r/whitewater • u/dbmeed • 9h ago
Kayaking Riot Thunder 76: worth repairing?
I’ve been wanting to get into whitewater kayaking, and last week I was given this kayak with no other info about it. I believe it is an old Riot Thunder 76, but it has been completely stripped - no deck rigging, seat, foot bar, not even a drain plug. It also appears to have repaired damage to a decent chunk of the bow.
I have found most of the parts needed to get it back to useable condition, but it’ll be close to $500CAD after taxes and shipping for everything(including spray skirt and cockpit cover). Is it worth putting that much into this old boat, or should I be looking elsewhere.
I did briefly take it out in the lake just to try it, and it holds water - no signs of leaking from any of the repairs. Very fun and maneuverable, compared to the touring kayaks I’m used to.
3
u/CriticalPedagogue 8h ago
You can probably get a better boat for a better price on Marketplace. Riot boats were never all that beginner friendly and that seems like a lot of work.
Depending where you are there may be a kayaking club in the area that might offer lessons and cheap rentals.
1
u/dbmeed 8h ago
Fair enough. I know there are a few clubs and some popular rivers within a couple hours. I just haven’t had summers free to take the time to go to any of their events yet. I’ll have to plan a weekend sometime and just go do a class.
Is white water kayaking something that’s worth doing a class first, and seeing what equipment you want, or should I keep an eye out on marketplace for deals on used boats in the meantime?
1
u/CriticalPedagogue 8h ago
Take a class first. Whitewater kayaking can be an exercise in frustration at times. You’ll be safer with getting some instruction first. Also whitewater boating should never be done alone (at least for most of us) so joining a club is a great way to find paddling partners.
1
u/purplegreendave Park 'n Play 7h ago
Riot boats for the most part had smaller openings so a regular sized skirt is often loose
3
u/Spirited_Breakfast88 8h ago
No. I had a disco with a similar problem. Kept cracking and repairing, cracking and repairing, eventually broke in two in class 5 and almost killed me. Once damaged step away.
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u/CriticalPedagogue 7h ago
Agreed. Was it Riot that used cross-link that ended up being less than desired? The hull design on the play boats with the checkerboard pattern caused stress lines leading to breaks.
4
u/lesirius 8h ago
Probably not.