Do Kayaks Have Weight Limits

If you enjoy kayaking, you really would be looking forward to either owning one. The best thing to do in fact is to rent one as kayaking is not something that you will be doing very often. But if you are someone who is into adventures and are out on your adventure trips most often than not, you can definitely consider buying one for all your trips. When it is about buying a Kayak, there are certain things that you must consider. There are many factors to consider when buying a Kayak which includes everything starting from make, model, usability, etc.

One of the most important things to consider is the weight limit of the Kayak. Weight limit would mean the capacity of the Kayak; that is the weight bearing capacity of the Kayak that you are using for your adventures. But the question is – Do Kayaks Have Weight Limits? 

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The Answer – Yes Kayaks have Weight Limits

So, the answer to the obvious question is Yes, Kayaks have weight limits. Weight limits are an important factor. So, what exactly is the weight limit of a Kayak. The weight limit of a Kayak is simply the maximum weight a kayak can bear. The weight limit of the Kayak is simply the number assigned to a certain boat by the manufacturers so that the paddlers can understand what type of a Kayak would suit their needs.

The weight limit of the Kayak also helps the paddlers with an idea about the amount of load and gear that they can bring with them to the boat. The capacity of the boat is mentioned on every new Kayak that is manufactured. But, since there are no set industry standards to determine the capacity of a Kayak, all manufacturers have their own way of fixing the weight capacity. This may be confusing for new paddlers. To make it easier for you we will try and give you a good picture about the different weight limits and the numbers associated with the Kayaks.

What would be the size of the paddler as per the weight limit?

The weight limit of the Kayak also indicates the amount of weight the boat can bear and still remain afloat. However, one must remember that the actual weight a boat can bear is always less than the total allowed capacity or the weight limit. This means that the total weight limit is not the total weight that the paddlers can carry on the boat.

So, for instance if the weight limit of the kayak is say 350 pounds, it does not really mean that a paddler can utilize the full weight limit of the boat. A kayak is designed as a sit-on-top boat; which simply means that if you load the boat to its maximum capacity, the whole boat will get submerged into water till its water line. With such a state of the boat, it will get impossible for you to paddle the boat. So, the paddler weight and the weight of the gear should not exceed more than 60 to 65 percent of the total allowed weight limit for anything more than that would be unsafe.

So, in this case where the maximum weight limit of the boat is 350 lbs, the ideal paddler weight should be about 230 lbs. The paddler can take gear of weight up to 30 to 32 lbs more. So the total weight limit should be about 262 lbs including the gear and nothing more than that. So the numbers printed on the Kayaks do not mean the actual weight limit. The actuals are always 20 to 25 percent lesser than what you see.

Understanding the listed Numbers.

As different manufacturers approach the weight limits differently, it will be difficult to understand what Kayak will be most suitable for you. If you are someone who are on the heavier side, and you want to go kayaking, it gets all the more imperative for you to get a kayak that is best suited to your size and also is good enough for you to carry some extra load and weight in the form of gear.

We talked about the 30 to 35 percent rule. But that may not be the standards in all manufacturers. Some manufactures may even work with a 20 percent less rule. Which means that the total weight of the paddler along with all the gear can be a maximum of 80 percent of the total weight limit. The numbers that you see on the boats are always a little exaggerated and if you take load nearing that limit you may face a lot of issues while paddling.

Then there can be other issues pertaining to boat stability and manoeuvrability which we will discuss in a little detail later on. Also more the weight on your Kayak, more degraded will be performance while in water. It is perhaps why many good manufacturers are now letting selling their Kayaks with two weight limit ratings one for the performance and the other one for the safety. When you are in water, both are important but when it comes to safety, there should be no compromise. And hence you must understand the weigh capacity ratings well.

Does the Weight Limit mean the boat will remain dry?

One of the biggest disadvantages or you can say side effects of Kayaking is the fact that you cannot help but get the scuppers of the Kayak wet while you are Kayaking. The weight limit and being 20 to 35 percent below the weight limit does not really ensure that water will not get through your scuppers. Water can still get through and make your ride uneasy and uncomfortable. But there is certainly something that you can do to remain high and dry.

If you manage to be at 50 percent of the total weight limit including the gear, you may get a smooth and easy ride with very less water coming through. This also means you will get a better paddling experience that will take you farther with every paddle. To put it down in figures, if you wish to enjoy a dry and comfortable ride in a boat with a weight limit of 350 lbs, the maximum weight that you can carry is 150 pounds that includes the weight of the gear.

In the next section we will see some more Kayak weight limits and how they can be used

What happens if the weight limit is exceeded?

There can be several adverse consequences of exceeding the weight limit of the Kayak. Overloading your Kayak can impact the ride experience, performance, stability, manoeuvrability and above all safety of your kayaking trip.

If you load more weight than the rated capacity of the capacity, the first thing that you will observe is that there is a lot of water coming through the scuppers. This would mean you will get wet and be uncomfortable throughout the ride which in turn impacts kayak your ride experience.

The next adverse effect that you can observes is the performance of your boat. Since you are laden with all the extra weight, your boat will be too low into the water. This will make your boat very low and sluggish and the kayak will get very slow.

Next you will see that the kayak is getting difficult to control is not so stable in the water. So overloading will make the kayak unstable. Due to this state of the boat, it will get difficult to manoeuvre through the waters.

And last and the most important consequence is the fact that overloading can put your Kayak at the risk of tipping over and sinking in the waters. So, it is not safe to load the kayak above the rated capacities or even too close to the weight limits.

Understanding More About Kayak Stability

One term that we keep using when talking about Kayaks and Canoes is Stability. When talking about Kayaks, there are 2 types of Stability that you must be concerned about. These two types of Kayaking include – primary as well as secondary stability. Let us explain each of these types of stability in a little more detail.

Primary Stability is more about the overall feel of the boat when you are seated are still and cantered right in the Kayak. When the Kayak feels stable and light in the water right at the moment you get seated in the seat, you can be sure that the kayak is stable primarily.

Secondary Stability is the feel of the boat when you are leaning forward or moving around in the kayak towards the bow or the stern. The secondary stability is more about how the Kayak feels when it is moving in the water and when you are making movements while manoeuvring the Kayak.

So, when you are loading your Kayak, it is important to distribute the weight you are carrying with you in such a way that your Kayak is primary stable and is able to stand still and strong in water when you are not paddling. And also while you are paddling in the water, your boat is not unstable and feels like will tip over or overturn anytime. The idea is to balance the weight in the kayak in a way that it maintains the overall stability of the Kayak. However, you have to be sure that your Kayak is stable both primarily and secondarily. Just ensuring that the Kayak is still and stable while you were still does not really mean that it will remain stable while you are paddling in the water. It is about your own safety after all so must be sure of the stability of the boat before and while kayaking.

Can the Kayak Capacity be increased?

Many people who go Kayaking think that if they can remodel or make some additions to the Kayak, the weight limit of the Kayak will be increased. They do all sorts of things that include everything starting from adding airbags, outriggers, float foams, etc. Adding all these things may make your Kayak safer but in no way will that increase the weight capacity of the boat.

So – to answer the question – there is no way to increase the weight capacity of your Kayak. If you make those additions, those can only help your overloaded Kayak from sinking or perhaps save you from drowning but there is nothing you can do to increase the capacity of your Kayak. So, if you feel you will need a Kayak with a large capacity it is always better to get a Kayak that best suits your size and gear needs. Buy a Kayak that will offer you with the maximum room for everything and is also safe and stable while in the water.

Can someone who is overweight go Kayaking?

Kayaking is a recreational sport and size of weight is no bar if someone wants to pursue the same. Having said that, if someone who is overweight wants to go Kayaking they need to buy or get a Kayak that is well over their weight. So if someone weighs 300 lbs they need to get a Kayak that has a weight limit of about 400 to 450 lbs. So, the ideal weight limit of such a Kayak would be around 280 to 300 lbs. But, if they plan to take any gear or extra weight with them, that may put stress on the capacity.

So – to answer the question – An overweight person can go Kayaking provided the overall weight of the Kayak is 25 to 30 percent below the total rated capacity.

Conclusion

So, when you go shopping for a Kayak for your adventure trip, you must ensure you keep in mind the things that we discussed. You must know the weight of the persons who would be using the Kayak that can be you or your partner along with the gear and the equipment that you will be carrying with you. Based on that decide on the weight limit of the Kayak that you wish to buy.

So, what are you waiting for. Happy Kayaking!!

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