A friend of mine is looking for a WW play boat. His problem is his size, he’s 5’10 and tips the scale at 240 (all muscle, no flab – strong as an ox). He’s a relatively new paddler currently paddling a rec yak but is ready to move on to a more appropriate boat for WW play. So he’s looking for a boat that will do the job for him. As a solo canoeist I don’t know how to advise him on this, so I’m turning to the board with this one. Any suggestions? Thanks. -Randall
Not sure cover WW, but a place to start
looking, and a good source for the big paddler is: http://www.kayakplace.com/bigguy/bigskart.htm
Happy Paddl’n!
:^)
Mick
I4 Large - or S8235
The new I4 Large from Pyranha might just be the ticket. Its just hit the stores -
The I4 is a continuation of our Inazone Series “River running Play boat” - I4 being the 4th generation.
Also - if you can find an s8235 it is quite a good fit as well for larger paddlers -
If you have any questions about these boats - email dinver@pyranhaus.com -
Thanks
Jim Hager
Pyranha - US office
some big playboats…
– Last Updated: Apr-14-05 10:36 AM EST –
WS Super EZ or EZG 60, Jackson Super Star, WS Transformer T4, Fluid Large Flirt, Dagger Kingpin 6.3, Dagger Crazy 88 6.3, Pyrhanna S8, Riot Air 60... and the list goes on and on. The great thing about kayaks these days is that they are produced in various sizes to fit a wider range of people. Obviously your friend would want to try these out to see if he fits and to make sure he's not sinking the kayak.
240 is at the end of the
recommended weight range for the largest models of the Wave Sport EZG, Transformer, Big EZ and Diesel. The Wave Sport Super EZ is 280. Once you add gear on to that naked body the weight is going to be more like 250 which will impact the action of the boat. On a positive they might be more “playable”, but there could be negatives too. Check out the Wave Sport Y also, i don’t know what that comes in at. Happy hunting, hope to see your bud on the water.
super fun !!
If your friend is just getting into WW it would be a smart move to get a boat that would be a good learniing platform for rolling , ferrying and solid strokes . Some of the boats mentioned work great for a larger person but only if that person has some solid experince on WW.
The Super Fun by Jackson or the H3 255 by Pyranha are both stable boats that roll fairly easy and can river run and also playboat . Having a boat that not only fits you but allows you a faster , less abusive learning curve will make it alot more enjoyable ! gale
yeah I think we need some clarification
The boats mentioned are not the easiest for beginners but the original post used the term “playboat”. Does this person plan on learning to cartwheel, stall, etc. with the kayak or just run rivers?
For river runners, I would have mentioned kayaks such as the Booster, GT, Hoss, Diesel, etc.
Have him look at these,
– Last Updated: Apr-15-05 3:20 AM EST –
Perception Ultra Clean
http://www.perceptionkayaks.com/new/products/boat.asp?type=discontinued&ID=33
Perception Blaze 7.1
http://www.perceptionkayaks.com/new/products/boat.asp?type=discontinued&ID=67
Perception Blaze 7.3
http://www.perceptionkayaks.com/new/products/boat.asp?type=discontinued&ID=66
Perception Madness
http://www.perceptionkayaks.com/new/products/boat.asp?type=discontinued&ID=18
The Ultra Clean is the only true Playboat, but all the others are playful. I owned the Madness, It fit me (6'1" 230 lbs) great, and I had no problem with flatwater bowstalls and cartwheels.
Hope this helps,
-MEAT
Thanks one and all
I’ll print out all the suggestions and pass this info on to my friend. I appreciate all the great feedback and I’m sure he will as well. Thanks!
Note to schizopak: As a solo canoeist I don’t know enough about this subject to answer your counter-questions… but thanks for your input.
For the record
The weight ranges for WW boats are almost all for the kayaker without equipment.