Variation in Fit…
My thighs are by no means Herculean, but they do cause some boats to fit too tightly in the thigh braces.
On the Romany…I think that what NJ Paddler said above is true though. The Romany really does seem to have variation in fit. I have sat in a couple that felt good a many that were too small.
It’s possible that I might find the right one out there that will fit me, but I would not be willing to drive a long distance to get one (used) just to find out that it does not fit.
I’m not sure if the variation in fit is due to seat height or slight variations in the deck.
It seems to me though that the ones I have sat in that were too tight had thigh braces that seemed to angle down and inward somewhat. Not sure if that is true of all Romanys but it is not true with my Explorer.
The foam seat is an option I have thought of in the past; however, I would hate to buy a boat and go go through the process of putting in a foam seat only to find that I still did not like the fit. Also not sure if I would like the lower paddling position and increased stability as I want a boat that is a bit loose.
Avocet: Great boat. I just sold mine recently (although I may regret it). I felt I was getting a bit heavy for it. It fit me well (which is why it does not make sense to me that the Nordkapp would be too tight). I prefer the characteristics of the Romany to the Avocet though I think that it may handle a slightly heavier paddler better (195). Again while some might disagree, I feel that this weight is pushing the optimal weight range for many of the shorter boats.
Matt
Matt
Matt
Lots of time
It appears that your real problem is too much time and money on your hands!
The -only- way you are going to get a real answer is to -try- boats.
The Avocet has a little bit -more- volume than a Romany (it appears). If you are really "too heavy" for the Avocet, you will be too heavy for the Romany as well. In some sense, the volumes between these boats are very close but in different places: there is more volume at the ends of the Avocet and there is more volume in the cockpit of the Romany.
Some Romanys don't have the fiberglass seat. It would not be too much effort to play with the seat height with multiple layers of thin minicell foam before buying the boat.
Note that the foam seat might not have to be much lower than the fiberglas seat since the shape of the seat might be different enough to work.
The Nordkapp Jubilee has a higher fore-deck than the Avocet, which means there should be more room for your thighs. It has much more room than the Romany in this area.
I know people who are heavier than 195lb who use the Avocet just fine.
Go try a Romany HV. Go try a similar Impex boat (Montauk?).
Anas Acuta
The Pintail is the rounded-hull version of the Anas Acuta. It won’t fit at all like the Nordcap Jubilee. The Pintail should be tighter than the Avocet and is looser than the Anas Acuta. The Nordcap Jubiliee has a much higher fore-deck.
Romany HV --> TRY IT.
“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.”
The ONLY way you will know is to TRY IT!
Dagger Meridian
This is a really nice boat, and one of the easiest rolling boats I’ve been in. Similar to the Romany, but just a little bigger. I’m 6’1", 190, and it fits me really well. The Romany is too tight, and frankly, it’s just too small of a boat for me. The Dagger is a very nice boat, but you’ll have to buy it used. I think they may start building it again, but for now, Dagger does not make them…
Meridian would be a good call!
Great suggestion, but he’s not going there…
Meridian
Yup, that’s another one to try (I was thinking of it also).
Meridian…
Actually I used to own one. It is a great boat.
I tried one out again recently though I did not care for it. It seemed more stable than I would prefer.
I agree that trying out boats is the best way too go; however, unfortunately I don’t have the luxury of living near a kayak shop.
I really think that the Romany is the boat I would be interested in if it will fit. I figure it might be a little bit but would be easy to fix with some foam.
I still may be able to find a standard Romany that will fit or that would fit with the addition of a foam seat.
Perhaps the best advice above has to do with having time on my hands. Perhaps I should wait and seat what comes up. In the meantime I do have two great boats…a Greenlander Pro and an Explorer (both of which fit great).
The Explorer may not be the most playful boat, but it is a solid boat in rough water and I really find it surfs well (for a sea kayak).
I really did like my Avocet. Perhaps I will consider getting one again sometime, particularly if I drop a few pounds. I thought it was a really fun boat, but to me it was a bit lacking in the solid secondary that a harder chined boat might offer and I found it really broached easily when surfing.
Matt
Boat fit
"I agree that trying out boats is the best way too go; however, unfortunately I don't have the luxury of living near a kayak shop."
It's -not- the "best way". It's the -only- way!
Clearly, you need to actually try a Romany HV.
Roamny, Romany HV, Romany S
I took both my Aquanaut and Romany to the Downeast Symposium. Used my ‘naut for 2 day 4* training and my Romany for a day of Greenland and a day at Sullivans Falls (Tides and Currents).
The Romany was a blast in the eddys, rips, and wave trains! A few of us were in Romanys and some of those who were not, wished they were. Leon Somme noted that this was exactly the conditions for which the Romany was designed!
I’m 6’, 175 pounds and the Romany fits beautifully with the amount of freeboard I want in a play boat. It is such a well designed boat that I know folks from 140 to 200 pounds and 5’2" to 6’2" who enjoy paddling one - actually, recently a 6’4" friend got in one and loved it.
Tom Bergh tells me that the Roamny S is slightly wider, flatter, with a bigger cockpit than the Romany HV. His advice is that all three Romanys are similar enough in handle, that whichever one fits best is the right one for a particular paddler. There is not enough performance difference among the three hulls for that to be the determining factor.