Ok all you experts. This is what I am looking for: A 13' to 14' (can't even go 1" over 14') sit in recreational plastic kayak mostly for lakes. It has to have a larger cockpit for my 6'4", 225lb body. I would like to keep the width down to about 25". I have been eyeing the 13' Boreal Design Ookpik. (I know some of you will have comments, good or bad about that). This will be my first sit in to go with our 2 SOT's. There are lots of kayaks out there and I can really use your help trying to narrow my choices. Thanks.
Dave
I wonder If someone your size will fit in the Ookpik.I’m 6’1 and i sat in the Kasko which is very,very similar to the Ookpik and i remember having to bend my knees and put the heels of my feet together so i fit. my impression is that Kasko was made for someone up to 5’9-5’10 with size 10 ft. I don’t know if the Ookpik has the same fit or not. should be a nice paddling boat for its class if it fits.Also, the ‘older’( i think Boreal switched it in late 05 hopefully) seat, the backrest is brutal. I demoed a Muktuk with the old seat and the dealer warned me how bad it is before i got in the boat, if that tells you anything. You should try the Manitou,should be a decent rec boat.
You may also look at the Tsunami 12 and 14 if it squeeks by your length requirement. If you get a chance have a look at Liquid Logic Pisgah
Perception,WS,Old Town The America is a large cockpit 13.5 length boat that tracks well and is great for exploring those back creek areas. Drawback is it is slow…You will be doing double duty just keeping up with the perception arcdias…
The Pungo series (and I still like the 140s)are,again large cockpit boats either 12’ or 14’ with fantastic trcking (maby too good if you’re running a twisty class I/II stream)The 140 seemed fast enough (to me when I spent several weeks paddling one)to keep pace with a 14.5/16 perception carolina.
I’ve never paddled the loon series but a lot of folks have and really like the boat.
All of these will easily get a large guy where he wants to go…so long as it isn’t to the races or across large open stretches of windswept water.
The second year I owned the america I opted for a nylon spray skirt. With that large a cockpit opening it’s easy to take in water under certain circumstances.
Length Hi Swedge. I was wondering if anyone was going to ask why I had to keep it under 14’. My travel trailer is quite unique. It has the door at the rear instead of at the side. I can slide the kayak right in the back on the floor and the longest it can be is 14’. My 14’ 7" Dimension Voyager SOT goes on top of the van.
Neckey Zoar Sport It’s exactly 14’ long about 25 wide. Fun kayak for different conditions. Great for lakes, back bays and mild rivers. I also take mine in the ocean. It’s very manueverable in tight places like rock gardens and sea caves. It’s more of a short touring kayak than a rec yak. Plenty of space for gear in fore and aft dry hatches if on multi-day excursions. I’ve had mine for almost four years now and still love it although I am considering picking up a longer touring yak for
Seems this was coming The (probably quite youthful) enthusiasm of Palmlico_140 seems to have created an inevitability. And yeah, as others I try to stay away from recommending boats I haven’t paddled or at least known and padled with someone who did. So I don’t play in the threads about solely which rec/transition boats to pick, just the broader questions about whether a shorter or longer boat will be more satisfactory in conditions. We did start out in rec and (now unavailable) transition (now “touring”) boats, so that I can comment on.
The manufacturer’s descriptions of boats are general guidelines set up by people who want to sell a boat to as many people as possible. I am not saying they are misleading, but they are only a starting point. The huge value from this board is to be able to get responses from people who have actually paddled a boat and found out all the things that don’t fit in a canned blurb.