Looking for a Kayak for Oversized Gal

So after our trip along the Siltcos Trail we have been talking about getting a couple of kayaks and enjoying a new hobby. Chris thinks we can do this closer to home as there are “tons of rivers” close by – like the Willamette and Clackamas rivers.

I’m not so sure – the Willamete is a HUGE river and I’m a beginner. Did you SEE me struggle to get out of that boat? We went on a little tiny creek with water so shallow the boat scraped the bottom a couple times…I don’t feel ready for a real river, even it it is peaceful and slow. Not only am I looking for a kayak that can manage my weight – I’m watching ‘how-to’ videos and looking at some places around town that offer lessons. (Although, I really don’t know if I want to climb in and out of a kayak in front of a whole ‘class’ of people – nor do I think they would want to wait while I tried to do it.)

Size Matters

The first thing I discovered is that size (weight) does matter when buying a kayak. I really got lucky with the rental last weekend. Most of the places around here will rent to people up to 200 pounds…and that’s because the kayaks they have are cute little toys.

Just to review. Last time I stepped on the scale I was 330#. It’s been between 300-330 for 10+ years now, in spite of numerous diet and exercise plans. While removing a limb or two would get me into the right weight range, if we are going kayaking THIS year – I need to fine a bigger boat!

It’s Not Going to be Cheap

All those cheap kayaks you see at Walmart & Amazon and the other box stores? Most of them have a max capacity of 275, maybe 300. And the 300 capacity models are not the cheap ones, the prices are getting up there in the $500-1000 range by that point.

Chris is happy to see my interest in getting outside and doing something active (and he was on the Crew team when he was in college – so rowing anything is right up his alley). $1000? Let’s just go for it! It’s his money, but I’m still suffering from the sticker shock. After about a week of looking at reviews and comparing specs, I expect to spend around $1000 for a kayak.

Sit-in Kayaks for Bigger People

So here is a list of the kayaks I’m looking at and the specs that seem most relevant to me. I’ve watched a ton of videos that say ride-on is the way to go for bigger folks like myself and so we are going to rent one next weekend and try it out. My gut tells me that I don’t want to ride on the boat. I liked being IN the boat. Yes, getting out was hard, but that’s 5 minutes out of my day that I don’t want you to catch on video – it’s the hours on the water that I really care about. I added a few ride-on models and even tried out one to see if the experience would change my mind.

Manufacturer	Model	Est. Price	Length	Width	Cockpit	Weight	Capacity
Wilderness Systems	Pungo 125	$999	150”	29”	22.5”	53	425
Wilderness Systems	Aspire 105	$849	126″	29″	23.5″	48	400
Current Designs	Solara 135	$999	162″	28″	20″	64	400
Wilderness Systems	Tsunami 175	$1729	210″	24″	20″	68	400
FeelFree	Juntos	$659	134″	30.5″	ride-on	61	397
FeelFree	Advetura 140	$879	168″	26″	17.75″	65	395
Eddyline	Sandpiper 130	$1629	156″	28″	22″	49	390
Pelican	Argo 100	$469	144”	29”	24.5”	48	375
Perception	Pescador 12	$585	146”	27.5”	ride-on	57	375
Dagger	Axis 12.0	$979	144″	27.5″	21″	55	350
Perception	JoyRide 12	$759	146”	27.5”	23”	54	350
Wilderness Systems	Tsunami 145	$1,349	174″	25.5”	20″	56	350
Wilderness Systems	Tsunami 165	$1729	198”	29”	19.25″	66	350
Wilderness Systems	Tarpon 120	$999	144″	30″	ride-on	63	350
FeelFree	Adventura 125	$769	150″	26″	18″	55	350
FeelFree	Adventura 110	$699	130″	27″	18″	50	330
Wilderness Systems	Tempest 170	$1679	204″	22″	18″	57	325
Dagger	Axis 10.0	$879	126″	28.5″	21″	50	300
Old Town Canoe & Kayak	Sorrento 126 SK	$899	213″	29″	20.5″	45	300
Wilderness Systems	Tsunami 120	$1149	153″	26″	20″	51	300
Jackson Kayak	Zen 3.0	$1399	107″	27.5″	21.5″	50	280

My top choice right now is the Wilderness Systems Aspire over the Wilderness Systems Pungo because it has an extra inch in the cockpit, is a couple pounds lighter, a bit shorter and also has a skeg. It looks like it would be the most versatile and at $1000 I’d like a boat that will grow with me whether that means running some whitewater or crossing a larger lake.

The Dagger Axis 12.0 seems like a good choice too, except that the max capacity is uncomfortably close to what my actual weight.

Cockpit Size

In addition to the max capacity, it seems like the cockpit size is really important to someone with a large butt like mine. I ran around the house with a tape measure, measuring the deck chairs, and other things that I sit on or in to try to figure out that a “good” cockpit number looked like. I’m pretty comfortable in a 22” chair, so that’s the number that I’m looking for. Beyond that, I could squeeze past something a bit tighter, so I’m thinking that 20” might be do-able.

We rented the Wilderness System Tarpon 120 (ride-on, for me) and the Tsunami 125 (sit-in, for BF) from REI for our second trip out. The Tsunami is listed as a 20” cockpit, but when I put the tape measure up to the opening it looks like 16” to me! Now I don’t know if any of those numbers is even a little bit useful without actually trying the kayak on for size.

Unfortunately, I may be reading that number wrong. I was thinking it was the width of the opening – but it may actually be the widest point inside the kayak. There may be no way of checking if your hips will fit into the kayak except to try one in person.