Low Volume – Typically made for paddlers under 140 pounds and less than 5’6″.There are four ways manufacturers describe volume: In order to help customers figure out how much room they could expect inside any particular boat, kayak manufacturers started including volume sizing information. But this one thing affects taller paddlers more than anyone, because they usually have longer legs. Ideally, whether you’re tall, average, or shorter all paddlers will want to be able to comfortably get in and out of their kayak without banging or scraping their knees on the front of the cockpit opening. Most recreational cockpit openings are between 36 and roughly 56 inches long. Because your overall height isn’t quite as important as how well your legs fit. The correct cockpit opening will also depend on how long your legs are, not necessarily how tall you are. Once again, if you have to wiggle yourself in, even a little bit, the cockpit opening is probably too small for you. Narrower hips will allow you to slip past a kayak cockpits less than 20 inches wide. If you have a wider waist and/or wider hips you’ll need a kayak cockpit with probably a 20 inch wide opening or more. Ideally, you’ll want to slip down into your kayak without having to push your hips past the width of the opening. The correct cockpit opening width for tall paddlers will depend on hip and waist size. Tall people in particular need to get a kayak that has a cockpit opening that allows them to easily and comfortably get into and out of a kayak. Sit-inside kayaks have different size cockpits and cockpit openings. It’s worth noting that most kayak cockpit openings are oval-shaped-longer than they are wide. We’ll talk mostly about figuring out the right size sit-inside kayak for your height, because the fit is more precise and less forgiving than a sit-on-top kayak. The first four are actually more important than overall height, especially for tall guys that might be a little bigger in the waist, because those measurements determine how well your lower body fits inside your kayak. So here are the body measurements that are equally important to get a kayak that fits you if you’re tall. And that affects your stability.īut first, it’s no secret that tall people tend to have longer legs and maybe even a wider waist and/or hips. Because your height determines your center of gravity when you sit in your kayak.
Correct sizing is important for all tall paddlers. Tall guys aren’t the only ones who have a tough time finding the right kayak for their height. Best Kayak for a Short Person Kayaks for Tall People Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we will earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) on the products or services you purchase using the links.Ĩ.2. The good news is that most kayak brands offer kayaks that are suitable for taller paddlers.Īmazon and Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, as it turns out, there’s a lot more to fitting a kayak for your height than I imagined. Three things determine the right size kayak for your height tall people tend to have a higher center of gravity, longer legs, and bigger feet. Depending on fit and leg length, they can adjust length from there. What size kayak do I need for my height? Tall people, over 6′, should test a 12 foot recreational kayak or a 14 foot sea kayak. So I did some online research to find out what size kayaks people need for their particular height. I never considered how tough finding the right kayak could be for a tall person. Because I’m average height, 5’9″, I can fit into most kayaks and most sit-inside kayak cockpits. I’ll admit it, I’m not a particularly tall guy.