Going in for liposuction
and leg surgery to take off 40 lbs and 2 inches of height – then I’ll be in good shape…
Jim
I think there is an optimum
I think there is an optimum weight for each boat.
In essence, it’s a force balance problem, but it’s complicated by the non-steady state nature of the force input (in non-engineer speak: force comes in “bursts” with each stroke, interspersed with periods of no force input)
The force put in by the paddler is opposed by aerodynamic and hydrodynamic drag. Both of these are a function of speed squared. In addition, hydrodynamic drag is also a function of weight.
With each stroke you put in some force that has to be just a bit more than the drag, and speed up. When this happens, the drag increases. In-between strokes, the drag slows you down, but at the same time the drag decreases.
The greater the change in speed over each stroke cycle, the more of your force is going to acceleration on each stoke.
Or simpler, a boat that glides well is more efficient than one that loses speed quickly.
Fat people have higher inertia…
They are better insulated against cold water, and they are more buoyant.
So I guess it really depends on the paddling conditions.
Sprint or Marthon?
The best sprinters tend t be muscular. The long ditance runners are lankier.
Strong torso and leg drive ar more important than arms and shoulders. Those act more as links with the right form,
Well, one advantage
They’re easier to help haul back into a boat. In a really messy rescue situation, someone my size might get rescued first so that I can provide assistance to get the larger sized folks back into their boats.
But that’s not what you were asking…
Buoyancy only matters
once you are in the water. Inside the boat 200 lbs of fat and 200 lbs of muscle are the same as far as buoyancy goes. 200 lbs of fat in a boat is not something you want to see though.
Jim
I was sitting her chuckling at that one
also.
I’ll bet he will be in the Suawannee River 52 miler or the Adirondack 90 miler within a few years.
You can’t remove the “gotta see if I can do it” from a 24 hour mtn bike challenger.
cheers,
JackL
more things will fit off the rack
more boats too
probably live longer
although with less body fat you’ll get hypothermia faster and sink like a rock
at least as fast
as Greg Barton
paddler’s weight and advantage?
For ICF K1, the boats are designed for 150-200lbs.
This is mostly due to the 5.2m length rule (which is about the main rule for ICF K1 design. If paddling longer boat, the bigger paddlers can do as well.
In rowing, the best times are turned in by the heavier (heavy with muscle) athletes.
If you look at surfski results worldwide, where the boats are 21 ft long by 17" wide, the winning paddlers now are usually 5’10 - 6’ and 170-200 lbs.
The exceptions are the Chalupsky brothers, both in their 40s now. They are not winning races as much, because 40+ age means declining aerobic performance.
Oscar is Ranked #1
Oscar Chalupski is currently ranked #1 in the World in the Surfski.net Championship Series. So although he is over 40, he still finds a way of placing at or near the top of most events.
CHeck out surfski.net to see the rankings.
To be sure, Oscar’s technique and big water skills are unsurpassed. Despite this, I believe that paddlers with more mass are at an advantage. This assumes equal level of fitness, technique and a vessel optimized for their mass. The physics are simple: More mass equals more power. More mass equals a longer craft. Add rough water and the big guy has another advantage due to having more momentum and also a larger more sea worthy vessel.
If a guy like Oscar (he must weigh at least 230 lbs) can do so well in a 21 ft Epic V10, does it mean all those other V10 paddlers who weigh significantly less are perhaps in a vessel that is too big for them? Is a V10 less than optimum for a 170 lb paddler? What are their alternatives? If a V10 was simply scaled down to be optimized for a 170 lb paddler, could they handle the lack of stabilty of the narrower craft?
If you start to consider the length and width of various paddling craft (not just racing boats) and the ideal paddler weights for those vessels, you may just figure out that the heavier paddlers are also at an advantage when selecting most popular sea kayaks above 16.5 ft or so. To get the stability that the majority paddlers seem to demand, the manufacturers are designing beamy boats (23" - 24") that are more bouyant and have more wetted surface area than most lighter paddlers need. Another advantage to the big guy.
Oscar
Oscar is the man! He is the Big guy poster child!
Big, Senior, Beer Drinkin’ Hero
Oscar is proof that you do not need to be a young lean athlete to be a great paddler. He is 44, probably considered overweight by most standards, and loves to drink beer like the best of ‘em. Oh yeah, he seems to be very opinionated too. All attributes I can relate to.
Check out pics of Oscar and Others racing in Oz last weekend. I love the shot titled “Howzit Oscar?” He is flying along on a wave with his paddle resting on his lap, taking a drink, and giving the cameraman a thumbs up. Check out the white water trailing his surfski for an indication of his speed. That is what surfskiing is all about!
http://www.surfski.info/content/view/591/147/
Seriously, paddling is a sport where an older out-of-shape guy can use refined technique and on-the-water experience to absolutely whoop a young buck. Maybe this is why there are so few young people paddling sea kayaks seriously. They can’t handle the shame of getting schooled by us ol’ guys 
um
i have met Oscar, hes pretty lean, i mean not road bike geek lean, but hes pretty solid.
Yeah
– Last Updated: Dec-13-07 10:35 AM EST –
Big and solid - tons of power - with exceptional technique developed over a couple decades of open water experience. Hardly seems like a poster boy for the beer belly crowd to me.
exactly
I’ve climbed enough to realize it’s a sport of flexibility and overall strength. That implies a conditioned torso. Lightness does help.
I don’t necessarily equate “barrel chest” with torso strength.
I do agree that heavier is almost always better when the conditions get rough, all one has to do is load your kayak fully and try it in conditions, then try the same thing unloaded.
He is a Party Boy, Proof included
– Last Updated: Dec-13-07 12:10 PM EST –
Read the great interview of Oscar after his recent race in Australia. Not only does he discuss "burning the wick at both ends," he talks about staying ahead of the younger, fitter paddlers.
http://tinyurl.com/39p35x
If you get the chance you might want to click on the link at the bottom of the article to get the performance data taken from Oscar's GPS during the race: 15 miles, 10.9 mph average speed, 16.2 mph max speed. WOW, somebody get that man a beer!!
Never said he wasn’t a partier NM
Depends on the boat…
A 125lb small person in a big boat could have problems. A 300lb person in a tiny boat, definitely have problems.
Right boat for the right person in the right conditions.
Beer Bellies
Beer belly is the only thing I can do better than Oscar