Old Kayak - What is fair price?

I'm considering buying a sea kayak to go on the bay and ocean. Maybe camping once I figure out the legality of such.
The list of Craig has them for $500 to $1000 or more. Sometimes less for plastic models, sometimes more for fiberglass/composite. Most models are 10+ years old and no longer made. Some manufacturers are gone or acquired. The going rate for skis of this vintage is "come take it." Are kayaks worth more? Anything special about kayak plastic that keeps it from shattering like other old plastic?
What are these things worth?

I may also want a small boat like a whitewater boat - to learn to roll, then pass on. A small boat could fit in my car, fit in a pool, and be easier to carry and store. Sellers for this type are asking $200-300, again for a very old boat.

I don’t know how people come up with values, other then looking at other listings. The plastic boats do seem to last forever though, even with lots of use, exposure to sun etc. I would say a good sea kayak (2 bulkheads- no hole or other problems) from the 00s or even late nineties should still be worth $4-500. Find one that appeals to you and make a polite offer.

Where you located? I have a Dagger Crossfire that is yours if you can pick it up.

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Originally Posted by Bunion 2020

Where you located? I have a Dagger Crossfire that is yours if you can pick it up.

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Sounds like a deal. I'm in Sunnyvale. California. I see you were looking for our local beer in Montana, so it may be tough for me to pick that up. Thanks though!

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Originally Posted by Brownski

I don’t know how people come up with values, other then looking at other listings. The plastic boats do seem to last forever though, even with lots of use, exposure to sun etc. I would say a good sea kayak (2 bulkheads- no hole or other problems) from the 00s or even late nineties should still be worth $4-500. Find one that appeals to you and make a polite offer.

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Good to know the old boats are fine. I made an offer of "I'll pick it up" on a short ww boat, and have a response. So maybe that'll pan out for rolling practice.

It got to the point I couldn't sit in any kayak for > an hr so i got rid of all my boats a year ago and I am a has-been kayaker

A used seakayak which should be at least 16 ft probably 800 to 1000 but its easy to comparison shop on line

WW boats are going pretty cheap, or like the aformentioned crossfire FREE they started going SMALL about 20+ years ago so finding one you fit in (foot size & leg length ) can be challenging, the super short flat bottom play boats are harder to roll cuz it like turning over a dock

but honestly you don't need to have rolling skills for a seakayak most seakayakers do not and if its rough you shouldn't go out whatever you buy hopefully they thro in paddle/ deck cuz those things $$$ can add up

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

It got to the point I couldn't sit in any kayak for > an hr so i got rid of all my boats a year ago and I am a has-been kayaker

A used seakayak which should be at least 16 ft probably 800 to 1000 but its easy to comparison shop on line

WW boats are going pretty cheap, or like the aformentioned crossfire FREE they started going SMALL about 20+ years ago so finding one you fit in (foot size & leg length ) can be challenging, the super short flat bottom play boats are harder to roll cuz it like turning over a dock

but honestly you don't need to have rolling skills for a seakayak most seakayakers do not and if its rough you shouldn't go out whatever you buy hopefully they thro in paddle/ deck cuz those things $$$ can add up

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Thanks. And ruh-roh, what caused you to stop? I've got back problems I'm hoping the kayak will help. I will figure that out before getting / wrestling with the 18 foot sea monster.

How small is "super short flat bottom?" I'm considering a perception 3d for rolling practice in the pool. I think it's about 8 feet. Maybe you're saying "short enough to fit in the car" and "easy to roll" don't intersect. I'm blindly assuming that whitewater boats roll because it's safer that way.

I do have long legs and big feet. I've fit in every kayak I've paddled, a dozen or two, one a whitewater model.

I'm aware many sea kayakers can't roll. I'm one. I've heard many stories and there's too many variables around here, so I'd like a roll before getting too serious. And I've dumped a sea kayak for recovery practice. It takes too long to get back in, and then it seems like hours to pump it out (iirc, we did a buddy rescue or I paddled it to the beach). Meanwhile, IRL it's probably a wave that dumps me, with its buddy about 10 seconds behind, and a whole wave army following that. With no roll, best case I'm in a swamped boat when the next wave hits - seems likely to go worse than the first wave when I had a skirt on a dry boat.

Other justifications. We have a temperature management problem here where the water is cold and air is warm, that an occasional roll would fix. There's also a couple techniques for getting through the surf that use a roll to go under a wave - seems useful if aspirational (may never learn those). Oh, and all the cool kids can roll.

Whether I go anywhere with this or not, I've got rolling on my mind at the moment. Seems like a fun thing to learn.

Splaying my legs out into the thigh braces aggravates the iliopsois bursa on the outside of my L hip, so after 39 yrs as a kayaker i gave it up. It also hurt ski touring last year on the up but I was ok skiing down so maybe I'm done with touring as well and just gona ride lifts ... some things you gotta give up

https://www.amazon.com/Bombproof-Rol.../dp/0897320859

this ^^ is a really good book for the roll and also explaining a whole bunch of WW kayak basics and edge control so the tilting/ edging of the hull using the knees/ hips as opposed to when you hear people talking about leaning the boat ... 2 different things

if your back has issues Kayaking is probably not the best thing to try in any case don't slouch, a lot of people slouch in a kayak which is totally wrong, Dutky tells you to lean slightly forward so how slightly ? Simple, if you drop your paddle and hand paddle you will automagicaly lean forward the right amount




back in the day WW Boats were a variant of the regulation length 13'2" slalom kayak but started changing big time in the late 90's when WW boats were losing a foot of length every year, and then in 97 the Wavesport X had a completely flat bottom which was THE game changer

The 3D was somewhere slightly before the hot playboats of the early 2000's, i never paddled one and didn't see too many on the river at least around here, not too sure what to say about the 3D

Rolling a slalom boat or most of the longer boats was pretty easy cuz the hull is rounded like a log so you could do a steady sweep and expect to come up

https://playak.com/buyers-guide/boat...ero-gravity-54

But my ZG ^^ a Short ( well under 7' ) playboat would be basicaly like strapping a surf board to my ass to do more tricks on standing waves & great for surfing, the bottom is flat the sides vertical, lots of hull area forward of the hips to do aerial moves all of which makes a roll like turning over a dock so you gotta do a BIG initial effort which is different if you learned on a slalom type boat and a common thing is to run out of sweep stroke

The distinction you make between tilting and leaning the boat is an important one for control and stability. As you mentioned, the advice from Dutky on posture is crucial; maintaining a slight forward lean can help prevent back issues and improve paddling efficiency. Your description of the challenges of rolling a playboat like the ZG, with its flat bottom and vertical sides, illustrates the skill and effort required to execute maneuvers on such a responsive craft. It’s clear that the design of these boats has shifted the focus towards dynamic play and aerial tricks, which demand a different approach compared to the rounded hulls of slalom boats.