Equipment

Brian Somers is the man with the knowledge on this front. He will soon add a comprehensive guide to Kayaking Gear. Until then a few brief words. Gear is expensive. If your staring out some people will advise you to buy centre cags and basic gear like that at the start. In my opinion use your clubs basic gear till you are ready to buy some gear. Get good quick and paddle alot, no matter what the weather is like. You will get used to paddling cold water in crap gear. Once you buy your own you will appreciate the good stuff and look after it. Buy second hand first. Once you are ready to buy your first bit of gear its often wise to buy cags, dry pants helmets paddles etc all second hand. The only thing often worth buy new and as your first purchase is a good neopreme Deck. Once you have the basic bit of second hand gear wear them till they are wrecked or till you are ready to move up a gear. If the gear is still in usable condition sell wash it repair any small rips tears and pass it on to the next group of beginners coming through. Altough gear is expensive once you make your first purchse buy and selling gear reduces the price of the new stuff, If your not pushed about when you get the stuff buying a full set of gear is often a good way to get a better discount on your purchase. Most paddling shops will do discounts for students or members of club or members of the Irish Canoe Union. i-canoe.ie do online discounts. The main shops currently for gear are munster Dive and Canoe in Cork, Great Outdoors Watersport Dept in Dublin and i-canoe also in Dublin. Other shops with some gear are Union chanderly in Cork, tubes in cork and limerick and river deep mountain high in limerick. Best bet is to bring someone along (an oldie) who can advise you on buying gear.