I need a big boat. have looked at tempest 180 Pro as well as the Current Designs Isle 18. These boats allow for tons of gear. i do not not need this. No camping or overnights. Just day trips for fitness and nature. I don’t need attic space!!
I do need a cockpit at least 17-18 inches wide. i have tried smaller at 16-16.5 and I just do not fit.
Is there such a thing as a “fitness” kayak for me? I was steered to the QCC 700 but no way could i get in the cockpit. if i must take a kayak with the large hatches and storage, so be it.
Just looking for suggestions. i guess I’m looking for an Epic 18 for wide guys. unfortunately we get little attention from the manufacturers.
I do understand the relative small market share for this type of boat but any help is appreciated.
Have you
looked at the perception essence? IIRC the seat width is 18.5"
Perception
Thanks, jbd. Looking at the essence 17 airaliite right now. Never considered Perception. I have to read up on this. Price is great.
I was ready to drop $3,000 on a boat this weekend, maybe not.
Hoping to find a local dealer.
How big is big?
How tall, how heavy? I’ve been looking at the Boreal designs Epsilon P300, Valley Aquanaut HV, Perception Essence 17.0 and the Wilderness systems Zephyr 160. I find the 32.5 cockpit on my Delta 18.5 too short to do a sit down entry at 6’2 and I’m looking to try a few different models.
size
5 ft 11 in and about 280. I looked at the Aquanaut but dont want to spend $4,000. My only concern after looking at the Perception is it is a poly rotomold , I believe.
I’d rather go thermoformed or composite. Yes the Perception will save me $1,000 but I am not too keen on poly after all I have read. Considering WS Tempest 180 pro. Maybe CD Isle 18. I sat in a Delta 17 and it just was not right. I think Eddyline makes a bigger boat. I hear their “Carbonite” is a good material.
You might
want to look at the Prijon Kodiak. I have a 2002 model and I’m very close to your size.
You might
Old Town
The Old Town Vapor series has immense cockpit space, and they are extremely stable, both initionally and secondarily.
Also very manuverable, tracks very well, and the baseline is around $400.
They don’t go very fast, but they are excellent boats!!!
18.5" inside or outside edge?
Some measure the inner edges of the cockpit and some measure the outer edges.
Have you ever considered…
Delta Kayaks. They are thermoformed and the designer was close to your size and several models look like they are suitable for you.
Gavin
rainsinc@gmail.com
CD Sirocco
the original big guy big buy boat
Not many options
I am about the same build as you. I have been looking for a sea kayak for awhile now and pretty much gave up after looking at tons of boats, I rarely see big water or need speed so I put it on hold for awhile.
I can barely squeeze into a WS Tsunami – I believe they do make a few non-poly boats. Might be worth a try.
Hurricane was one of the few I found that looks promising but never found a place to demo before I gave up. The material they have looks like composite but a lot cheaper – very nice looking boats.
Expedition 140 38"x21" 375lbs
Tracer 165 33"x18" 325lbs
They also have a Tampico 140L but the weight capacity is low.
Also some of the Deltas might be worth a look – hard to find where I live.
The CD Sirocco can handle a lot of weight but at the 16" wide it is not a good boat for someone broad. I can’t get my hips in it.
As you found out there are some super long boats that have probably just big enough cockpits. 16’ feet always was my limit.
The harsh reality is with sea kayaks being skinny there isn’t much room if you are stocky. Fat really isn’t the problem for us as usually a gut fits fine in most cockpits but being stocky the cockpit width and deck height are killers.
Do you have experience with poly boats or are you basing this off what you read? Poly isn’t that bad and for the price to performance it can’t be beat.
Deltas
The Deltas that you should fit would be the 15.5 and the 18.5. They have wider cockpits than the 16 and 17. The Aquanaut HV is also made in poly but I can’t find a cockpit dimension anywhere and am still waiting on a response from Valley since I tried their email last week. http://solentseakayaking.co.uk/2010/12/review-valley-aquanaut-hv-rm/ Poly is actually the material I would prefer, cheap and so durable. Like I mentioned above I’ve been looking for a longer cockpit (to make a scramble easy). The ones I am most interested in are the Zephyr 160 and Essence 17.0 both in poly. I am a little taller than you but the same weight. I know that the Zephyr 160 will be near capacity just carrying me but I don’t plan to carry gear either. Hoping to rent one in August. For a different suggestion what about a WS Tarpon 160? Other huge cockpit models would be the WS Tsunami 145, 165, 175 or Eddyline nighthawk. Good luck shopping.
About the closest you are going to get
Is the Tsunami 145. It's cockpit should fit.
It fits me and my seakayak is an Eddyline Nighthawk 175.
Better yet, just look at an NH175.
But if you don't want or need that sort of length and "storage space" then the Tsunami 145 may be your boat. But it is a rotomolded one.
The CD Sirocco isn't even close to a big guy boat with its small cockpit and low deck height, but the TS145 might work.
The only thing close otherwise that isn't roto would be an Eddyline Equinox. Same cockpit as the NH175 but with 1" less deck height so if you have big thighs you may have to cut off the thigh braces.
Unfortunately, the last time that info
from Wes Boyd was current was about 7 years ago. I always enjoyed his site.
There are lots of models out there on the used market, if you can find them since there weren’t many made to begin with and they don’t come up for sale often, but there are a few other models that have hit the market since then that can work.
Eddyline Equinox
Not at his weight. I paddle my wife’s, and I’m 230-240.
Any more weight and I’d look like the USS Monitor.
Yeah, probably so.
280 is getting a little close on such a short boat, eventhough Eddyline rates their carrying capacity fairly accurately. I can get in one, but didn’t try it on the water.
Sit on Top
A SOT seems like an obvious choice if you don’t want cockpit constrictions or care about storage space.
I’m not particularly personally familiar with the SOT world, but someone must make an efficiently paddling one out of lightweight composite.
Few Kayaks
I can think of for fitness and nature. You can paddle anything for fitness and nature. Why are you looking at the boats you listed? The Eddyline Journey fits your requirements, possibly the Wilderness Zephyr 160, CD Vision 150, CD Kestrel 140, and everyone’s favorite expedition kayak 
the Pungo 160. Definitely try before you buy. Buy used because once you start to get fit, with your doctors help, you will want another boat.
JimZ