Going to buy a boat this year. Do not like the knees splayed-out ‘yoga’ position that many sea kayaks force you into, as it’s not great on my back and feels inefficient.
Am looking for sea kayaks that let you put your knees higher and closer together than is traditional. No, don’t want a surf ski.
I’ve already found a tiny handful of boats that allow the position I want– the newer Valleys (Etain, Gemini), and the NDK Explorer HV. Also understand that most of the Tiderace boats do same, though I’ve yet to get my hands on one.
But, are there any others you know of that I’m missing?
Something from P&H? Epic?
Would be nice to have more options, though certainly I’m not complaining about the boats already mentioned.
A couple
Boats from Kayakpro and West Side Boat Shop are generally designed to allow the type of paddling you mention. Many are race boats, it’s not clear if that’s what you want. The new Namu series from Kayakpro look interesting, and are fitness / rec boats.
Yes to Epic
I know the 18x lets you paddle with knees raised and together, I’m assuming the 16x is the same. The thing about it though is that when the cockpit is designed to let you paddle with knees raised and together it’s not easy for you to “lock in” should the water get rough or to keep yourself in for a roll.
When I had my 18x if I set up the seat and foot brace for comfortable paddling (knees together) I really had to work to fit them under the cockpit combing and it was very uncomfortable to keep them there, not something I’d want to do for more than a minute or two and certainly not something I could do in just a second or two if I suddenly needed a bit more boat control. If I set up the seat and foot braces to comfortably fit my legs under the combing it wasn’t comfortable, or efficient, to paddle with legs together.
When I had a WSBS Thunderbolt it was the same thing but it had straps that went over your thighs that you could fasten to hold yourself in case of a capsize or for a bit more steadiness in rough water. You could always add them to any boat you bought.
Since I pretty much only paddle my kayaks for fitness or racing I traded my 18x for a V8. Couldn’t be happier. I find it much more comfortable and remounting is a snap if you should fall off, which I haven’t done other than for practice. The previous owner added hatches to mine so I can actually carry something, small somethings, if I wanted.
Alan
P&H Cetus
I demo’d one recently and if my memory is correct it had a fairly knees up position
Rockpool Kayaks
One of the great features about the Rockpool range is the knee up position.
part of the answer
is how you fit in it. An extremely tight, or even moderately tight fit will not have allow enough range of motion to pump knees, twist torso, lift the buttocks etc.
isn’t so much that Tiderace > P&H or P&H > Rockpool or whatever. It’s more which model(s) within that range suit your body type and paddling motion.
The question asked about whether you want a racing kayak vs a touring seakayak is a really good one. There is a definite fork in the road there. You may want to try some of the racing kayaks, their cockpits are designed for more freedom of movement up and down, and side to side.
Epic was mentioned, West End & others. Valley Rapier. Tiderace Pace has just been released.
Some ppl find that the fourth hatch - the dayhatch up front - gets in the way. Others do not. All the more important to sit in the individual boat rather than generalizing by brand name.
Froglegs are an acquired taste lol. I gave froggy style up a few years ago. It’s easy being green.
Please consider our Gas Pedal System
Which can be fitted to any boat.
http://www.onnopaddles.com/components.html
Re: Rockpool
That’s cool, and I’m glad yet another sea kayak manufacturer is providing such a position.
Sadly though, I’m on the West Coast, and it seems almost impossible to get my hands on a Rockpool. I think even when you can, the Alaw Bach is the only model that’s widely available.
Re: Cetus
Thanks, 'Mark. I will put the Cetus on my list. 8)
Though I hear their MV model is kind of a tight fit. May have to go HV.
re: part of the answer
"is how you fit in it. An extremely tight, or even moderately tight fit will not have allow enough range of motion to pump knees, twist torso, lift the buttocks etc… it isn’t so much that Tiderace > P&H or P&H > Rockpool or whatever. It’s more which model(s) within that range suit your body type and paddling motion."
I’m not sure that’s always the case. I’ve definitely been in boats that really enforced the splayed-out ‘frog legs’ position. But your point on tight-fitting vs loose-fitting is really well taken, I’ve gotta make sure I get the right size boat.
“The question asked about whether you want a racing kayak vs a touring seakayak is a really good one. There is a definite fork in the road there.”
Maybe. Seems like there’s an increasing blurring of the line between sea kayaks and racing ones lately. Things like the Rockpool Taran and some of the Epic boats, just to name a few. Some of the sea kayak designers seem to be stealing from the surf ski cookie jar more and more.
“Some ppl find that the fourth hatch - the dayhatch up front - gets in the way. Others do not. All the more important to sit in the individual boat rather than generalizing by brand name.”
Really good point. This is something that worries me about the Cetus, which someone else recommended as a ‘knees up’ boat but which has a pretty big 4th hatch. Gotta try it and see.
“Froglegs are an acquired taste lol. I gave froggy style up a few years ago. It’s easy being green.”
I can’t eat 'em. I’d think of Kermit. =o
2 more
Hurricane Tracer
Walrus Jaeger
(Leg length obviously factors in, but both of the above allow me – at 5’11" – to comfortably paddle in knees up style.)
QCC?
You can order any model you want without thigh braces. I can certainly paddle knees up in my 400X.
footboard or gas pedal
I have a footboard from Onno in my Warren Ligbt Craft. It has made it possible to paddle with my feet togerher and knees up instead of in the splayed knees position which was uncomfortable for me. Of couse, you still need to have enough width betwwen the knee/thigh braces to accomodate the knees up and together position. The carbon footboard was well worth the price as it really transformed my boat.
Tidrace
I have a Tiderace XPlore M, but otherwise all my kayaks are low volume Greenland style kayaks with one exception: a keyhole Pintail. Speaking just from experience, the Tiderace allows one to move from G position to knees up and slightly splayed to knees up and minimally splayed, e.g. theres lots of room to play with position. Have to say it is the fastest, most comfortable kayak I’ve owned of 16 or 17 kayaks. It is different enough that you ought to make an effort to find one to try.
Done!
I will definitely test paddle an Xplore M. Thanks for the 411. 8)
PS…
– Last Updated: Jul-18-12 8:52 AM EST –
What's your height and weight? And how tight a fit (or not) is the M-size Xplore for you?
From what I can tell, I can go with either an M or an L, depending on if I want it to be primarily a day boat, or more an expedition boat...