Im looking into buying a single or a double scull. . .?

Question

any suggestions as to where i should get it from, what price range should i be looking at?

Answer 1

Hudson and Vespoli make good boats for a decent price.  You're looking at about $10, 000 for a single and few thousand more for a double:

http://www.hudsonboatworks.com/prices.as...

https://www.vespoli.com/store/index.php?...

I have an Empacher:

http://www.empacher.com/rennboote/index_...

I wouldn't row anything else. ;) It cost me a little more though...

WinTech's are alright too and they run a little cheaper.

Answer 2

Before you buy anything, try out as many shells as you can.  For instance, there is one brand which gives me track bites no matter how I adjust the foot boards, so why would I buy a boat that needs fancy re-rigging before I can even row it comfortably?  If you don't have friends with a variety of boats, ask a coach--s/he may be able to ask people for you.  Also many manufacturers may be able to hook you up with owners in your area.

Consider which boats can be easily repaired in your area--do parts need to be ordered from far away?  

If you're in the US and given the weak state of the US dollar,

a domestically-manufactured boat (Vespoli, Pocock) may be much more affordable.

Consider buying a second-hand shell--the price difference can be enormous--but have an experienced boatman/-woman go over it for you. Look on Row2k.com, but you will probably get your best deal by looking at boathouse bulletin boards in your area.

And, finally, this may seem like an off-the-wall suggestion, but look into buying an open-water shell if you want to be able to row in almost any weather.  Maas makes an open-water 2x which has done quite well in flat-water races, and, when the weather was bad, even I have won a flat-water race or two in my open-water boat because I was able to control it, and the rowers in fast boats were blown all over the course.