Buying new gear can be a very overwhelming and even intimidating task and you want to be sure the gear you leave the store with is the gear best suited for you.  Read this article from Rapid Media's Paddling Buyers Guide to help with the process and ensure you go into your local shop with these thirteen questions on your mind.

"Any shop worth its salt is staffed by paddlers who know as much about how to maneuver a boat on the water as they do about steering customers towards making the right purchasing decisions.  We asked four of North Amercia's top shop staffers what they wish every paddler looking for the perfect canoe, kayak or board would think about before setting foot in their shops.  Read what they have to say, show up to the shop with the right information, leave with the right boat and get on the water already!"

Read the full Help us Help you  in the 2012 Paddling Buyers Guide.  Get it in Print, in Zinio (works for Android!), or download the free Rapid Mag app and get it in itunes.