Hello All

I know that the “what kayak do I buy” gets posted a lot on here. And I’m going to add to that. So in advance I apologize.

Here is my dilemma. I am 6’6” tall and about 237 pounds give or take a few (usually give ..lol) I would like to get my weight to about 225 but that’s a different topic. We just got back from 9 days in Alaska where I did get the opportunity to do some Kayaking in Resurrection Bay. It was incredible, a great way to spend my 48th birthday. I’ve done some whitewater kayaking in the past as well as some sea kayaking off and on over the years up at Vancouver Island, Monterrey Bay and the Florida Keys and panhandle, as well as some lakes here in Texas – both in Sit inside and sit on versions. Currently I’m looking at getting a couple of sea kayaks. A tandem as well as a single for myself. Plus one for my 14 year old son. I’m looking at sit inside ones.

My plans are for mostly single day trips with maybe overnighters sometime in the future. I live near a lake and slow moving river system as well as not too far from Galveston bay. Our initial plans are from a quick few hour kayaking on the lake near our house to longer day trips in the Bay area as well as some of the lake systems in the Texas Hill Country. There may be some seas to deal with at times but mostly I see myself as a calm water paddler, as my experience grows that will change and at that time I can upgrade kayaks – I have no illusion that my first sea kayak will be my last – do all end all . While I have had some experience I would consider myself a novice / beginner compared to most of you.

My size is the biggest issue. My wife is just 5’1 so she isn’t an issue. I knew this would be an issue in Alaska and so did the Tour group we went with. They put me in the front of their largest tandem (they put everyone in tandems) and my feet were pressed into the foam in front of the pegs the entire time. If I could have carved the foam out it might have worked better. I have a size 14 foot so I initially started out with just neoprene boots (my wet suit booties) and after a short time switched to my seal skinz socks which worked much better.
My legs were pressed tight the entire time which was not comfortable – I would occasionally stick my knees up into the skirt area to get some relief. I’ve had this issue in the past with singles as well. It can be quite maddening.

So I guess what I am looking for is advice on how to proceed. Texas doesn’t seem to have a large network of Sea Kayak dealers so it is hard to try before I buy – I am finding a very limited selection at the few local dealers – of course they can order most anything but not without me buying first. I’ve considered actually flying to Seattle (or somewhere) and shop there and have them shipped home. With my fit issues I really don’t want to buy without trying. I know I can get by with a sit on top – and at this time that is not on my list – maybe as an addition in the future but not now. Cost is not an issue – within reason – I have learned over the years that with my size comes increased cost in almost anything – just because the mass producers don’t cater to my size so I have to go with the higher end quality. I would like to buy a higher quality single for myself, a mid quality tandem and a mid quality single for my son - If that is possible, relating quality to pricing with this reference. His would also be used for loaning to friends if they wanted to come along.

So any suggestions of brands/models to start with? All other advice is highly appreciated. Anything I have left out that would help you recommend – just ask. While I am willing to travel to do this I would like to do all the research before I get there so I am familiar with my options

Thanks

Robert

Well Robert, I happen to have a kayak that I believe would fit a person of your size. The maker says they are built for people up to 6'-8" tall. No, I don't want to sell mine. It is a Novus Composites Expedition and is 19'-2" long.

You mentioned that you were thinking about flying to Seattle to look at kayaks. That would put you in the right area, because Novus Composites (NC Kayaks) is located in Tacoma, Washington. They only sell factory direct and their prices are very competitive because of that. You can go to nckayaks.com and get some idea about what they have to offer, but what you can't see is the craftsmanship and extreme grace of these great boats. You have to see and touch these beauties to believe it.

At the present time, they are having a 25% off sale on any ordered boat. That should mean that the price of an Expedition would start somewhere around $2250 in the standard layup. The lighter weight layup should start at about $2474. Mine is the Lt. model and I think it is worth the extra bucks.

At least I would urge you to check them out on the internet. The Expedition isn't the only boat they build.

If you have any further questions about the boat, I'm more than happy to answer either on this forum, or by private message. The guys at NC are great to talk to by phone, or via e-mail.

One final thing to keep in mind if you happen to have an interest in an NC--the seat is stationary, but when the boat is built, the seat can be located 1" further back than the standard position. I highly recommend that.

Current Design Titan.

magooch,

I was interested in NC Kayaks. Everything I saw on the net was appealing, including the price. However, I talked to a legendary kayak designer (don't want to reveal his name for his privacy's sake), and he did not like their design at all, because it was far too stiff tracking. What are your thoughts on that? Do you do any playboating, such as surfing? Or mostly point A to B cruising?

If one reads the description of their boats that NC has on their website, it should be very clear what they are designed to do. In my opinion, they are not a "play-boat" and don't pretend to be. NC tells you straight out that their boats are straight trackers.

I demoed an Expedition before I ordered mine and I have to admit that it was not at all what I was used to. I was a little turned off with the maneuverability, but after considering all of the rest of the package, I took Doug's word for it that the NC can be handled. Maneuvering the Expedition requires a different set of techniques that one might never discover in a lot of other boats, but what an eye opener it is. I now use these techniques on all of my boats--what a difference.

The other side of the story is that when you set out to paddle from point A to point B, the NC's tracking ability makes it easy. The boat stays on course, so your paddle strokes can be even and if you stop paddling, the boat doesn't wander off. It can make you a lazy paddler with it's ability to glide. And when the water gets bumpy, the NC really shows what seaworthy is all about. It just sort of ignors waves from any angle, or all angles at the same time. I've been through some real wash machines that I thought for sure would get me wet, but the boat just seems to take over and you come out the other side without even the thought of a brace.

So to answer the question, the NC Expedition is a boat that I would say is designed for the specific job of putting a lot of miles under the keel--doing it fast, while keeping the paddler comfortable and dry. And yes the boat can surf and it does very nicely when the waves are big enough, but I would never take it surfing as in beach surfing. I think a shorter quicker handling boat is better for that job.

I haven't paddled an NC 15 footer (actually 15'-8"), but I would guess that that boat would do alright as a play-boat. On the other hand, I don't think that composite boats would be my first choice in a boat that would be subject to intentional abuse.

Thanks - I'll check out the NC and the Titan.

I did notice after posting this that the Kayak Academy actually lists height ranges on most of there Kayaks so that will give me something to look at as well.

The NC look really interesting and the pricing looks nice too.
They will definitely go on my list to see when I come up to the Seattle area in September.

Now that I am getting a better feel that there are singles madefor tall people it looks like a double will be the hardest to find to fit me

Thanks again all and keep the suggestions coming

Robert

I'm 6'7 and 220.
I paddle a Tiderace Xplore. I fit in even without having the footpegs all the way at the end of the track.
I also demoed a bunch of boats at the nw paddle fest a few weeks ago.
The valley Etain 17.7 will definitely fit you, the Valley Nordkapp may fit you. The primary stability of the Nordkapp is much lower than the Etain so will feel different. The Etain turns much tighter than my Xplore and was my favorite of all the boats I demoed. I could have spent all day in that boat. Tiderace also has the Xplore-X which is 2 inches wider and even higher front deck and more volume but I felt it was too big for me.
I got my boat at Kayak Academy near Seattle. They have Valley and Tiderace boats along with other high end boats. They also have a big Impex boat that will fit you. Arrange a demo paddle if you are in Seattle.
I get out in my boat 2-3 days a week and have had it in everything from 7kt tide races to big swell and surf out on the coast and it's a good all-round boat. Touring I end up carrying everyone else's crap they can't fit in their low volume boats and 8 inch round hatches. Tight turns while rock gardening are definitely not easy compared to a Romany or other 'turny' boat but the plastic Etain would be a better choice if you want to rock garden tons.

While we’re on the subject of selecting a boat for tall people, I have a couple of thoughts. With the exception of a few models, the average sea kayak cockpit can be a bit of a challenge for very long legged people when it comes to getting in and out of the boat. Once again it’s possible that technique might be the key to a more graceful and satisfying experience.

There has to be at least three, or four variations, or approaches to unassisted entries, but for me the one that works best is with the entire boat in the water (6 to 12 inches) and parallel to the shoreline—more, or less. I used to ride horses and still do ride bicycles and motorcycles, so to me, getting on, or in from the left side feels natural. I lean over the boat, place my left hand at the front of the coaming to hold the boat, lift my right leg and insert it into the boat as I drop my butt into the seat. My right hand braces on the right rear side of the coaming. Sure the boat will lean a little, but that is not a problem and in fact it can be helpful. Now you’ve got one leg in and the other hanging over the edge. For those with average length legs and the normal range of bend, it’s simple enough to bring the other leg aboard while remaining seated. For the less flexible and those with legs that are just too long to bend far enough one more little step is necessary; you’ve got to use both hands and arms to lift yourself gently up as far as needed to allow your leg to bend and tuck under the front center of the coaming. Extra tall people might even have to lift their bottom quite high and lean backward over the back deck. This might be tricky in some boats, because of balance. Exiting is more or less just the reverse of the above steps. With practice, the whole process takes about two or three seconds and can be done even if the water isn’t nice and flat.

I think the more conventional procedure for tall people is to straddle the boat, sit on the back deck, insert both feet and drop into the seat. That sounds easier, but in actual practice it requires a lot of luck and extremely good balance. Getting back out of the boat in this manner can get pretty sloppy.

From my observation, the majority of kayakers seem to prefer getting in and out of the boat while the boat is grounded. I don’t.

Thanks everyone for you input. I'm beginning to se there are some good choices for my size - and some sites even put the recommended size for the model which is good - it will allow me to narrow my choices and do the required research before I make a trip out to try some out.

The one thing I havent been able to find is any tandems for my size. None of the manufacturers seem to show those kind of specs for tandems.

NC makes a tandem, but it and most of the rest I've seen are about the size of battleships. Current Designs and Seaward also make big tandems. If you're interesed in building your own, check out Pygmy Boats Inc. and Chesapeake Light Craft.

Thanks Magooch

Oh I know they are huge - but my wife really would prefer to have a tandem. Which is why Im getting both a tandem and single for myself I used a Current Design in Alaska earlier this month - I think, and it was huge and it was still tight on my legs. If I could have notched the foam out it may have been ok. As for building ... someday I would love too, I do a lot of woodworking but too many projects before I could even consider tackling one like this

Hey, I know what you mean about woodworking. I've been doing that for more years than I can remember, but I've really never seriously considered building a boat. I will warn you that when you do get your kayaks, you can pretty much mothball your woodworking machinery; paddling takes all of your spare time. However, I have built a few paddles. I don't use them much, because I'm also addicted to carbon and fiberglass.

I was thinking about a couple of other boats that you might be interested in. One would be the Current Designs Infinity and the other would be the P&H Cetus.

Thanks magooch

I'll check those out as well

I owe ya a beer

Wipedout, you don't owe me a thing. I only hope like others here that we can be of some help in pointing you in directions that you might otherwise not realize are out there. I hope you are as successful in finding the boats that are right for you as I have been and that you enjoy them in all aspects.

Anyway, I don't drink beer, but I'd sure love to share an iced tea with ya.

Thanks Magooch

Ice Tea it is

Again thank you and everyone for the advice

Robert