Kayaking is a popular recreational sport for individuals of all ages. It’s not uncommon for inexperienced kayakers to ask how heavy they may be while still being able to go out on the water safely. This blog post will address that question as well as provide some general safety guidelines for kayaking.
If you’re planning to buy your first kayak or if you already have one but want to learn more about the weight limits, this article is for you! We’ll talk about the different types of boats available, as well as what should happen if someone exceeds their boat’s weight limit.
So, without further ado, let us begin!
Kayak Weight Capacity / Kayak Weight Limit
Every kayak has a weight limit or weight capacity. The weight capacity depends on the type of kayak you want to use or buy. Here are some of the different average capacity type kayaks available in the market:
- Recreational kayak – 250 lbs to 300 lbs. weight capacity/ weight limit
- Touring (sea) Kayak – 350 lbs weight capacity/ weight limit
- Sit-on-top Kayak – 350 lbs to 400 lbs. weightcapacity/ weight limit
- Tandem Kayak – 500 lbs to 600 lbs weight capacity/ weight limit
A Kayak weight capacity refers to the amount of weight it can carry and still remain floating. If a kayak has a weight capacity of 350 pounds, it doesn’t mean that a 350 pound paddler should also use it. If the kayaks capacity is equal to the paddler’s weight, the kayak would be surely drop underwater and paddling will cetainly be impossible.
The kayak’s maximum weight capacity can help paddlers decide which size is ideal for them. This number is also an indicator of how many gears and equipment you could additionally carry on your boat. If you are 250 pounds, the minimum kayak you should use needs to be around 334 pounds.
Don’t forget to add in the weight of your gears when looking for a suitable kayak to avoid getting too full. Once you start adding a ton of weight on your kayak, it can lessen its performance and safety issues will arise. Thus, bringing only what is essential plays an important part.
Consequences of an Overloaded Kayak
An overloaded kayak cannot function well. Although kayaks do not really sink but in can get lowered down in the water and eventually get submerged. Also, mobility becomes a problem. As you know, when water starts coming in, the heavier the kayak becomes. This makes it more difficult to paddle and manuever. Take a look at other consequences below that can occur in the event you overload a kayak.
- Overloaded kayak means being low in the water. It can affect overall performance and can even lead to dangerous situations. Paddling becomes a challenge and manueverinh becomes even more difficult with added weight coming from the water that’s getting in the boat.
- Getting wet is becomes a higher possibility. There’s a great chance of water coming in on the sit-on-top and cockpit-style kayaks and this means added weight. Aside from that, getting not only you wet but as well as your equipment is highly possible when the kayak is capsized due to overloading.
- Paddling and maneuvering would be difficult. As water gets in, the kayak becomes soaked and weight inside also increases. This makes paddling a challenge as the kayak becomes heavier.
- Kayak can capsize, losing your equipment is a possibility. Imagine bringing a gears with you thinking today is the perfect day to paddle. But because you didn’t mind the weight limit of your kayak, all your equipment gets soaked as the boat is capsized.
- Poor overall performance of the kayak. Weight limit or capacity plays a vital. If you are thinking that it’s “just me” paddling and adding more weight wouln’t be an issue, then you better think again. When performance is poor, experience is also affected. Thus, your one, fine, sunny day paddling may not be something worth to remember when all you can recall is difficulty in paddling and getting nervous about the boat getting capsized.
Basic ways of Calculating the Right Kayak Size
Consider your weight and the weight of your equipment. Based on the total weight, choose a kayak with a maximum weight capacity of around 125 pounds more than your total weight. That means that if what you intended to buy is a 250 pounds maximum weight capacity kayak, adding 125 pounds will result to 350 pounds. Thus the ideally kayak weight limit for you is a 350 pounds kayak, unless of course you have other reasons to not bring any gear anymore.
Use the rule of the thumb when choosing the right kayak size. Always check for the maximum capacity rating of the chosen kayak then reduce the number by 30 to 35 percent. Also, add a little common sense to your math. Take note that the more gear you bring in, the more kayak weight limit you need.
Remember to let the kayak take 65% of your total weight only. This will ensure that you have enough breathing and leg room as well as the kayak can give you its top performance.
Different types of kayak and their weight capacity
The designs vary according to a specific usage. Also, the weight limit varies depending on the type. Generally, kayaks are classified to be used for surfing play, leisure, tour and even fishing. Let’s find out first the different types of kayaks to better understand the maximum weight capacity for each.
Sit-in Kayak
A sit-in kayak is good for one person only which means it also has its a specifc weight limit. Your legs are enclosed within a cockpit as you paddle down the waters. Don’t worry because water will not be able to get in as a spray skirt is attached on to it. This prevents water from getting kn from over the tol.
You might be worried about your body weight versus the weight capacity of the kayak you are about to board. Seeing its slim built and narrow space, you might have the same question as everyone does. How much weight limit can this small boat actually carry? A sit-in kayak can carry as much as 300 pounds. As it is made for single capacity, this weight limit is already considered enough.
Tandem Kayak
Kayaking is a fun sport that is best shared with a buddy. This is where tandem kayak designs come in handy. You can actually paddle in flat waters with someone as this type can hold more weight. It is also a good choice if you are going to bring a beginner or someone younger to do kayaking. It can accommodate between 500 to 600 pounds of maximum weight limit. However, as tandem kayaks are bigger. It is also heavier to carry as it can weigh 75-100 pounds. This can give you a difficult timewhen lifting it out of the water and bringing it to safe zone.
Fishing Kayaks
A fishing kayak boat has been indemand recently. You can actually use this boat to go fishing as its name suggests. Pack your fishing gear and paddle towards a fishing area and bring home a good catch. Sounds fun? Hold your horses yet as you need to know some features of this boat before paddling out for a fishing adventure.
Unlike the tandem kayaks, this type is powered by a pedal instead of a pedal. This means your hands are free to hold a fishing rod. The maximum weight capacity for this type depends on the room it has for fishing gear. A regular size kayak for fishing should have a weight limit of between 200 and 400 pounds. However, bigger ones have a kayak weight limit of 450 pounds to as much as 750 pounds to accommodate not only you but your gear weight as well..
Inflatable Kayak
Inflatable kayaks are designed to be also for recreational use. However, there are some of these used for whitewater kayaking. Prior using it, you can have it inflated using an electric or foot pump. It features sturdy hulls which make it very suitable to use in calm waters. Although inflatable kayaks can simply be folded and carried, do not underestimate its kayak weight limit capacity. It can hold from 400 pounds to 750 pounds so big and heavy people need not to worry about having to use this type. In fact, heavier people need not to worry about not being able to do kayaking as there will always be a boat that can get them accommodated.
Recreational Kayak
As the term recreational suggests, a recreational kayaks are a popular choice for those who want to simply relax and enjoy. It features a larger cockpit so you can easily store your stuff and is easier to steer with a wider hull. These are best to be used on lanes and saltwater locations that are not prone to harsh winds and waves. This type has an average weight limit of 200 pounds but a 300-pound type is also available which is lighter compared to the 350 pounds limit that touring kayaks have.
What does a kayak’s weight limit mean?
A kayak’s weight limit is designated by a manufacturer to help you and others who want to try this sport. It is not only the weight you can put in at maximum but more of the weight inside that can still keep the kayak floating. Knowing what weight limit in kayaks mean is a good information to be able to know the type of kayak that best suits you. Every new kayak has an assigned manufacturer’s weight limit so you don’t need to worry about not being able to bring all the equipment you need.
On the other hand, you have to know that there is actually no industry standard kayak weight limit. That is why companies that manufacture boats designate their own kayak maximum weight capacity in accordance with the design they produce. This can be very tricky that is why getting a guide when making a kayak purchase on how much weight it can take in is very ideal.
The kayak weight capacity can be intrepeted as a weight limit that can still allow the boat still afloat even with all its load. Also, the kayak weight limits should still enable it to function without compromising performance weight limit. Nowadays, a the practical weight limit is around 250 pounds. This means that even with little water, the boat can still float. But here’s the downside. If an overloaded kayak plus little surface water goes together, this would mean losing stability and you’d sacrifice maneuverability at the same time. That is why stretching the boat to its highest weight capacity is not a good idea.
Buying a kayak with the right weight limit
Now that you’ve understood a kayaks weight limit, planning to buy one can be a challenge. This is because a lot of consideration should be made plus a definite purpose where and what you’ll use the boat for. Remember that tandem kayaks work differently from fishing kayaks. Also, there’s no such thing as a perfect kayak but if you know the specific kayak you are looking for, then the perfect kayaking experience awaits.
The general idea to consider before deciding to buy a kayak is your body weight. Are you the larger person? Is your partner a big guy? These are some of the questions that you need to determine to be able to calculate the kayak’s total load including more gear that you intend to bring.
Typically, a manufacturer assigns specific kayak types their maximum capacity depending on size of kayak. A listed weight capacity can be seen on the boat’s body which can make you estimate if you’d overload it considering your own weight plus your equipment’s weight. For example, if you weigh 295 pounds, then your kayak maximum capacity should be above 350 pounds considering you’d be bringing fishing equipment and personal belongings. A weight capacity rating of staying below 70 percent the weight of the boat is strongly recommended to avoid extra drag.
A right size kayak should be about 125 pounds more of your body weight. The extra weight capacity will help the kayak float in the water and you will have great maneuverability and stability. You need to weigh all your gears too so that the kayak’s usable weight limit can be calculated. It will prevent you from reaching the maximum weight that will make your kayak ride very low in the water.
Frequently asked questions about kayak maximum weight capacity
What happens if you exceed the weight limit on a kayak?
Every kayak has a weight capacity or kayak weight limit. This depends on the type of boat you are using. The kayak weight limit assigned will help paddlers to know what type of boat suits them plus the weight of extra gears and equipment you can carry with you when paddling.
You have to consider the kayak weight capcity and all the things you load in. For example, if a kayak weighs 250 pounds and you have it loaded with the same number, although it won’t sink, stability will be greatly affected. This also affects the kayak’s performance weight limit as the boat becomes fully loaded. Water clog can also be experienced and staying dry becomes difficult. Aside from that, safety is highly compromised and getting capsized becomes highly possible.
Therefore, when choosing a kayak, get one that can carry an additional 35% of the total weight of the paddler plus the gears you will bring along. If you will be using a 500 pounds kayak, the average load should be 325 pounds of passenger and gears. This will guarantee that you will get a good paddling experience without fear of instability or other safety concerns.
Can a 300lb person kayak?
Anybody can try kayaking. There is no specific body weight for a person to be able to join or not. However, you may feel that you are hindered to join because you think you are heavy or that the kayak cannot hold you in.
If you happen to realize that you want to get back into shape, kayaking is one of the best choices you can have. If you are worried about being in the 300 pounds mark, there are kayaks designed to support larger persons and still has the buoyancy and stability to carry even people over this weight mark. These kayaks have bigger cockpit width and length designed for the comfort of getting in and out of the boat.
When choosing a kayak, large paddlers should look for the one with a hull width of at least 30 inches to allow your hips to easily get in and out. It can also be comfortable enough to sit and stretch out in the kayak. To get more buoyancy for larger kayakers, they can opt for the 12 foot long kayak instead of the average 10 feet. Since you’ll be sitting most of the time, the cockpit of asit found in the middle of the kayak matters.
Can you kayak if you are overweight?
Of course! As long as you can fit in the kayak, then YES. The joys of kayaking can be enjoyed by people of all shapes and sizes. There are a lot of kayaks to choose from that has open or very wide cockpit areas. It can accommodate large paddlers or even the taller ones that requires longer legroom. Choosing the right kayak is the key. There are kayaks for people who just want to go from office to their weekend getaway. For those who are adventurous enough, there are kayaks made for mellow slow moving rivers, whitewater rapids in your local stream or river.
Some wants to use kayaks for other pursuits like fishing. There are large paddlers who want to explore variety of water activities. It can be a large lake, or a smaller yet calm water of rivers or lakes that are hard to reach. They can also be explore saltwater, both inshore and offshore.
Don’t let your size hinder you from the enjoyment of kayaking. This is a good form of exercise too. The calories burn in kayaking can reach almost 500 every hour when you paddle at an average of 5 mph. You might be able to reach your weight goal through this enjoyable sport. Kayaking can help also strengthen your core muscles, develop toned legs and help increase your endurance. Being out there in the early morning sun can activate the vitamin D in your body. Also, kayaking is a great stress reliever that will help you forget about the problem and just paddle all those stresses away.
How heavy is too heavy for a kayak?
Kayaks come in different weight limits mainly because there are different types of kayaks in the market. For example, a recreational kayak has a limit of 250 pounds and 300 pounds. Meanwhile, touring kayaks can carry up to 350 pounds while a tandem kayak can carry between 500-600 pounds. Lastly, a sit-on-top kayak can accommodate up to 350 to 400 pounds.
Although technically, kayaks don’t sink, loading it with too much weight can get it lowered on the water causing change on its stability and how it can perform. The right kayak should be able to carry 125 pounds less of its weight limit. If your weight and your gears fall below the kayaks weight limit calculation, then that would be the right kayak for you.
There is also the danger of being capsized when overloaded. Three things to consider that can determine the maximum capacity of a kayak are length, width and displacement or volume. With these in mind, try to focus on the practical or performance weight limit of the kayak rather than thinking of its maximum capacity. In this way, choosing a kayak that is 30-35 percent less than its maximum capacity sounds like a better plan. It will put you in a range of safety with less sinking risks and easier paddling.
