Re: [Paddlewise] Boat and People sizes

From: Dave Kruger <kdruger_at_pacifier.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:21:02 -0700
Craig Jungers wrote:

> It seems to me that if you weigh somewhere around 150 to 170 pounds you have
> a much better chance of getting excellent performance out of a kayak design
> than if you weight 240 to 300 pounds [edit]. Is there any basis for
> this?

Given what is on the market for big guys, probably so.

Put the *average* big guy in one tailored as the larger Illusion is for a 
larger guy, probably not.  Reason?  Bigger guys tend to be less flexible 
and not as fit (Am There; Am That).

On the other hand, a larger guy who is both *fit and flexible* should be 
able to do as well in a boat tailored for his body mass as a smaller, 
equally fit guy would do in what the market currently provides.

to wit:  put LeBron James in one of those larger Illusions, and I bet he 
could do what Dubside does, after getting his moves down.  Me, not so much, 
not so much, not so much, not ever!

A bottom line for larger, average, guys might be:  train *first* so as to 
get your percent body mass as fat down to something reasonable, and *then* 
try out an Illusion to see if it is a good investment.

The boat will never make the man (or, woman).

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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Received on Sun Jun 27 2010 - 18:21:08 PDT

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