I've really been bitten by the kayaking bug. I have taken several long
trips and many shorts ones off the coast of Northern California...and had a
lot of fun. I continue to enjoy the ocean kayaking but I don't want to
limit myself to just the ocean. I have a house on the banks of the Smith
River in Northern California (in Hiouchi). I can literally walk to the
river with my kayak. I have my old kayak...which I purchased before I
bought my ocean kayak. It's a true recreational kayak but is short enough
to allow it to be used in the river. I have taken a few trips down the
river in that kayak and have had a lot of fun...but it's not really a "river
kayak". As a result, I'm limited as to what I can do with it. I'm going to
buy a river kayak...and there are many to chose from...for the average size
guy. I am 6'3" tall and about 260 lbs. I played football and wrestled in
college...and lifted weights (which I still do on a regular basis). While I
can lose some weight and get down to my "fighting weight"...I'll still be
about 235 lbs. That limits what I can use as a river kayak. I've tried a
few and found that not only is my weight a problem but I have short legs
(for my height) and a long, large torso. This puts more of my body weight
above the cockpit level. To some extent, that's an advantage as I can
leverage my kayak a bit better by using my body weigh i.e. snapping my kayak
upright etc. BUT...it also means that I don't have the stability that a
"normal" sized person might have.

My question: What river kayaks are available for big guys? I live in a
remote area. I'm going to drive to the bigger cities in Oregon (Hiouchi is
near the Oregon border) and also visit the Bay area (San Francisco area) in
California...on a search for a river kayak. However, I'd sure appreciate
some suggestions. While I like composite kayaks, I've been impressed with
my old plastic boat and its ability to withstand the abuse of river
kayaking. The Smith river has a lot of large boulders that I've already
encountered "up close and personal". I can read water pretty well as I fly
fish and have had a drift boat(s) for twenty years.

Your thoughts? Advice?

Barry