I really like the Romany but the fit is just a little tight for me in the thigh braces.
I am wondering if the Romany HV or an older Posedion (same boat) would fit me. I have not have the opportunity to sit in one.
The Explorer fits me perfectly.
Can anyone with experience in both the Romany HV and the standard Explorer compare the fit of these two boats? Does the Romany HV fit similarly to the Explorer or is it much bigger?
thanks
Matt
I have a Posedion
– Last Updated: Sep-06-07 8:03 PM EST –
The Explorer fits me well and I found the Romany uncomfortably tight. I had to pad out the Posedion quite a bit to make it fit well. I live in Maryland if you want to try it out.
Steve
I thought you were going to become. . .
. . . a one boat peddler. I just ordered a Romany to compliment my Nordkapp. I found the Romany S (the new version of the Poseidon) to be bigger than I liked. I found the fit more like an Explorer HV than a Standard Explorer. The standard Romany fit fine.
Michael
Michael
I am always changing my mind about boats. Just came back from the rough water symposium in RI. Very nice. Paddled my Greenlander Pro a couple of days afterwards in rough conditions…too sweet of a boat to let it go just yet, but the bow does pearl.
I paddled the Explorer for the symposium. Great boat, but I really would like something a bit edgier and more maneuverable.
I sat in a Nordkapp and a Nordkapp LV and both were too tight for me unfortunately. I think this narrows my boat choices down a good bit…I doubt that the Anas Acuta or Pintail would fit me as a result. I feel a bit heavy for the Avocet as well. I don’t like the Chatham.
As far as “play boats” are concerned the Romany HV is one of the last possibilities for me I think. Otherwise I may just stick with the Explorer albeit a bit more stable than I would like. I just find it hard to edge.
I am going to try adding some padding to the thigh braces this weekend or maybe putting some foam on the seat. This may make the boat a bit edgier for me. We’ll see.
Matt
for what it’s worth
New Romany HVs are currently on sale: http://www.seakayakingusa.com/inventory.php?brand=NDK, with one of them located here: http://www.virginiaseakayakcenter.com/kayakinventory.htm
Matt, I’m not an HV-sized guy, so I haven’t had a chance to compare the explorer to the HV romany.
-Tom
if
– Last Updated: Sep-07-07 9:02 AM EST –
you want more room in a Romany, under the thighbraces....cut out the seat :) that will give you the coice of how you fit by adding a foam seat...height of your choice
(if you like how the hull preforms, gut the inside and make it fit you)
Best Wishes
Roy
Pintail
Don’t rule out a newer Pintail with keyhole cockpit until you’ve tried one. The standard Explorer was a tight fit for me so I have an HV, but the Pintail fits me.
It may or may not work for you because I thought the fit was like a standard Nordkapp which is also fits me. Both of those Valley boats are tighter than my Explorer HV but still a good fit.
need
to pay atention to freeboard…not "does it fit me “out of the box”
don’t give up so easiely on paddling good boats just because the seat doesn’t fit or they raised a seat so you don’t fit under the thigh braces…customize, customize, customize…it’s all about the hull and freeboard…
Best Wishes
Roy
Your Size
– Last Updated: Sep-07-07 9:44 AM EST –
Matt, I think that we're about the same size if I remember right and I'm finding the Romany to be a perfect fit for me. Dump the glass seat and put in a Valley Foam seat. It fits me like a glove now. I might even add a bit of padding.
I can get in a friend Explorer in the next couple of days to get the comparison if you want.
Romany S
Nigel was paddling Romany S - somebody was demoing his Explorer . He did commiserate that his boat was as slow as mine 
Matt, you should’ve demoed more.
Why not design
your own kayak? Work with a shaper and design one, or do a skin on frame? I suspect no boat will ever completely satisfy you. I’ve followed your journey through boats and repeated reports on this site with interest. What was temporarily the greatest thing becomes less so in time it seems. Always searching for something better. Nothing wrong with that BTW, just worthy perhaps of pondering options other than the apparent.
What about the other Nigel’s boats? How big are you? Kajak Sport? Impex? Rockpool? Or drop some lbs.?
Have you ever paddled a Night Heron?
Bowler1,
Have you paddled Nick Schade’s Night Heron? There is currently a beautiful one (with skeg) being sold. Take a look at the www.connyak.org classifieds. I have seen the boat, and it is a beauty.
I am confident that the boat would be a good fit for you. Might provide a lot of what you are looking for.
I suspect that the seller would be more than happy for you to test it out it you haven’t yet paddled one.
Bob
I have an Ex and a Poseidon
Cool boats. The poseidon seems a smidge roomier than the Ex, but not much. It’s alot easier to crank around and is a fun boat. More suited to a larger frame than the Romany which you might wet out more than you want. Other than that, it’s another 16 foot boat.
Dogmaticus
Just shows how individual Boat Fit is.
On paper you weigh less than me, but I just finished adding more foam to the thigh braces on my Nordkapp.
Were the Kapp and LV you tried fitted with the older hung glass seat or the newer molded polly version? The newer seat is mounted lower, so it creates a little more room around the thighs.
Michael
Boat Fit, et. al.
Yes, boat fit is very individual. I am now starting to learn this. I think that the issue for me is the size of my thighs. I don’t think they are much bigger than average, but I guess that they are enough so to make some of the lower-decked boats too small for me.
I also think that the length of one’s femur is pretty significant. This will largely determine where the thigh braces hit you. It is possible to be a shorter guy like myself, but perhaps still have a longer femur. Shows that height is not necessarily the determining factor for boat fit. Who would think that a guy 5’8 would not be able to fit into a boat like the Nordkapp???
Salty may be right…maybe some day I will design my own boat. I have not found that perfect boat out there for me yet, but I am not ready to design my own…not just yet at least.
Also…I am not as closed-minded as you might think about boats. I have tried Foster boats. I don’t care for the Legend overall; although the one I tried did not really fit me well and would need outfitting. I like the Silhouette a whole lot (but only can fit in it with the seat cut out) however, it is close to my Greenlander Pro and does not fit the niche I am looking for for this boat.
Among 18 foot boats I think few would fit the bill I am looking for. Primarily it would have to have a very bouyant bow and a good amount of rocker for an 18 footer. Not too many out there like that…the Explorer for sure. Maybe some P & H boats??? Not sure. The Force 4 is nice, but not sure if it has a very bouyant bow though.
If not the Explorer the probably a 16 footer. Doubt I would fit the Montauk from Impex…don’t like the fit of the Chatham. Already had an Avocet, imagine the Anas Acuta would be small for me and don’t like an ocean cockpit, imagine the Pintail will not fit if the Nordkapp does not. Pretty well narrows it down.
I guess the Tempest may still be a possibility.
I do like the way that the Romany feels on the water though. I know I like the boat, but it does not fit.
Thus my question about the fit of the HV version. Maybe it will fit me and offer the handling characterisitics I aready know that I like from experience.
Matt
Another option
Expensive it will be, but a great glass shop could raise the Romany cockpit area for you slightly. Would involve major surgery etc… but could be done and you’d have what you want.
I’d guess $1000.00 for such altering. Some will argue that this is not possible. I can tell you it is and I’ve paddled more than one composite prototype that has undergone such treatment. Aesthetics will be altered.
Curious though, I’m 5’ 10" with big thighs. I’m a thick non-fat guy. I have to squeeze my legs under a Romany but have paddled a few thousand comfortable miles in one. Maybe have some fit experts help you? Change the seat out for foam etc.
My most comfortable kayak for long hours is actually a HP surf kayak that I literally have to sqeeze into…takeas a minute or so!
Good luck!
Hey Matt
Did you get a chance to try the Cetus yet? Every post I read keeps me thinking the Cetus might work for you. It’s a long boat that turns very much like an Avocet. I was your height and weight when I tried the prototype and have since paddled a production model. Probably won’t find a used one for a few years though and there is a fairly long wait for new ones.
~wetzool
Padding the seat
Since you mentioned fiddling with your Explorer…
I added 1/2" minicell foam to the seat of my Tempest 165. The kayak fit reasonably well in stock form, but it felt like there was a slight lag when I edged it. Adding the 1/2" of height fixed that.
Herculean…
thighs??? If your thighs are disproportionate to an otherwise normal build, why not rip the seat out of a Romany? That is if you like the hull. It sounds like you’ll have to modify most any boat to your liking if your legs are that big.
Avocet
– Last Updated: Sep-10-07 11:08 AM EST –
Try a valley Avocet. The fit in the Avocet seems to be a bit more generous than the Romany.
The Avocet has a bit less primary stability than the Romany. It's possible that the Romany will surf a bit better.
I thought the cockpit/coaming were the same in the Romany and the Explorer (ie, the Explorer is a stretch-out Romany). If you fit (thigh wise) in an Explorer, than the HV will be too big. (Of course, you might be able to pad the HV ones smaller.)
From what I gather, there is some variation in the fit of the Romanys (etc). You just might need to find the right one.
Changing the seat is another avenue.