be a Jackson Mega Rocker. Demo it out. and see what you think. Oh and try and lose some weight it helped me out tremedously. I went from 270 to 240 and the boat selection has more than doubled.

Check out the Jackson Mega-Rocker, Robson Charger, Robson Sportster XL, Dagger Gradient, Prijon Hercules, Wave Sport Habitat 80 and the Large Pyranha Burn. Have a look here: playak.com/kayaks.php
and then look under 'sort result by' and choose: volume.. and 'largest first'. Under kayak types I chose 'creeker' and 'allrounder'.

I don't know how good some of those boats are but they certainly are pretty big. Good luck mate. Hope that helped a little.

I am lighter than you but I am heavy enough that I was unable to find a used boat that would float me so I have a taste of your frustration as the availability of appropriate boats diminishes as the paddler's weight increases.

Kayakers generally leave the beer and camp chair in their vehicles at the takeout or perhaps find a friendly canoe or tuber to pack their beer. The Mega-Rocker does appear to be the biggest boat around but if I were you I would also take the Jackson 2007 Super Fun for a demo. It might be a bit more edgy at your weight for river running but it would be a bit more playful if you decide you want to take the fun to the next level. It might also be easier to sell if you move to a more specialized boat, plus the fact that a smaller, lighter boat like the Super Fun is something one learns to appreciate on their way to the putin.

Before making any major decision try to get some lessons in first or at least some time in the boat if possible. The learning curve moves pretty fast in the beginning and what you are looking for in a boat can quickly change.

Good luck with your search!

Thanks for the info guys. I'm thinking maybe I should just look out for a deal on a good 5 man raft and wait until I can fit into some of the shell kayaks comfortably and am more skilled.

I'll have a good time regardless of what I'm riding, I was just looking at kayaks since I might not always be able to get 3 or 4 other people to join me on a raft.

So, if I'm looking at a raft, what am I looking at as far as pricing for a 10/11' 4-5 man raft that can deal with class III? I've been googling all day and I'm finding rafts from $300 (too cheap) to $2500 (seems too expensive).

Obviously I don't want to float on a flimsy crap raft, but I don't need a sherman tank either. Basically I just need it to handle an easy class III without having to patch it every other outing, and have foot holds in the front for lead paddlers.

Do you think it would be reasonable to look for something used, for around $600 that would fit the bill? I'd like to get on the water for around $1000