So im new to the forum,and Washington's rivers.
I'll start start with my boating history.
Living in Sacramento California I first got into white water when i was 16 years old from friend who was a seasoned river guide and boater. My first boat that i learned on was a dagger medieval,second was a Dagger juice.
Once i learned to roll in the pool and jumped in the river iv been a natural at it. I have only been kayakin for two seasons(spring) but was a totally solid class IV boater and was going to attempt my first class V but ended up dislocating my shoulder wrestling before that weekend. I joined the Army shortly after that.Got stationed here in Fort Lewis wa with 2nd Ranger Battalion and was always to busy busy training to experience the whitewater here. Unfortunently, before my exit my kayak and my gear was stolen.

So now that i am out of the service,Im purchasing a wavesport fuse64 tomorrow!I need to get back in the water where i belong. Im collecting all the gear i need slowly overtime and next paycheck id like a get a paddle.

so i just have a few questions that maybe someone could help me out with since(though im a good boater) I am a newby with only two spring seasons under my belt.

1) which werner paddle would you recommend for my mostly river running(class IV) and moderate play style boating? price doesnt matter to me.

2)Are drysuits a must here in washington,or will a wetsuit(or shorts) and a drytop be fine too?

3) finally i want to build my skills back up slowly and start with an easy class III river to get the hang of it again(its been 4 years) which river would you recommend??

Thanks to everyone you helps me out!I hope i posted in the right place for new guys and sorry for the long introduction,just wanted to get in all out there!
Thanks again !

Drysuit : Must have.

yeah, if you can afford it, a drysuit is a great investment.  I consider it a must on harder runs because swims in snowmelt waters can be really brutal esp on continous whitewater.  So, if you can front the dough consider it money well spent, even if its not 'top of the line'.  There are plenty of paddlers who do paddle without one, so its not absolutely necessary.

I just paddled the upper section of the green river. it had been awhile since I had been out (8 years) and that was a great stretch to warm up to.

The dry suit isn't so much for the paddling, it comes into play for the hike in in the snow, scouting in the rain, portaging in the dark, hiking out through clear cuts, waiting for shuttle in February, riding in the back of a pick up to the put in for lap number two, figuring out what plan C is, and above all. Swimming. There are two sayings that pop to mind "dress for the swim not the paddle" and "we're all in between swims".

My first season I paddled without a drysuit, and now that I have one I'll never go back. Like I said, you wear the suit for all the other reasons.

Great advice! that's the stuff i was not thinking of,other then swimming which convinced me enough to get one.I live in Milton a little north of Tacoma. Anybody know of any nearby boating stores? the only one i can find online is Aqua-sports in Redmond which is where i bought my boat. Seems like a great shop. The owner seems really cool and helpful too but its a bit of a drive. Just curoius?

one in seattle very close to downtown which is really good actually. Northwest Outdoor Center. www.nwoc.com

Thanks for all the info!might have to check out the selection at one of these places tomorrow. So im pretty much solid on buying a Kokatat gore-tex version suit. i think i would fit xxL.
Will having the suit be kinda loose in the waist area matter at all? I am an avid weight lifter so finding cloths that fit right is hard. Im 6'1 ,250lbs ,53inch chest and 36in(when im leaner)and 38in(when im bulked) waist line.

yo DJ88,  you may want to contact Kokatat with your sizing question before throwing down on that Drysuit, just to be sure of what your getting. 

So today i visited Kayak Academy in Issakwa/Renton and tried on the kokatat meridian in xxl and it fit really well...plenty of room for my massive chest and lats to move haha! so when i get the money thats what im picking up.

The Werner Sidekick is there full-size play paddle not the smaller one..... But while i was at Kayak Academy they were selling woodys. The man i was talking to told me that their woodys are more durable then fiber glass and carbon and would probably suit me better because of my upper-body strength and the stress on the paddle from my strokes ect... he mentioned some woodys are not that good but the ones they sell are one piece,carbon blades (i forgot what company sells them but they are local) something like "salt paddles" ...whatever.

any thoughts on this?

by the way you guys are awesome! never been on a forum with so many helpful people that respond so quick!