A lady is kindly lending me her Kevlor Sparrow Hawk to try next Sunday. as I am thinking of buying same. She weighs 115 and is about five foot. I (male)weigh 175 and am five foot six. The recomended weight limit is 170 for that boat. If it fits nicely (I have a small backside and am fairly trim)should I still worry about the weight ?
I bought a Perception Shadow
– Last Updated: Nov-25-04 9:19 PM EST –
which is the smaller sister of the Eclipse. The Shadow is a lower profile boat meant for smaller paddlers. I was also right at the recommended top weight for the boat (@165#). Since the boat is also able to carry 180# of gear, I decided that my 'borderline' weight would be fine (as I never carry that much weight in gear).
Buying the boat would also be a good incentive to not gain weight.
Go for it!
After speaking with people who paddle Sparrow Hawks, you would be fine for the boat unless you plan on packing in 100# of gear for extended paddles. It is my understanding that you will be more comfortable on the heavy end of the limit than the light end. Besides, you have a great opportunity to try one out for free!
As The Others Had Said…
you’ll be fine as long as you don’t carry alot of gear. Most production boats are designed to carry a paddler within a weight range and at least 50 lbs of gear.
The past weekend, I put TsunamiChuck into my Montauk and he was at the very edge of the suggested weight range. Since it was a day paddle and no heavy gear, the boat was fine. In fact, it was near perfect. Chuck was riding with about 3" of freeboard and would have experienced less windage had there been any significant wind. As comparison, I ride my SOF with about 2" of freeboard.
So, is this a test paddle to determine whether you are you going to buy that Sparrowhawk?
sing
Sparrow Hawk
Thank you all very much for your kind replies. I’ll let you know how I get on with my test paddle.
Nick