The more you know
Thanks to both of you. That helps add a bit of clarity not just to the definitions, but to things I need to take into account. I expect the majority of my time to be spent in the ocean, so I’ll make a point of ensuring I’ve got perimeter lines, etc.
– James
I understand
I’ve seldom had more fun than taking my friends out to go rent some sit on tops and paddle around by the beach. They’re slow, annoying to paddle, loud, but you know what, I can stand up on the things, and not even my clumsiest friends can capsize them. They’re great.
That being said, I want something easily driven, that I can enjoy my time in the ocean with. 
– James
Yost Boats
I built a Sea Flea 11 for my daughter and a Sea Tour 17R for myself. But, I’m also 100 pounds heavier than you.
You’d have to look at his designs. I’d say even email him - he’s been super helpful the times that I have or try posting on the Kayak Builders Bulletin Board (www.kayakforum.com).
Note re sea kayaks
All the safety features in the world aren’t any good if you haven’t practiced using them… make sure that whatever you build gets wet in a place where you can practice rescues etc first.
Delphin
anyone actually have one? no entries in the Reviews section yet. I wonder how much it actually weighs, and what the suggested paddler size/weight for it is
The long boat myth
is a myth.
But if you would not mind stretching your boat a little bit, and getting one of the best built boats out there, go get a QCC 600.
It’s 16 ft x 21 in.
Hoping to build
Thanks, but since I was a kid I’ve wanted to build a boat. Of course, when I was a kid, it was going to be a huge wooden schooner (and when I’m old and rich, it may be a large metal schooner, ala Dix Design) and as I grew up, I realized that my desire to sail around the world and even to live on a boat didn’t match with the realities of the situation. (of course, living aboard a 19’ boat in the winter probably wasn’t the best test ;)) but I’ve found that I’m happy living near the sea, and more than happy kayaking around, and occasionally crewing on other peoples yachts. Still, I’d like to be able to shove off in a boat I built, and building a skin on frame kayak seems like a simple and inexpensive way to get started. 
While I can certainly appreciate the beauty and functionality of factory made carbon fiber machines, I want to have something small, of wood and cloth, that I made. Yeah, it’s stupid, and romantic, but I should aspire to such descriptions myself
– James
Dix
James - your post reminded me that Dix designed a kayak kit - you might take a look at it:
http://www.unicornkayaks.com/dix-16-kayak.html
The kit seems kind of pricey, now that I look at it.
Short and skinny
What do you call skinny? Speaking generally shorter means (all thing similar) a boat needs to be wider keep it’s stability similar. Since you fairly new to kayaking skinny, meaning 20" or less at the water line your probably going to find pretty uncomfortable. Depends on what you call skinny.
My Curlew design is 15’ and 22 or 23" wide overall and a newbie might be little uncomfortable but after 30 minutes they adapt really quickly. It has a lower primary stability but the secondary comes in quick and it stiffens up.
Anyway, a truly short and skinny kayak is going to be rather slow and tippy. Not a popular combination for most people. And of course that is general speaking. I am sure are exceptions that. One of these days I going to design a 28" wide boat with low stability to just prove that width doesn’t meant it is stable.
Kudzu!
Hey,
You’re the Kudzu Craft guy? I think the Curlew is absolutely beautiful. I’m not sure if I’m splitting hairs on the size thing, I only know that the most comfortable kayak I’ve paddled thus far was 20" wide. I was told before I got into it that it was for advanced paddlers, and I probably wouldn’t be able to stay upright in it. I wouldn’t even have tried, but it was an open show, and I’d driven all the way out, tried out all the boats I was looking at, and no one was using it, it was sitting all alone on the beach, so I decided, why not? And I loved it.
I think a number of the kudzu designs are pretty, but the Curlew is one of my favorites. The idea of precut cross-sections sounds like it would make the project a bit nicer for a first kayak project too.
I fear right now I’m just stuck in this paralysis zone of knowing a few boats, all of which are within realistic tolerances of each other, and not really knowing which way to go.
skinny
One of the downsides of starting with a really skinny boat is you’ll spend a heck of alot of time swimming. Every demo session I’ve ever seen is done in calm water. While you obviously were able to keep it upright in calm water (which is a good trick) doing so in rough water is something else entirely. I’d think you’d be much happier with a slightly more stable boat at least to start with.
Bill H.
Different Kudzu
Yeah, I visit the ‘qajaqusa’ site now and again. Lo and behold there’s another kudzu who posts there quite a bit. Won’t be long and we’ll be spreading all over the place.
skinny boats
You may be an exception then. I have a neighborhood kid, well young man, that is just a natural. I started him in one of my stable boats and he asked if I had something livelier? Put him in another and he asked the same thing.
I have a skinny little SOF that I don’t like much. It’s very unstable and just uncomfortable due to it’s small size. It’s summer and water is warm so I put him in it. His third time in a boat and he took to it like a duck to water. Most people struggle with it but after a few minutes he was doing pretty much what he wanted. I was just amazed to watch him! He did finally turn it over after several paddles, sitting in the shallow water waiting on us.
So it is possible that you are an exception like him and will be fine in a narrow boat. But most people are not. So before you commit, you might want to try a few more really narrow boats.
Me too!
I came over here and there was a Kudzu on here too. We must be growing on people.
trying boats?
I’d love to try out a few more boats. Especially a greenland style skinboat, as i’ve never actually paddled one. Does anyone know where I can find one to try in Southern California?
Thanks
- James
Los Angeles Kayak Club
They have at least an association with a greenland paddler, though the way these boats fit it may not be as easy to try out the real thing. Some of these are made to fit their owners tighter than your jeans.
http://www.losangeleskayakclub.com/Sea-Kayaking.html
Weight and width ratio
– Last Updated: Nov-13-10 7:53 AM EST –
The reason you generally don's see short narrow boats is because they have to float you and there is a ratio of how much they can float for their surface area. Often people build short narrow boats for children because there's not much weight to float. If a boat is too narrow for the weight of it's cargo, it just sinks too deep and although it may float, it will be hard to paddle because it will be pushing through too much water.
If you weigh 75 lbs, yes you can have a nice, short narrow boat.
You can make a 22" wide boat fit you like a glove with some padded thigh bracing and a cupped seat that holds you secure. Perhaps that's what you are looking for more than actual narrow beam.
sea kayak vs recreational
Hi there,
I’m new here.
I would have thought that the material from which recreational kayaks are made don’t stand up too well to sea water. Generally rec kayaks are made from material which allows the cost of the kayak to be kept down.
Aren’t sea kayaks longer than rec kayaks?
this ^^^
Look at something like a P&H Vela which is 15’-8" x 21". It’s made for a smaller paddler (small woman, very few men) because of this.
Also, beam dimension only won’t tell you how stable the boat is - shape of the hull has a lot to do with it, and how much stability you want depends on what kind of water you’ll be paddling. Look what experienced paddlers on the ocean are paddling and you’ll probably see a lot of similarities between their boats.
Socal
Check out Duane Strosaker at rollordrown.com… He has plans for his point Bennett kayak, and has made a mini version of it also.