Help Finding Boat for Tall Skinny Guy

I’ve no doubt this has been asked/discussed before, but I tried the search feature and couldn’t find what I’m looking for. Thanks in advance for your time.

I’m 6’1" and around 150, and finding a kayak that fits me properly has been a frustrating endeavor. Due to my height I need a bigger (longer) boat, but I don’t quite have the weight to balance out the additional volume that comes with the boats that match my height.

I’m 34, just had my first kid, and my aspirations for whitewater are more or less over. I’m not saying I never want to be able to run a rough spot or two, but these days I’m mostly looking at flat water activity: camping float trips, paddling to hiking trails, exploration - that sort of thing.

Any recommendations? All help will be very much appreciated.

Have you considered adding ballast to weigh down the boat? A lightweight friend of mine benefits greatly from this, especially in windy conditions. You can try it out easily by getting some ziplock freezer bags and heading to a sand beach. Adjust the trim for your weight and the conditions. Hold them in place with float bags or other gear if needed.

What I, and others, have done: Buy the lower volume boat and move the seat back so you can get in and out. I’ve done this with the lower volume WS Tempest and Dagger Alchemy. Do it yourself or have a shop do it. It’s the fix.

Canoe?

Current Design solstice GTS used 1000 + -

New, used, budget, composite, poly , weight limit, length? Tons of kayaks for you out there. Your general location?

I appreciate all the feedback, everyone. Great info here - some of which might have seemed pretty obvious to you, so I hope you’ll forgive my newbie ignorance.

Ballast and seat adjustment both sound like excellent ideas (thanks, Sparky and Rex). For seat adjustment though, aren’t most seats already flush against the back of the cockpit?

I have a canoe and will use it more once my son is old enough to get on the water with me, but for now I’m doing either solo stuff or paddling with other kayakers, so I’d like to be able to manage my boat a little easier on my own.

If you only weigh 150, try to find a used Epic 18, or a QCC 700 or a steller.
if you have the bucks buy a new one .
One of those would be a perfect fit for you

I am almost your stature t 5/10+ used to be 5/11( old age shrinkage) 155# with 34" inseam. The Pungo 120s we have rented provided me plenty of legroom and it didn’t seem be unbalanced but our experience is limited.

I had a longish thread about sizing issues and transport issues. As a quickie update, we have come to the conclusion that we may be able to haul 2@ 12ft inside

Tomorrow we are going for test demos of Eddyline and Old Town. Talked to the store and they do a lot of test fits inside vehicles before the test demo. Don’t know what will actually fit in the van but pretty certain that we can fit in the Eddyline Rio which is just a tad shy of 12’. In a couple of weeks will be testing Hurricane and Wilderness products.

May not be of much help but I can at least give you some ideas on legroom, for the boats that fit our present transport criteria.

Six feet one inch isn’t a problem for almost any decent kayak–unless you are all legs. Even if your legs are a bit longer than the average six footer, most sea kayaks will accommodate you and some will have adjustable seats. For extra long legs, the depth of the cockpit can be somewhat important when it comes to entering and exiting the boat.

I don’t think you mentioned how much you are willing to spend, but there are some boats that I would suggest if you are considering composites. Current Designs Prana, Stellar standard Intrepid (18’) and the low volume version. If you want to go for about half the price, you might want to look at a Current Designs Sirocco. I know for sure you will fit in that boat and don’t worry about adding weight. Some folks might think that adding weight to a boat to sink it further in the water is the thing to do. I wouldn’t worry about it. I paddle all my boats without adding weight for ballast and they all have over 400 lb. capacity. I am 6’-2" and about 180 lbs.

Most important is to find a boat you like the looks of and will provide the performance you will want. Early on, you should begin to think about whether you want to mess with a ruddered boat. My preference is a skeg, or nothing. You might also want to think about the style of boat that appeals to you. I strongly favor the British style upturned ends.

If it is at all possible, visit at least a few real kayak stores–not sporting goods and big box stores. If you look at used boats, be sure you know what to look for in the way of damaged, warped, or otherwise compromised goods.

@magooch said:
Some folks might think that adding weight to a boat to sink it further in the water is the thing to do. I wouldn’t worry about it. I paddle all my boats without adding weight for ballast and they all have over 400 lb. capacity. I am 6’-2" and about 180 lbs.

Yes, some folks do.

Although I paddle my boats empty much of the time, I know from experience, not to mention physics, that a properly loaded boat has a lower centre of gravity, less windage, and increased length at the waterline. Using weight to trim a kayak slightly heavier in the bow or stern can be of great benefit in strong wind. Sea kayaks are designed to paddle well with a decent load in them.

Feel free to offer your own advice to the mix but do not discount the suggestions of others without some solid supporting evidence. “Some folks” might feel less inclined to share their own personal experience with others when they think it could be useful to them. Some folks might even be a bit put off.

Since you have the canoe, I gather you must already have a means of transport. That would open up a lot of avenues to test. The business we are going to is also a Thule dealer— hope they don’t get us into too much trouble. :slight_smile:

I would not like to drag weight I don’t have to in balast. Tried it in my Nomad CD felt more stable but slower top end and acceleration was bad.

@PaddleDog52 said:
I would not like to drag weight I don’t have to in balast. Tried it in my Nomad CD felt more stable but slower too end and acceleration was bad.

If you are of average or greater weight, there’s no need for ballast. In fact, to rely on ballast otherwise shows a lack of skill/experience. The OP has very little mass for the given height and thus it makes sense to at least try the very simple experiment to see whether it helps. It could mean the different between finding a good used boat locally that can be made to function well, and a very expensive specialty boat that provides exactly the right fit.

I did ballast for kicks as I never have much more than 10 lb. Wanted to see how it was with 50 lb.

His size and weight doesn’t require any special kayak. Shouldn’t have to make a boat function properly with weight. Plenty of 22" or even 21" wide longer kayaks he can use.

@PaddleDog52 said:
His size and weight doesn’t require any special kayak. Shouldn’t have to make a boat function properly with weight. Plenty of 22" or even 21" wide longer kayaks he can use.

“finding a kayak that fits me properly has been a frustrating endeavor”

Apparently it has been harder than you seem to think.

OP Didn’t give a budget or location. Hard to look in Craigslist or locally and find what you want exactly in a month but you may be lucky. . Buying new is easy you have your pick. Bulkheads, seats and pedals can be moved. They usually can be moved on new orders also.

I am sure if he was by Marshall he’d have a kayak for him in stock. Me living in Long Island there’s a good amount around. Living inland may be less to choose from.

Leg inseam is?

@Sparky961 said:

@PaddleDog52 said:
I would not like to drag weight I don’t have to in balast. Tried it in my Nomad CD felt more stable but slower too end and acceleration was bad.

If you are of average or greater weight, there’s no need for ballast. In fact, to rely on ballast otherwise shows a lack of skill/experience. The OP has very little mass for the given height and thus it makes sense to at least try the very simple experiment to see whether it helps. It could mean the different between finding a good used boat locally that can be made to function well, and a very expensive specialty boat that provides exactly the right fit.

There are some expedition boats that are designed for loads and can be a handful to paddle empty…

my friend paddled my CD Extreme capacity 425 lb, 18’10" he was 5’-6 140 lb. soaked not ideal but not that bad. You are right grayhawk but for me it’s not a problem not that light, damn.

The most notorious maybe the old Nordkapps. Even with my newer Nord LV I had to stop one day and put anything I could find in the bow just to go upwind.

I have paddled a lot of sea kayaks and can’t remember any that felt unstable because they weren’t heavy enough. I’m not saying that there aren’t some boats that are kind of tender, but usually it only takes a little getting used to. A well designed boat should sit right in the water with just the paddler on-board. Naturally if you are going to carry extra cargo, it only makes sense to distribute the weight in a way that keeps the boat on an even keel.

Not every boat is designed such that adding weight will increase the water line length and keep the proper attitude of the boat. For instance, one of my sea kayaks gains water line length only by weighting the bow, but doing so would be detrimental to the handling of the boat–especially in rough conditions. Another of my boats does gain water line length on both ends of the boat if extra weight is distributed to keep the proper stance, but I am quite happy with the boat very lightly loaded, no matter what the conditions are.

I have noticed more than a few times that a relatively small youngster who knows how to paddle in often times a shorter kayak can give you a real run for your money until they run out of stamina. My only point is that loading extra weight in a boat to improve speed and handling isn’t something I have ever felt the need to do.