I’m just wondering if they mixed up kg and lbs?
Doesn’t seem to be the case.
NTP: Yeah, I momentarily wondered about that (pounds vs. kilos) but the conversion was still way off when I did the quick math.
I had two college majors in the sciences and worked for a few years in a chemistry lab (scientific research typically uses metric units) so I am sort of “bilingual” with metric/imperial quantities and conversions.
What can be helpful in assessing how a kayak model performs for various size users is to luck onto one of the on-the-water performance reviews that the kayak mags used to publish, usually with running comments from 3 different paddlers whose metrics are provided up front in the article. I used to save those, but my occasional fits of hoard purging sent those magazines to recycling a few years ago.
I bought years of Seakayaker magazines. 65 bucks probably cost him 200 to ship.
This video may help.
It will work with much less or more weight than designed for. Just not as intended and (subjectively) not as well. Too large = you sit higher and are more susceptible to wind etc. Too small, you are closer to submerging and more draft may induce more drag, rocker will help less. All that may or may not matter depending on the conditions. On calm flat water, no problem. Under extreme conditions = big problem. Maybe. I also think a pound stored in the dry hatch will sit lower than a pound of your big head. So stability wise cargo vs. rider will matter.
All what I say is just theoretical and based on no knowledge at all But Kayak Hipster sure knows from experience. So at least consider what he says.
Different manufacturers may have different comfort levels for stating weights. So one could declare the same boat for 200 #, while the other says 180#. And 200 pounds from rider and gear for slow touring may be OK, while 200 pounds rider only in big waves may not be good. If in doubt, ask them.
An observation based on my personal experiences in attempting to demo a Virgo LV. At 5’ 9" with a 30" inseam, average build and for years weighing in at about 150 pounds I’ve successfully fit-in and paddled many LV models. This includes, but is not limited to: P&H Vela, Scorpio LV, Aries 150, Delphin 150, Valley Aquanaut LV, North Shore 17 (LV) and Wilderness Tempest 165 (LV). Earlier this year I expected to replace my Scorpio LV, which I have now paddled for 10 years, with a Virgo LV. I was looking for something more maneuverable than the Scorpio with some play aspects to the design. It did not go quite as I had planned, when I ran into an issue I had not experienced in other LV models. Initially the fit of the Virgo LV’s cockpit looked to be spot on, until I found that the foot braces could not be extended far enough to accommodate my 30" inseam. The foot braces were about two notches too short. I did fit in the Virgo MV, but the cockpit is quite voluminous on me. I could have I paddled the Virgo MV, but I get a far better fit in the Scorpio LV. I reached out to P&H and they acknowledged that the leg length in the Virgo LV is less than their other LV models. They wanted to accommodate truly smaller paddlers. They did point out that one can order a Virgo LV with a custom set forward bulkhead and foot braces, but I really didn’t want to go that route. In summary if your in my size range with a 30" or longer inseam the stock Virgo LV cockpit will likely be too short for you unless to opt for the custom forward bulkhead and foot braces.