Kayaks – Purchase or Rent?

Does the fun and ownership justify the purchase price? We have been kayaking three times now and love the sport but are finding it hard to decide whether to purchase or continue renting? Equipment providers such as Grand Lake Sports (in Grand Lake Village www.grandlakeoutdoorsports.com) and Mountain Sports Kayak School (in Steamboat Springs on the top floor of the Conoco/Ski Haus building on Hwy 40 and Pine Grove Road) make in painless and simple to rent for about $55 per day. The purchase price depending on type of kayak you choose is somewhere between $350 and $1000 plus say $400 for a roof rack, so you can see you can rent for up to 25 days before the purchase option breaks even.

Another factor to consider is the relatively short window of opportunity for using kayaks in Colorado – just four months from June to September; and of course during these prime months, there are always other activities such as cycling, swimming and tennis to fit into the and around the kayaking plans! I do believe I have just talked myself into renting – at least for another year!