Hi,I’m 6’2 and 220 pounds. I like the fitting of tempest 170 kayak (plastic version - 17 feet) when m inside. I can’t easily sit in though. I tried sitting with my butt first and then bringing in my legs inside - this does not work and usually hurt my leg doing this. I can enter only if I try leg first which is very tough and I am not sure how to do it. I’m more worried about reentry as it’s already difficult to sit in a kayak even on land.
Any suggestions or videos? or should I look into some other kayak ?
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I owned a Tempest 170 composite for several years, and I am roughly your size. I really liked the way the Tempests are outfitted with the adjustable seat construction and deck rigging. I also was quite pleased and comfortable once I was in the boat.
I believe the Tempest has a fair restrictive size cockpit. This is added to by the fact the factory location of the seat is fairly far forward. If you research this some, you will find a number of people moved their seats back back a couple inches. I once met Steve Scherrer, the boat designer, and asked him if this would negatively impact the handling. He casually said, no, to go for it. I did this and it helped getting in and out. That said, I was never able to go in butt first and bring my legs in, either getting in or out (never have had great hip flexibility).I resigned myself to sitting on the back deck and bracing with the paddle on the bottom, and then picking up each leg and sliding them in and then dropping into the seat. The same getting out. I had my share of shoreline dumps at the end of trips when tired.
In retrospect, maybe a boat with a more generous cockpit would have helped. But then, the Tempest is such a pretty boat…
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If you have difficulty entering, a canoe is probably way easier
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I agree with what pbenter said about the seat position. I also have the glass T170 and I changed the seat position. I also spoke with flatpick about the consequences of moving the seat back and he said no sweat.
I first started by trying to shift the factory seat back using the existing mounting bolts but found that they had been butchered by the assemblers when the boat was being put together. Instead I carved a seat from foam and moved it back sufficiently to allow butt-first-feet-second entry.
I know that there are some designs that are sensitive to seat placement but in my experience the Tempest 170 is not one of them. Many folks will caution you against moving the seat back but I wouldn’t worry about it. I paddled mine for a season with the factory placement and the past 12 years with the seat moved back.
I would suggest that you take a look to see how much space you have between the rear bulkhead and the back of the molded seat . Dismount the seat from two bolts on each side and slide it back. Try getting in and out of the boat to see if that helps. If you just need a little extra space don’t worry about sliding the seat back just one hole and mounting it with one bolt per side. If you need more space then the stock seat will give consider carving a seat from minicell or some other product that adheres to the bottom of the boat.
The standard Tempest outfitting and seat is really nice but not-so-nice if it keeps you from getting in and out. My foam seat is more comfy than the stock seat and those leg-lifter doo-dahs are neat but not necessary.
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Sit on the back deck, stick your legs in, slide your butt in. Paddle under/behind you as a brace.
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I spent 40 years with short-cockpit kayaks, never realizing how much easier it was to get in to a butt-first cockpit until I bought one.
My method was to plant the paddle one end on shore or shallows and the other end on the far side of the boat, shaft right behind the cockpit. Stand next to the boat facing forward at the cockpit, grab the cockpit edge at back center and the paddle shaft in the same grip with one hand. Grab the shaft on the other side of you toward shore with the other. Put all you weight on the shaft and slide in feet first. Pretty much like at 1:56 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOaSwKGExOc
If you don’t have a bulkhead right behind the cockpit, your weight can buckle the deck. I cut 3 inch ethafoam to the profile of the boat and wedged that in to support the weight.
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Moving the seat back will help with your problem of getting in. Moving the seat back will also change the way the boat performs. A couple of possibilities, the boat may be slower as the bow will want to plow up out of the water at slower speeds. If the trim is moved back too far ,the boat may start to lee cock. Before committing to a position , try it out under different conditions before you make a permanent installation.
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In theory what you are saying is true and that was why I was reluctant to move the seat back. It turned out that it didn’t make enough of a difference for me to notice. Flatpick, the boat designer agrees.
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I have moved the seat backward on several kayaks. It has typically lessened weathercocking, but never devolved to leecocking, a problem to avoid for sure. One reason I move the seat astern is to make it easier to attach the spray skirt on certain kayaks - I have an old injury that significantly impacts my lower back flexibility.
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For on-water re-entry after a capsize, you basically put both of your legs in at once facing down and spin on the way in. Whether a heel hook or traditional paddle float re-entry. So unless some portion of the seat gets in the way, that should work even if you are a bit tight.
For entering from a dock you will need to do similarly, but more upright so will need to balance on the back deck first.
From land you will need to find a variation of this… but move the seat back too.
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For me there is only one way to enter a kayak and that is from the left side of the kayak–the right leg and the butt enter the boat almost simultaneously. The left leg enters when everything is stable and at your leisure. This is with the boat in the water just deep enough to float the boat with me in it. I also exit the boat;, always on the left side in just about the reverse of the entrance, If I had to do it any other way for some reason, it would probably be captioned as a wet method.
There were a few boats that my method didn’t work on. I didn’t buy those boats. I can understand that really big people might have a tough time finding the right boat, but there are some made for big people. As a consolation for hard to fit big folks, there are a lot of big sit on tops.
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Moving the seat back is the fix. Works like a charm.
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Moving the seat works so well that a lean friend of mine at about 6’5" gets in and out of his T 165 easily.
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I am 6’1 210 and really like the TideRace Excite X 18’, This is an expensive boat, but is one of the best. I also have a IMPEX Assateague 18’ . I use to paddle to Wilderness tempest 170, but there is a bigger 180 that may work. Hope that help! Happy paddling. Not the best video, but here is some basic steps.
Well I’m 5’11" and 150 lbs. and have a bit of the same problem with my Tempest 165 which I bought to upgrade my winter rotomold boat (I put in with temps that are in the teens and single digits in the winter which is dicey with my hard plastics). I took out the thigh/knee brace pads and it worked beautifully. Luckily the hull design fits my thighs like it was custom made for me so I don’t need the pads. Unfortunately the seat is not moveable and adjusting the pedals and back band just created additional problems with my 35.5" inseam legs. Having said that I’m afraid that at 6’2" & 220 this wouldn’t be much help for what is just a small cockpit. I LOVE my tempest now but you might be facing what I originally thought I was and that’s cutting my losses and finding a different boat. Good luck.
The seat in the Tempest CAN be moved. Trim a little off the base and move it back one ‘bolt hole’. I’ve done it several times.
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I learn something every day. THX Rex. Fortunately won’t need to now but good to know.
I’m considering a T165 at 6’,170 lbs, 34"inseam, so I’m glad to hear about your tall,lanky friend! Do you know if he can he do the sit-in, then legs-in with the seat, or does he have to sit of the coaming and slide forward?
I’m 165 lbs, 34" inseam and can get into my Tempest 170 by sitting first than pulling legs in easily. Specs and pictures on the Wilderness Systems website appear to show the cockpit is the same on the 165 and 170. So, there’s one data point for you.
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Thanks @Wolf!! I tried sitting in my sister in law’s 165 once before I knew anything about kayaks and struggled. Hopefully things have changed a bit since then and I will have the success you do!
Why did you go with the 170, if I may ask?