Re: Kayak Size Question

Posted by CLC on Sep 7, 2006

>>>>I've seen lots of plans for boats, big and small, but I have no idea what numbers I should be looking for for a person my size. I am 6'5" tall, wear size 13 shoes and weigh about 230lbs. >>>>

One thing you need to do is try LOTS of boats before you set about designing one. Numbers aren't a particularly good way to settle on a hull. Lee Gardner's erudite observation that the Chesapeake 17 and the Shearwater 17 are fundamentally different is a perfect example of boats that have superficially similar dimensions but strikingly different handling.

Look around for a kayak demo where there'll be lots of different hulls. (One of ours would be a good place to start.) Or a kayak symposium, where you'll find 500 different kayaks lined up on the beach. I've been at this awhile and I still make a point of trying a lot of different kayaks at symposia because I keep learning.

In Response to: Kayak Size Question by James on Sep 7, 2006

Replies:

• Re: Kayak Size Question by James Eager on Sep 8, 2006