>>David Seales <dseal_at_ntplx.com> wrote: Subject: [Paddlewise] Paddler's weight I'm looking to move up from my SOTs to a decked kayak. I've been looking at a lot of boats and keep running into the same problem. That is that kayaks are small and I'm big...6'-3", 240lbs with size 13 feet. One of the first things I look at is the weight of paddler the kayak was designed for. I know about buoyancy and displacement and why a boat floats but don't understand some kayak capacity specs. Take the Northwest Synergy RM or others like it...a 16'+ boat with a load capacity of 340lbs but their specs say it's ideal for a 120-200lb paddler. I would assume a good kayak would have the paddler sitting at or very near it's CG. So except for all the effects that any weight would have on it...like riding lower in the water and maybe handling sluggishly...why would the boat care if the weight is the paddler or 100lbs extra pounds of gear?...assuming it's distributed evenly. Should I not even consider a boat like this and look only at those rated to carry a 240lb paddler? There are not many that do...I don't want to paddle a 20' double by myself. dave<< Dave, it is not your weight that is the problem (except with very small kayaks--where there won't be enough buoyancy to rescue a swamped kayak) it is your size that creates physical fit problems, particularly in the thighs, hips and feet. You won't be able to cram yourself into a low or tight cockpit or get your feet comfortable under a low front deck. Your weight and height will cause another problem that will make many more kayaks unsuitable, that is, you will be tippier than average so you will need a more stable kayak (which usually means somewhat wider than average). At your size some kayaks that I am pretty sure you will fit into and that probably will be stable enough are (in roughly alphabetical order): Current Designs Pachena Current Designs Breeze (plastic Pachena) Current Designs Solstice GTHV Easy Rider Seahawk Easy Rider Eskimo 17 (or 18-6) Eddyline Wind Dancer Necky Pinta Necky Tesla NM Nimbus Seafarer Nimbus Telkwa (or Telkwa HV) Northwest Kayaks Pursuit XL PWS Sea Otter 500 GP (or Expedition) PWS Thunderbird Seda Viking Wilkinson Boat Enetai HP Wilkinson Boat Polaris II Wilderness Systems Sealution XL I'm not recommending all these, some of them I really detest, but these should all fit you and be stable enough (at least once you become relatively skilled). Novice paddlers tend to overate stability and tracking stiffness to their detriment later but there does need to be a certain minimum or you will never get comfortable with it. Be careful of a smaller paddlers experiences or judgment concerning what is a good kayak here. Anyone else want to add some I have missed that they are sure will fit Dave? Matt Broze, 6'1" 195, size 12 feet http://www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Matt Broze" <mkayaks_at_oz.net> To: "Paddlewise" <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net> Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2000 7:19 PM Subject: [Paddlewise] Paddler's weight ...Big snip.... > I'm not recommending all these, some of them I really detest, < Com'on Matt (or anybody else who dares to). 'Fess up. What boats do you detest? All I hear is how great every boat ever made is. I've NEVER seen a magazine review trash a boat. Somebody, somewhere, must dislike some boat. Get it off your chest. Perhaps I'm mistaken. Maybe it is impossible to market a "bad" sea-kayak. If so, I think I'll start building them, let 3 Sea-Kayaker Magazine reviewers talk about how great they are and rake in the cash. Bob *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dave wrote: ---------------------------------- > I'm looking to move up from my SOTs to a decked kayak. I've been looking > at > a lot of boats and keep running into the same problem. That is that > kayaks > are small and I'm big...6'-3", 240lbs with size 13 feet. ---------------------------------- FWIW: I'm not as tall as you, but weigh in at 230+. For more than a year now I have been paddling a Dagger Sitka (glass) and have found it an excellent boat for my size. It's an 18 foot boat with plenty of storage, but still handles fairly well. Despite all of the discussions of displacement and CG that your post derived, I would recommend that the most important thing is that that you sit in as many different boats as possible and that you test paddle any boat before you buy. Many boats that I tried that had high volumes, and thus were rated to carry *lots* of weight, were very uncomfortable and paddled poorly. Good Luck Rich. _______________ wahls_at_wahls.net _______________ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I realize that I am picking up this thread rather late in the discussion, but I will share my experience anyway and hope it will be useful to some. I am 6'5" 215# and size 13 shoe. I had gone to several shows, tried a number of boats and finally settled on a Current Design Extreme, High Volume. The only modification was to extend the rudder pedals about 1 1/2" by replacing the cables. It is a snug but comfortable fit. The boat has ample leg and foot room and rides nicely in the water. It is as close as I expect to come to the ideal craft. Hope this helps somewhat. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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