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Wanted: Kayak for smaller person

B

blueswallow

Paddler
Joined
Jul 9, 2012
Messages
49
Looking for touring kayak for smaller person (5'2", 118 lbs). Prefer rudder, FG or kevlar boat. Located Lower Mainland BC
Considering Current Designs Solstice GTS, Telkwa Sport, Nimbus Solander, Atlantis MisT Sport- any others recommended?
Thanks!
 
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I will be traveling to Nanaimo for a wedding in the July 19 to 26 time frame and could take this kayak along. If you are still looking at that point in time, let me know and I can send you a personal message with kayak details.
 
Backtracking .... I see Blueswallow wants a rudder, not a skeg. Otherwise the Slipstream is a fine boat, and Cumberland is worth a look, definitely cheaper than mine. Also, looking at the ad, I believe the Slipstream is 16', maybe its bigger brother (Gulfstream) approaches 17'.
 
Off subject: An older semi-quote from (now deceased Derek Hutchinson) when asked what was the optimal length for a kayak. He replied something like 16' 10". When asked why, he responded that otherwise it would be too long to fit into his garage.
Perhaps an apocryphal quote.

I understand that he designed the Gulfstream and worked with Brian Henry subsequently designing its smaller brother, the Slipstream.
 
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blueswallow said:
Looking for touring kayak for smaller person (5'2", 118 lbs). Prefer rudder, FG or kevlar boat. Located Lower Mainland BC
Considering Current Designs Solstice GTS, Telkwa Sport, Nimbus Solander, Atlantis MisT Sport- any others recommended?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
I've worked on kayaks owned by smaller (female) friends, moving and replacing footpegs and thigh pads and other jobs. Just last week I installed BigFoot rudder pedals in a Solander which had stock 'slider' rudder pedals. Even though the boat was built for the present owner- a medium-size woman- the thigh pads were in an ideal spot for a 6+ foot paddler and the front bulkhead is in a good spot to accommodate a paddler with a 36" + inseam measurement. So there's a lot of wasted space which could have been part of the front compartment, and a lot of extra cockpit volume (think pumping out after a rescue practice, etc..).

So for any boat you get- even if it is touted as 'low volume' or 'for smaller paddlers', you should expect some adjustments may be necessary. It can be a compromise - many builders use the same cockpit rim on both the HV and LV versions of their boats so it can be really difficult getting a good fit with thigh (not kneecap!) padding.

I have a female friend who is a very experienced paddler and multi-week tripper who uses a Necky Tesla, another who did a 2-week Alaska trip in cooler weather (May) who used a CD Prana. So thinking about how much volume is really required is part of the exercise, and can vary a lot between paddlers. If you travel 'backpacker style', a smaller boat may do the job.

For rudder boats, the 'fast' style boats like the Rockpool Tarantella (marred by the very small front hatch opening) and the Rockpool Tiderace Pace Tour-S could be on the list if you are looking for a new boat.
 
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One of my paddling partners, a 105 lb, 5'6" woman, uses an EddieLine Fathom LV. It fits her well. There's enough space between the front bulkhead and the back of the foot pegs to store her sleeping bag in a compressible drybag. Clothes and personal items go in the front hatch using a tapered drybag and one or two conventional cylinder bags. Another cylinder bag goes behind the seat. The rear hatch holds one burner propane stove, fuel, water bladder, and shelter gear (I carry food and more water along with other camp gear). The Fathom LV does not have a rudder but does have a retractable skeg.

Note if you get a boat with a retractable skeg - many already have a small hole in the skeg. If not you may want to drill one. Tie a short - about 2 inches will do - line to that hole. The idea is, if a small pebble gets jammed in the skeg box, you'll want something to grab on to pull the skeg out.

My Mariner Express is just under 16 ft long. I'm 5'5" and more than 105 lbs. The Express can easily carry food, water, and shelter for a week. It does not have a front bulkhead, so it is open from the cockpit to the bow. It does have the optional rear bulkhead and hatch.
 
cougarmeat said:
Note if you get a boat with a retractable skeg - many already have a small hole in the skeg. If not you may want to drill one. Tie a short - about 2 inches will do - line to that hole. The idea is, if a small pebble gets jammed in the skeg box, you'll want something to grab on to pull the skeg out.
Click to expand...
I only have skeg kayaks. I've done this for each kayak's skeg blade. Although this became important just once, it was most useful and it's such an easy modification. In my case, I make the line about 6" long and tie some knots along the length so the helper in an adjacent kayak gets some traction while pulling/jiggling it gently.
 
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