Kayaking

so...who has done this, and can a fat person do it? Because I am still fat, lol. My husband used to kayak a million years ago, before we met, and talks all the time about doing it again. There is a workshop being held nearby that I would love to surprise him with for our anniversary. We live very near the lake now and this would be a great activity for us to get into. But nothing brings out the inner fat child that lives in my 6th grade PE class like unfamiliar physical activities. Like as much as I'd love to do this, I'd have a lot of anxiety about it too. I'm 5'8, I weigh 260 now. Am I going to sink one of these things and make an ass out of myself or what?

I would call them to be sure there isn't a weight restriction but I think you can do it. I went canoeing many times when I was 265+ and never had any issues other than getting tired.

It sounds like a wonderfully romantic and considerate gift! I say go for it.

~Elizabeth

I went kayaking a number of times while still very fat. I had no issue with the kayak itself or the act of kayaking - the hardest part for me was getting my large body in and out of the kayak. If you can do that, you should be ok, although for peace of mind, calling in advance to see if there are weight limits is probably a good idea. I should add that I have bad knees and used to have a bad hip as well, which made the getting in/out of the kayak very difficult.

I love being on the water! I've done it fat because I had my husband to pull me out of the thing. I'm a really good swimmer though. So, if your inner fat child is asking me I'd say you can do it if you don't fall in. Getting enough lift to get yourself back into the kayak is really hard. Lifting a hundred pounds is easier than 260, right? I only mention it because if anything happens in the middle of the lake, I want you to be able to get back safely. I know I can swim easier because the fat helps me float! Best of luck to you whatever you decide!

I have gone kayaking when I was about your weight. The only "issue" I had was getting in and out of the kayak. That would still be a problem for me. Lol Sounds like a great idea and lots of fun!

I did a learn to kayak last summer and it was fun. I'd call the place and ask a couple of specific questions.

• Ask what the weight limit to the kayaks being used is, first. You might not sink it, but you might upset the balance of the boat and make it more dangerous than it needs to be.
• Ask what kind of kayak is being used. Sit inside or sit on top? Long, narrow sea kayaks or shorter river ones? The class I went to used sit inside sea kayaks and let me tell you, even at 190 it was a tight fit.

If you ask your questions and you're still not sure about the idea, it might be worth it to wait a bit. You want to have fun, not be constantly worrying about fitting in the boat or capsizing it. Maybe something like a stand up paddleboarding class would be a good idea instead? It's something neither one of you are familiar with and you don't have to worry about fitting inside of a boat. :D

Let us know how you get on.

Jen

I have been interested in kayaking for awhile so stopped in to a local shop in the small east Florida town that I live in. I told the guy that was going to show me around about my bypass and that I was just looking right now. There is a Hobie kayak that I think I want (will give much thought to this!). It had a chair seat with a back and he said all you did to get into it was climb in over the side. The kayak was nothing like the ones at BJ's or the chain sports stores. Much sturdier, came with pedals and a paddle and even a sail if you wanted one. Of course, it was double the prices of the other ones. They let you test drive them in the river on Saturdays. So I will probably do that soon. I'm almost 4 weeks out from surgery. The other drawback for me is that they don't have a rack to fit my small sports car which I love - Go Granny Go! lol

Call the rental shop and see what the weight limit is. I had no problem kayaking at 235 pounds at 5'4" in my own kayak. It was rated for 300 pounds. The opening in a recreational kayak is usually wider. However, I did rent one at the higher weight and had to have someone help me get out. They would pull the kayak up on shore 1/3 to 1/2 way and then give me an arm to help me out. If you use a kayak that is not rated for your weight, you will sit lower in the water. Kayaks are much more stable than a canoe. If you are kayaking on a slow river or a lake, no problem. If you are on a fast river, the turns will tip you 1-3 inches, and if you are over the weight limi****er will enter the kayak. Usually river kayaking is shallow water, 1-5 feet deep. I am talking about Michigan rivers. Kayaking in the ocean is a whole different kettle of fish. You have to be careful of tides and waves and wind.

I went kayaking for Mothers Day with my 35 year old daughter. We own 3 kayaks. Everyone in my family has kayaks, we probably have about 30 kayaks in our extended family.

Don't know if you saw my post on the menu thread today... but Kayaking is a big goal of mine! When I was around 215, my butt kinda "snapped" into the kayak I was using and I just KNEW that if it rolled I wouldn't be able to "snap" back out! Especially because at 215 I'm very floaty so I would be pushing up against the tipped kayak while trying to wrestle my way out of it. Maybe check to see if you comfortable fit into the kayak first?

As for the exercise part - Let me just tell you that I was actually GREAT at it! Like I was able to move my kayak forward faster than my more fit and lighter friends. I'm really looking forward to trying it again once my hips start losing inches :)

I love kayaking! I own two lake kayaks, and I used them even at my heaviest, which was 265. It made me feel sporty and active when I did them in spite of my weight.

As others have said, there are different kinds of kayaks. The white water kayaks, that you flip over and back up in--I have never done those, and I think the extra body mass for someone who is MO might make that hard. However, for sit-on-top kayaks, you should be fine, and for "sit in" kayaks, you would want to check the size of the opening.

Kayaks are very stable, and when you learn to trust them to hold you safely, then they are so much fun.

One thing I have noticed, with my two kayaks (10 ft and 12 ft) is that the extra weight in the shorter kayak makes it a little less streamlined--I mean it does not track as well the more weight it carries. The center of gravity is affected by the weight load. The long kayak seems to manage the extra weight without as much of a noticeable difference.

Getting in and out with our extra weight can make it a little more challenging. So I developed this system: I would put the kayak almost parallel with the shoreline, but angled out into the water slightly. I have the entire boat in the water, but the very back end, though in the water, is resting on/connected to the land, so that it is held by the land/shore slightly, while the rest of the kayak floats freely in the water.

Then I stabilize the kayak straddling/holding the ****pit with my two arms. I put in one leg and squat down into the seat while pulling in my other leg. Then I use the oar to push myself out away from shore, disconnecting my back end from the landhold. Having the back end of the kayak connected to the land just keeps the boat stable while I get in. I get out at the same angle, in reverse.