Avocet Fit

If you are 5’10" 180Lbs size 11 feet and big boned do you fit in an Avocet?

Perhaps going a wee bit longer

– Last Updated: Nov-16-15 4:39 PM EST –

I think you might want to move up one size and into the other Valley brand, North Shore, fiberglass Atlantic.

I fit the Avocet but a bit of extra waterline allows for significantly less work than the 16' Avocet (regular size not the LV)

For reference I'm 6' 195lbs (dense lankier build) #11 shoe, 34" inseam and waist, 24" circ. thigh.

Weren't you looking for something of more surfy leanings?

See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
hudsonriverpaddler.org

Yes…
Yes, you would fit.

RM or composite?

– Last Updated: Nov-18-15 8:52 PM EST –

I found the fit of the Valley composite Avocet and plastic version to be a bit different.

I'm 5'9" and 155. The composite Avocet is roomy on me, however the Avocet RM was a very nice fit. I ended up paddling one for 4 years until I moved on to the P&H Scorpio LV.

If you are looking at the poly version you might want to pickup a full-body shoe horn or shed some poundage. The composite model should be fine.

Surfy
Yes - but I am conflicted and thinking it through. Surfy may not be so important to me as loose or rockered. Maybe they go hand in hand. Is the Avocet not in that category?

Shallow Vee vs. Planing Hull
The Avocet has a shallow vee (shallow being open to some definition interpretation) whereas the Delphin/Aries & Ocean 17 are all more of a planing hull design.



The Avocet and it’s close cousin the North Shore Atlantic LV have a nice degree of rocker making them nimble but not “loose” in the whitewater surf sense of the word. The flatter hulls around the cockpit area of the Delphin/Aries and Ocean make for a more agile on a wave face hull.



What are you going to use the kayak for 85% of the time? That’s the use to focus on for your search parameters.



The Hudson isn’t frozen yet so let me know if you want to go and play.



See you on the water,

Marshall

The River Connection, Inc.

Hyde Park, NY

www.the-river-connection.com

hudsonriverpaddler.org

It will fit fine…
…as a day boat. You would be stretching it for camping…I have owned 20 long boats and the Avocet would be in the top two if I could only own one boat.

Yes
I’m your size & I love mine. It’s my go-to day boat for all around stuff. If I’m going to be making some miles, then it’s my Nordkapp. Those are the two of my boats that I’ll never sell.

Nord H20…
…would be my #1 if I could only have one.

Will you fit?
It will be close, you will have to try it to be sure. It’s perfect for me at 5’10", 165 and size 10 water shoes or barefoot. No room for more with a 30" inseam. I have been paddlling mine year 'round for years in sunny Florida. Best kayak I have ever paddled!

Capnken -
Really? My size 12’s fit, heels rolled inward somewhat. I’m 30" inseam like you & my foot braces aren’t all the way forward. Wondering if our boats are different (mine’s glass) or we just like a different fit? Anyway OP - give one a try.

85% rule

– Last Updated: Nov-19-15 6:49 AM EST –

This is good advice. I expect the reality is my use will be calm flat water a lot of the time, moving water (rivers - even some very mild white water) a good deal of the time, lumpy lakes and lumpy protected salt a good deal of the time. I want a boat that will enable me to move or progress into rougher conditions and maybe some surf (but being honest this might never happen and if it does it will be limited) before I hang up my cleats. All of my kayak paddling will be day trips. I do a lot of tripping in the one to three week range but I use canoes for that stuff. I need to mull this over. I have enjoyed my WS Zephyr 16.0 greatly for my use but I have lost so much weight lately that it does not even come close to fitting me and it just seems way to big. I would like something close to that but smaller. I enjoy liveliness. Tracking and speed are not important to me within reason. This probably comes from the time I have spent in white water with open boats over much of my 40 years of paddling. This is why I am seriously considering a P&H Aires or Delphin and I may go in that direction for my use. Any lack of speed and tracking those boats may exhibit is not a major negative for me. Also, I know they will fit well.

Valley Gemini Kayak
If you are looking at though P&H Boats… you should look at the Valley Gemini series.

Valley Gemini Kayak
If you are looking at though P&H Boats… you should look at the Valley Gemini series.

Search is over - thanks for input
I just bought a used P&H Aries. So I am out of the market for now. Thanks for all the help. You are a good bunch.