Kayaks are not a one size fits all deal. If you want to have good control of the boat and efficient paddling technique then the boat must fit you and you will wear the boat not sit in it like a bath tub. There are lots of boats out there that are a good size for medium sized men and women. Boats for smaller framed people and the very large are thin on the ground. There are also lots of “compact sea kayaks” that are certainly short but the cockpit is still far too big for a smaller person. Some pointers on size:
- The seat should be at a height that brings the cockpit coaming to a level just below the top of your pelvis. If the coaming comes up to the bottom of your rib cage you either need to raise the seat or buy a boat with less depth in the hull. The seat width should be snug enough to control lean angle with your hips but not so snug that you can’t rotate your body on your sit bones for an efficient stroke. Back rests and back bands should not limit your ability to lean back in the kayak or to rotate your body. You shouldn’t be leaning back when paddling anyway.
- Most sea kayaks are about five metres long and between fifty and sixty centimetres wide give or take a couple of centimetres. The boat width should be at the narrower end of the range for smaller people or they will be forced into a low wide stroke. Bigger frames, particularly men with a lot of muscle mass up high may be more comfortable with a boat at the wider end of the range.
- You should be sitting in the boat comfortably, sitting upright and leaning slightly forward. Your feet should be on the foot-pegs and the foot-pegs should be adjusted so that you can make contact with the underside of the deck or with the thigh braces with a little pressure of your foot on the peg. This lets you lock yourself into the boat to brace and roll and control the boat in rough water while retaining enough comfort and rotation for efficient paddling.
- Sea kayaks are designed with a load in mind. That load pushes the boat down into the water and has an impact on the length and width of the boat that’s wetted. That affects, windage, stability, speed and whether the hull cuts through the chop or bounces over it. If you plan to do only day trips, then buy a kayak designed for a light load. If you buy an expedition boat it will sit up in the water, catch the wind and may feel unstable when it’s unloaded. Unless you can afford two boats, you’re going to have to work out the best compromise for your needs. If you mostly do camping trips you can always add a little ballast for occasional day trips. But if you mostly do day trips you don’t want to be adding extra weight all the time to get the boat to perform. Buy the smaller boat and pack light on the trips.
- The Valley Avocet LV
- The Impex Montauk
- The Sea Kayaking UK Romany LV and Pilgrim
- Impex Assateague
- Valley Aquanaut HV
- Mirage 580
- Perception Eco Bezhig.
