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On 14-Apr-2004, (Gene Cosloy) wrote:

First I rejected a number of boats out of hand because I wasn't
comfortable with the cockpit. These boats were only sat in and not
demoed: Lincoln Isle au Haut and Eggmoggin both felt that the thigh
braces were pushing my legs down straighter than I would be
comfortable with over a long period of time.

Demo the kayaks and rent them for a weekend before making this decision.
(actually, rent before you buy _any_ kayak and make sure you test it
in realistic conditions - wind, waves, etc - before buying).

It may be that you'll find them comfortable. The seat is critical in
this case - if the seat provides good support, you'll be comfortable
regardless of leg position.

Only if you are sitting with the legs so straight that you are paddling
with tight hamstrings and such will the kayak always be uncomfortable.
In such a situation, stretching can help, but it shouldn't be that
tight.

A boat whose cockpit I did
not like but actually demoed anyway was the WS Tempest Pro. I liked
the way the boat handled in the water but felt both the Hip and thigh
braces constricting. ( I'm going back next week to try again with the
hip braces and thigh supports removed.)

This tells me that there's something wrong with your trials! This kayak
has one of the best cockpits out there. The seat is fully adjustable,
as are the thigh hooks. Try again, but get the dealer to set it up
for you. I would never consider a kayak without good thigh/knee braces
as removing them means losing some of your control on the kayak.

I'ts obvious to me that I like
a long or keyhole type of cockpit with a moderately high deck so that
my legs can have a decent amount of bend in them.)

I'll just point out that advanced paddlers tend to move in exactly the
opposite direction - to smaller cockpits with lower decks to get better
control. Again - it's the seat that makes the difference, not the
leg bend. A proper seat is more important than anything else.

Now to boats that
actually got wet and one that got me wet! CD Caribou S in glass: Wow
terrific hull speed, great initial stability even when tipping back
and forth on the primary chines. Great tracker and moderately
manuverable given that I wasn't willing to edge the boat more than
the first chine.

I know more than a few folks that consider this kayak a mediocre boat.
It does everything well, but nothing excellent. Nonetheless, those
who like it tend to love it.

Next the CD Gulfstream. Wow whats not to like: tracks great,
very stable but easy to go on edge and turn. Boat was too wide for me.
Would need to pack out the cockpit too get a close in feel.

Never dismiss a kayak because of the seat being too wide as it's easy
to add good padding. That padding can be shaped to provide even better
control than the basic seat provides.

Impex
Susquehanna:

Before you get excited about Impex and a few other similar kayaks,
push on the hull with your finger and compare that to other kayaks.
These are lightly built kayaks and that's why the price is lower.

a ND Romany Explorer. All I could tell was I liked it, into the wind
or with the wind behind me, turning, didn't seem to weather cock at
all, good hull speed,

The Explorer is everything _except_ a fast kayak. One of the best all-
round kayaks out there. Check out the Boreal Designs Ellemere as well
if you like the Explorer.

So where I sit now it's either the Caribou S, a smaller
Gulfstream if that exists

Slipstream - but that may be tippy for someone your size. There's also
an Andromeda, but I found that to be a dreadful kayak.

Try the Skerray - I find it roughly similar to a Gulfstream based on a
short paddle. John F. will no doubt be able to point out the differences
much better than I. However, I think the Skerray is worth checking out
if you like the Gulfstream.

Mike