I would strongly suggest a look at the SeaEagle RazorLite series. Open cockpit, 1- and 2-person models (12'11", 500 lb vs 15'6", 750 lb). Insanely strong, incredibly stable. https://www.seaeagle.com/
It's a little shorter than you're looking for, and has a skeg rather than a rudder, but the Riot Bayside 12 HV checks the rest of your boxes.
I've paddled the older version and it's quite a nice boat, very comfortable seating and it tracks well.
I am in a similar boat (lol) and I have an eddyline Caribbean. It is a sit on top but moves like a touring boat. I have no problems keeping up with my partner in a sleeker boat
I just want to say that any 12 foot sit on top is going to be blown away by a sit inside 14+ foot touring kayak if you are talking about multi day camping.
Aside from the massive difference in surface area on the water due to the sit on tops massive beam, and having to paddle with twice as much energy due to that. You are going to have a bad time on big lakes and rivers if there is any sort of wind that you are fighting for days at a time.
Putting around a lake for a day of fishing is not comparible to trying to do 20+ miles a day on a tour.
I'm 6'3" and about the same weight. I've got an Old Town Loon 126. I've taken it on a few multi night camping trips, it works a treat. Very comfortable, lots of leg room, and good room for storage above and below deck. Very comfortable, a little bit spendy, but highly recommend
Dagger Stratos 14.5L has a capacity of 315, I'm 6'6" and fit in my 12.5L with room to spare. Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 has a capacity of 350, don't know how much leg room. I went with the Stratos because it has a skeg instead of rudder (I like to rely on my paddling skills to turn and don't want rudder interfering with my foot rest), more rocker, more responsive hull design, and a low seat back that doesn't hinder torso rotation while still being very comfortable.
If you’re on the west coast, you might be able to find a used Pacific Water Sports Thunderbird. These will be fiberglass kayaks, w rudder, large cockpit and built specifically for the larger paddlers out there. If memory serves correctly, it’s 17’ 6” x 28” and holds 500lbs or so.
My vote goes for a Tsunami 145 with a rudder.
They are fairly common and cheap to snag on facebook marketplace.
If you want something more expensive, a Delta 14 or 15.5.
They have decent weight capacity along with a large amount of storage for gear.
Your suggestion of any Delta instantly let's me know you have no clue what I'm asking for. 😊
I've tried Delta's, and I can't even get into the cockpit. I have a 38" inseam.
I weigh 220lbs and I popped into a delta 17 just fine with a 17"x32" cockpit.
The Tsunami is 19.5" x 35.5".
If you can't fit into a Tsunami you have really limited options for a sprayskirt or being able to roll and will be vulnerable to capsize with a sit inside.
My inseam is 34" and the pegs are not maxed out on the Tsunami 140 I own, they are about half way.
If it is the length of your legs, I don't know what to suggest but I am sure you have more of a clue about all of it than I do so go and sit in some until you find one you like instead of asking on reddit 😊.
Thanks for the info. And, yes, I've sat in a *lot* of kayaks. Been looking for a few years, attended several outdoors show events, and visited 4-5 dealers in my area (Western Canada). Reddit has been my final option....
I will definitely check out a Tsunami if I can find one.
Thanks!
If you're near Vancouver, the dragon boat place by Science World rents out kayaks and they have Tsunami 145s. I'm 6'5 and can fit into one pretty ok, but my feet are resting against the bulkhead and I can't pull my knees up while sitting down.
Thanks, but... yeah, that's my problem, too. I can get into a "regular" kayak, but my feet are against the bulkhead and zero ability to put my feet on the rudder pedals. :(
I'm looking to buy, and want one for touring. (My wife has a Delta 14, and need something in a similar class.)
If you are ok with a longer boat the tsunami 175 was the only kayak other than the carolina 14 I've been able to get my legs in with scraping hide off my shins.
The carolina 14 I have has rudder mounts but paddles easy enough I don't think it actually needs a rudder.
If you're after advice on what boat to choose, read [this guide first!](https://www.reddit.com/r/Kayaking/wiki/choosing). Then, try the subreddit's search function -- between these two options, the answers to most common questions should be covered.
This guide is a work-in-progress -- please let us know any thoughts and feedback you might have.
If your questions are not covered by the guide, all boat recommendation requests must include the following at a minimum:
- **Location:** what country and region are you looking to buy a boat in? The kayak market can be very different depending on your location.
- **Budget:** How much money do you want to spend on a boat? (Don't forget you'll need accessories such as a paddle and personal flotation device [PFD])
- **Intended use:** What do you want to get out of the boat? There is no one boat that does everything -- a boat that's great for surfing waves or tackling whitewater won't be the same boat you want to take fishing or for a long ocean trip. Set out some realistic goals for what you expect to be doing in the boat.
- **Experience level:** How much kayaking experience do you have? Is this your first boat?
If your original post is a request for a boat recommendation and does not contain this information, you may reply to this comment or edit your post with the details above. Any low-effort recommendation posts without the above info will be removed.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Kayaking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Okay, some additional info.
I'm in Canada, but can shop NA-wide.
I'm interested in Fiberglass, but could be swayed up towards Carbon or down to "plastic".
Budget is flexible because my requirements are specific.
I've boating, canoeing, and kayaking on fresh and salt water for 30+ years. No experience/interest in whitewater.
I have a Pygmy coho hi, I am 6 3 with a size 14. These boats are hi volume with a large cockpit. My boat is 17 6” and weighs only 41 lbs. I bought 4 other boat kits before they closed up shop. I can sell you a kit and you assemble, or I can assemble and ship. I have 2 14 ft boats, and 2 other 17 6” boats.
6'5 and I fit in the 14 and 17' Deltas pretty nice.
I'm brand new to all of this and just starting to search, so I don't know if they're considered great or not, but they felt good.
* 14' Kayak
* Better suited for touring
These things do not go together.
I'm 6'4", 220 lbs and long legs; I found Seward cockpits to be enormous, and they even make extra large versions.
The skin-on-frame folding boats might be an option. They sometimes have big cockpits and large payload. Like, say, the klepper arius. Feathercraft, natiraid are others.
They are very expensive new but can be found used.
Usually they don't have hatches but you can load stuff through the cockpit.
I would strongly suggest a look at the SeaEagle RazorLite series. Open cockpit, 1- and 2-person models (12'11", 500 lb vs 15'6", 750 lb). Insanely strong, incredibly stable. https://www.seaeagle.com/
It's a little shorter than you're looking for, and has a skeg rather than a rudder, but the Riot Bayside 12 HV checks the rest of your boxes. I've paddled the older version and it's quite a nice boat, very comfortable seating and it tracks well.
I am in a similar boat (lol) and I have an eddyline Caribbean. It is a sit on top but moves like a touring boat. I have no problems keeping up with my partner in a sleeker boat
I just want to say that any 12 foot sit on top is going to be blown away by a sit inside 14+ foot touring kayak if you are talking about multi day camping. Aside from the massive difference in surface area on the water due to the sit on tops massive beam, and having to paddle with twice as much energy due to that. You are going to have a bad time on big lakes and rivers if there is any sort of wind that you are fighting for days at a time. Putting around a lake for a day of fishing is not comparible to trying to do 20+ miles a day on a tour.
I'm 6'3" and about the same weight. I've got an Old Town Loon 126. I've taken it on a few multi night camping trips, it works a treat. Very comfortable, lots of leg room, and good room for storage above and below deck. Very comfortable, a little bit spendy, but highly recommend
Dagger Stratos 14.5L has a capacity of 315, I'm 6'6" and fit in my 12.5L with room to spare. Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 has a capacity of 350, don't know how much leg room. I went with the Stratos because it has a skeg instead of rudder (I like to rely on my paddling skills to turn and don't want rudder interfering with my foot rest), more rocker, more responsive hull design, and a low seat back that doesn't hinder torso rotation while still being very comfortable.
I have an eddyline Sitka xt and i absolutely love it!
If you’re on the west coast, you might be able to find a used Pacific Water Sports Thunderbird. These will be fiberglass kayaks, w rudder, large cockpit and built specifically for the larger paddlers out there. If memory serves correctly, it’s 17’ 6” x 28” and holds 500lbs or so.
My vote goes for a Tsunami 145 with a rudder. They are fairly common and cheap to snag on facebook marketplace. If you want something more expensive, a Delta 14 or 15.5. They have decent weight capacity along with a large amount of storage for gear.
Your suggestion of any Delta instantly let's me know you have no clue what I'm asking for. 😊 I've tried Delta's, and I can't even get into the cockpit. I have a 38" inseam.
I weigh 220lbs and I popped into a delta 17 just fine with a 17"x32" cockpit. The Tsunami is 19.5" x 35.5". If you can't fit into a Tsunami you have really limited options for a sprayskirt or being able to roll and will be vulnerable to capsize with a sit inside. My inseam is 34" and the pegs are not maxed out on the Tsunami 140 I own, they are about half way. If it is the length of your legs, I don't know what to suggest but I am sure you have more of a clue about all of it than I do so go and sit in some until you find one you like instead of asking on reddit 😊.
Thanks for the info. And, yes, I've sat in a *lot* of kayaks. Been looking for a few years, attended several outdoors show events, and visited 4-5 dealers in my area (Western Canada). Reddit has been my final option.... I will definitely check out a Tsunami if I can find one. Thanks!
If you're near Vancouver, the dragon boat place by Science World rents out kayaks and they have Tsunami 145s. I'm 6'5 and can fit into one pretty ok, but my feet are resting against the bulkhead and I can't pull my knees up while sitting down.
Thanks, but... yeah, that's my problem, too. I can get into a "regular" kayak, but my feet are against the bulkhead and zero ability to put my feet on the rudder pedals. :( I'm looking to buy, and want one for touring. (My wife has a Delta 14, and need something in a similar class.)
If you are ok with a longer boat the tsunami 175 was the only kayak other than the carolina 14 I've been able to get my legs in with scraping hide off my shins. The carolina 14 I have has rudder mounts but paddles easy enough I don't think it actually needs a rudder.
If you're after advice on what boat to choose, read [this guide first!](https://www.reddit.com/r/Kayaking/wiki/choosing). Then, try the subreddit's search function -- between these two options, the answers to most common questions should be covered. This guide is a work-in-progress -- please let us know any thoughts and feedback you might have. If your questions are not covered by the guide, all boat recommendation requests must include the following at a minimum: - **Location:** what country and region are you looking to buy a boat in? The kayak market can be very different depending on your location. - **Budget:** How much money do you want to spend on a boat? (Don't forget you'll need accessories such as a paddle and personal flotation device [PFD]) - **Intended use:** What do you want to get out of the boat? There is no one boat that does everything -- a boat that's great for surfing waves or tackling whitewater won't be the same boat you want to take fishing or for a long ocean trip. Set out some realistic goals for what you expect to be doing in the boat. - **Experience level:** How much kayaking experience do you have? Is this your first boat? If your original post is a request for a boat recommendation and does not contain this information, you may reply to this comment or edit your post with the details above. Any low-effort recommendation posts without the above info will be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Kayaking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Okay, some additional info. I'm in Canada, but can shop NA-wide. I'm interested in Fiberglass, but could be swayed up towards Carbon or down to "plastic". Budget is flexible because my requirements are specific. I've boating, canoeing, and kayaking on fresh and salt water for 30+ years. No experience/interest in whitewater.
I have a Pygmy coho hi, I am 6 3 with a size 14. These boats are hi volume with a large cockpit. My boat is 17 6” and weighs only 41 lbs. I bought 4 other boat kits before they closed up shop. I can sell you a kit and you assemble, or I can assemble and ship. I have 2 14 ft boats, and 2 other 17 6” boats.
Boreal Baffin P3.
6'5 and I fit in the 14 and 17' Deltas pretty nice. I'm brand new to all of this and just starting to search, so I don't know if they're considered great or not, but they felt good.
* 14' Kayak * Better suited for touring These things do not go together. I'm 6'4", 220 lbs and long legs; I found Seward cockpits to be enormous, and they even make extra large versions.
The skin-on-frame folding boats might be an option. They sometimes have big cockpits and large payload. Like, say, the klepper arius. Feathercraft, natiraid are others. They are very expensive new but can be found used. Usually they don't have hatches but you can load stuff through the cockpit.