which handles a varied size of paddler, CD Solara 120 or Pungo 125

Hi, we’ve just become a kayak family. yay! i’m a big guy, 6’2" 300lbs, so I’m driving a CD Solara 135. My son is 6’2" as well, but a muscular built 240lbs. we’ve narrowed our choices down for him to either a CD Solara 120 or the new Pungo 125 (which I think replaces the 140). My question is, which of these two would be more adept at supporting other paddlers. for example, my wife is 5’6" and 145, while my son’s girlfriend is 5’2" and 105lbs. I surely understand thats a wiiiiide range of size, from 105 to 240, but I’m thinkng the CD would be better for the range. thoughts? thanks, mark.

This probably won’t help, but I’m 6’5", 230 lb. I had a Pungo 120 but if I paddled it hard, it seemed to bog down. It was great for lighter paddlers.
I have a 140 , used mostly as a guest boat, and lighter people love it too. It does not bog down when I paddle it. I’ve never met a 125. I suspect WS made it because shorter boats are more in demand.
I took my grandsons Kayak camping and we had the 140 fully loaded with me and gear. That slowed it a bit, but maybe it was just me.
I would get the longer boat.

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It is unclear what you expect these other paddlers to get out of the boat for your son. Either of the boats are overly large for the women, especially for your son’s girlfriend, so they would not likely risk a capsize. But the smallest of the two women would feel like they were pushing an oversized barge if they are in anything that works for you or your son. It would probably not be a pleasant experience for her long term unless all you planned was some lily dipping along the shoreline. If you are talking about longer treks she would likely find it overly discouraging pretty quickly.

So are you looking to get a paddling companion out of either of these women, or a female companion that might occasionally come along for slow puttering around?

Take manufacturer’s weight ranges with a grain of salt. The physics just doesn’t support a boat being anywhere near ideal for a range of 105lbs to 300lbs.

I agree with @Celia. The girlfriend will be bobbing about like a cork in a bathtub and will be getting blown all over the place by the slightest breezes.

Replying:

thanks for the quick responses. This boat is primarily for my son. He’ll be going with me “almost” exclusively. So no, I’m not trying to get a paddling companion with the women. it’s the latter, which would be, and I’d dare say, maybe once/twice a year, that my son would go out with his girlfriend or mother, where he’d use my 135 and offer up his 12 footer to the female. if they like the sport, I’ll have no issue picking up a boat for them. given the rhelm of “Sports-cost”, kayaking certainly is cheaper than golf or tennis, especially when I can find something in the used market for them. :smile:

so far, anytime I’ve taken them, we’ve rented something. I’ll continue to do that potentially, if it’s really just a bad idea to even let one of them women attempt the bigger boat. Oh, and most of our trips are just a couple hours on very calm creek waters.

It sounds like you are aware of and understand the limitations and I think your logic is fine.

My 5’0” 110lb wife enjoyed her Pungo 120 for a short while but is now MUCH happier in a narrower, longer, low volume composite kayak!

Good luck with your kayaking family!