[Paddlewise] Kayak Fit

I tried sitting in a P&H Cetus at MEC tonight. The lads were nice enough to 
lower it down from the ceiling using climbing gear (this is MEC afterall). I 
wanted to see if I could fit into the thing. I had the boat on a short list 
as a performance cruiser partially due to a few good cyberspace reviews, 
including:

www.kayakquixotica.com

or

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.kayakquixotica.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/romany-cetus051709.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2009/05/17/ph-cetus/&usg=__9LDv9H2jiXSpEBWo8saBJW7cNZI=&h=282&w=500&sz=69&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=BjZtak5Z4g7GCM:&tbnh=73&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcetus%2Blv%2Bkayak%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1W1GGLR_en%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Ouch - that's a long link...

I liked the day locker, the low rear deck, the quality build, the 
better-than-most-other-manufacturers cockpit rim shape, sweep and recessed 
look, etc, and low slung profile over the regular Cetus, but my thighs were 
too tight. I'd have to remove the seat and redo the molded in thigh braces 
to have a chance.

Next I went over to Ocean River Sports and dry tested the Nordkapp LV as 
well. Last time I was in it one I'd dropped (due to health reasons) to 165 
from my usual 195. At 215, I could barely fit. All these keyhole cockpits 
with thigh braces built in allow for only a certain maxed size paddler. 
Still, the kayak was totally buck compared to what Victoria stores have been 
selling for decades up until now. The Tahe Marine Greenlander was swoopy 
cool with lots of overhang and a fit that was maybe doable at 16 years of 
age. It was a bit flimsy too - I'd bust that kayak the first weekend out if 
I could get in it. To me. most kayaks have a positively diaphragmlike 
membrane dealers actually call a hull.

Well, I gravitated back to the Nordkapp LV. On closer look, the deck 
aesthetics and peaked deck just didn't work for me - but then I'm rather 
way-wierd and anal about that stuff and it doesn't relate to performance.

Next, I'll have to head down to Warshington and rent one of George's 
Illusions by Sterling n' see what I think. As long as Craig doesn't warn 
Sterling ahead of time because if I did buy one back at the factory that 
guaranteed for life hull warrently just might put Sterling out of buisness. 
:-) Though I'd get one around 55 pounds with the Stronglite build which 
should be really bombproof. Last time I asked Sterling about a build quality 
like before he got popular beyong his immediate geography he scoffed that 
nobody would ever need such a thing. Matt and Cam were the only guys that 
ever let me entertain such thoughts about a custom build order like that.

I've tried the Tiderace units already and will have to wait for the 
Maelstrom boats to make it out back west. At 51 I've become waaay too picky 
in life, especially with the small details. I run a youth program for 6 
months a year helping teens build approximately 1/10 scale model cars from 
scratch - wood and aluminum and bondo. I had all my girls in my all-girl 
club in tears many times this year pushing them toward detailed perfection. 
My club also took home most of the trophies, which isn't supposed to be the 
reason for the club's. So, you see I'm still thinking I might have to make 
my own kayak to please myself. Better get these renos finished...it's been 
15 years.

At 215 I'm not a very "fit" paddler - so all the more reason to get back 
doing more paddling sometime soon.

One day I'll have a perfect boat with perfect layout and a perfect fit and 
perfect bombproofness and then I can go do what I do best, beat it up and my 
body also.

Doug Lloyd 
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