Looking for an ICF K1 for big guys

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4 years 7 months ago #34875 by WaterWings13
Hey all, I have been a lurker for a long time and thought i would ask you guys for some suggestions. I am an avid flatwater marathon racer and have been padding an gen 1 SEL for a while with no stability issues at all. I have been pretty successful in the races i have done and wanted to try to find some stiffer competition. I have been wanting to pick up an ICF boat to run in the ACA Marathon Nationals. The issue is that i am not small. Most k1 paddlers are i guess. I'm 6'3" 220 lbs with size 14 shoes. All three of these make finding a boat a challenge. I really don't carry much fat so cutting weight really isn't an option. It seems all the major K1 manufacturers spend all of the their time designing boats and none developing their websites so trying to find detailed info on the boats out there has been a challenge haha. I know there are boats out there that will fit me but identifying them is a challenge.

I want something will decent stability that will meet the ICF requirements. Ideally something that won't break the bank but i'm willing to get the checkbook out for the right boat. So far my list is the Nelo Viper (not sure on the number, 46?) and the Epic Legacy XXL. I have heard good things about Vadja (sp?) but I have not been able to really find any info on them at all. Kirton looks to have some interesting boats but i'm not too familiar with them. I would like a kick up rudder but can fit one after the fact and i like the surfski pedals much more than tiller steering. Any suggestions that you guys might be able to provide would be much appreciated.

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4 years 7 months ago #34879 by agooding2

Nelo 550L, Streuer Fejna, Nelo Viper 55
Braca XI 705 EL blade, 17K shaft
Braca XI 675 marathon blade, 19K shaft
Braca IV 670 soft blade, 19K shaft

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4 years 7 months ago #34897 by Wiid
Knysna Racing Vantage Ultra ;)

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4 years 7 months ago #34899 by mrcharly
Purple paddler has a list of boats with stability factor and design load weights
www.purplepaddler.com/support-files/k1racingkayakdata.pdf 

Quite a few manufacturers offer 'master' (i.e. larger versions) of their standard boats.

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4 years 7 months ago #34900 by WaterWings13
The Msonic is certainly on the list. The Kynsa is a new one and i will definately check it out.

I am finding a lot of boats out there that look like they can fit the bill. The problem is that getting my hands on one of the to test paddle is unlikely. I am not finding much of anything regarding reviews or any detailed info on most of them outside of the Nelo boats. What little is out there seems to be hobby paddlers rather than racing oriented info. I don't think that i have found anything specific to marathon racing for the the majority. With the info i have it is hard to make any kind decision.

The big thing i'm concerned about is the bow room. I have gian clown feet and I have not had any luck in finding info on how much room there is around the footplate. If my feet don't fit with enough room to operate the tiller/peddles I'm hosed. And out a few grand.

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4 years 7 months ago #34901 by mrcharly
I agree that is a problem, and one reason to prefer paddle steering over tiller. 
The build style also affects this. Some manufacturers put the footplate on rails that mean you lose 15mm each side - that matters a lot if you have wide feet and need to get a tiller right over for tight turns (Zastera do this). I only have size 8 feet (42 european), but on the skinnier boats I have to take a foot off the plate so I can push the tiller over.
Having a pullbar helps a lot with stability when in these boats.
It is common for people to not be able to get their feet 'under the deck' in any position other than pointing like a ballet dancer. Not ideal for long races if you are prone to cramp!
The south african boats, that are built for white water, seem to have relatively raised decks and might be better in this respect.

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4 years 7 months ago #34909 by WaterWings13
The SA boats is a good lead. Would you happen to have any suggestions for make/model on them? Would the Knysna boats fit into this category? I know they are an SA company but not sure if they make that style of boat.

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4 years 7 months ago #34910 by Wiid
Spoke to Knysna a few times last week. They export a lot of their boats. So it will be available abroad. The Ultra I paddle is a new generation boat released Oct 2018. It fits my size 12 feet with lots of room to spare. Contact them directly and find out.

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