best to read the other related threads Posted by: jcbikeski on Sep-04-12 4:41 PM (EST)
some key things to consider though are how far you hope to paddle, whether and how much you need to pack for multi-day trips and what conditions you paddle (moving water, calm lakes, rough open waters, etc.) and finally your own size (there are often scaled down version of larger boats that are ideal for those shorter than average).