A kayak’s weight limit is one of the most important things to consider when purchasing the right size kayak for you. It’s normal for beginning kayakers to see all the available kayak length and width options and get confused, so they end up choosing a kayak that’s not properly sized for their weight. Hopefully, we’re going to help you avoid that mistake with this article.
What size kayak do I need for my weight? The right size kayak for your weight is one with a maximum capacity rating that’s about 125 pounds more than your body weight. Another rule of thumb is to find out the manufacturer’s maximum capacity rating and reduce it by about 30-35%.
If the weight of you and all your gear fall below that reduced weight limit calculation, then that kayak would be right for your weight.
And that’s because your kayak’s performance or usable weight limit is at least 30% below the manufacturer’s maximum capacity rating. That maximum capacity weight limit is how much weight a kayak will hold when fully loaded. But at a max capacity, your kayak will ride very low in the water.
So, here are the details on how to find out what size kayak you need for your specific weight.
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What’s a Kayak’s Weight Limit?
Maximum Capacity is really just the most weight you can put in a kayak and still keep it afloat. It’s a kayak’s literal weight limit, beyond which it almost sinks or gets unstable and capsizes easily.
The maximum capacity of a kayak is determined by three things:
- Length
- Width
- Displacement (volume)
Kayak manufacturer’s use those three measurements and engineering formulas to determine what any given kayak’s maximum capacity is.
But here’s the rub—there isn’t really an agreed upon standard amongst kayak manufacturers for how to measure maximum capacity. Each manufacturer does things just a little bit differently.
NOTE: Maximum capacity load includes not only your weight, but all of your gear, your paddle, and the weight of anything you’re bringing with you on the kayak.
What Happens if I’m Over my Kayak’s Weight Limit?
A kayak that’s fully loaded to its maximum weight capacity will:
- Be difficult to paddle
- Lose stability
- Lose maneuverability
- Be in danger of capsizing
This is a great video illustrating all of the above points:
Establishing a Performance Kayak Weight Limit
So, instead of a maximum capacity kayak weight limit we need to figure out what the practical or “performance” kayak weight limit is for any given kayak’s maximum weight capacity.
Performance kayak weight limit, in practical terms, is about 30-35% less than the manufacturer’s stated maximum capacity kayak weight limit.
And for that, we’ll need a formula…
Kayak Weight Limit Example:
If you weigh 175 pounds and all your gear weighs 25 pounds, you’ll want to search for a kayak with a performance or practical weight limit of 200 pounds, not a maximum capacity of 200 pounds.
So if we want to find out a kayak’s performance weight limit, we would take its maximum capacity x .7 (for 30% reduction) = 200
To go about it from the perspective of already knowing how much weight your kayak has to carry, you would take your 200 pounds of weight you need to put in your kayak and divide it by .7 to get a desired maximum capacity rating of at least 285 pounds.
Max Capacity = Total Load Requirement/.7 (in our example that equals 285 lbs)
So in that scenario, you’d look for a boat with a 300 lb kayak weight limit.
But no one likes to state kayak weight limit this way, because it feels like you’re losing 30% of your boat! I mean why would the manufacturer put a max capacity on a kayak if you can’t use all of it?
It goes deeper…
Wait, I Can Only Use 65% of My Kayak’s Weight Limit?
Now, giving up 30% of a kayak’s maximum capacity might seem crazy to you, but 30% will only put you in a range to safely operate your kayak. That means you won’t sink and it won’t be too hard to paddle.
If you want to have some breathing room, be able to add a little extra weight if you have to, or you’re in a fishing kayak that’s taking water up through the scuppers when you get in it, you may have to cut the maximum capacity even more. More, as in the performance weight limit is closer to 65% of a kayak’s maximum capacity.
At that point, determining a performance kayak weight limit that will allow you to comfortably, safely and efficiently paddle your kayak will be much easier. Look on the kayak weight limit rating for the kayak you’re interested in and multiply it times .65.
UPDATE: I just tested this theory out again on a recent kayaking trip with my family. With just me (250 lbs), a life vest, and a paddle, I borrowed one of my daughters’ Perception Swifty 9.5 DLX kayaks. They have a max capacity of 325 lbs. At 325*.7 the performance weight limit of that kayak’s around 227 lbs. Though I was able to paddle the kayak safely, it was harder, less responsive, and less stable. On the other hand, my daughters at about 120 lbs and wife at around 140 lbs can all paddle those kayaks very well.
Downgrading your kayak’s weight limit by 30-35% gives you plenty of room to add some gear you forget or gain a little weight at a backyard BBQ. (Or for your chubby dad to borrow your kayak!)
What are Common Kayak Weight Limits?
300 lb Weight Limit Kayaks
Using our formulas and rules from our example above, a manufacturer’s stated kayak weight limit of 300 lbs gives us about 180 pounds of usable performance kayak weight capacity. Remember, we have to account for person and gear weight. So you’re talking about a roughly 155 pound person plus their 25 pounds of gear..
Examples of 300 lb weight capacity kayaks:
- 300 lb (136 kg) – Hobie Kayaks Quest 11 Kayak Weight Limit
- 300 lb (136 kg) – Perception Kayaks Carolina 14.0 Kayak Weight Limit
- 300 lb (136 kg) – Perception Kayaks Expression 14.5 Kayak Weight Limit
- 300 lb (136 kg) – Jackson Kayaks Riviera Kayak Weight Limit
- 300 lb (136 kg) – Vibe Kayaks Skipjack 90 Kayak Weight Limit
- 325 lb (147 kg) – Wilderness Systems Kayaks Tsunami 140 Kayak Weight Limit
400 lb Weight Limit Kayaks
A manufacturer’s stated kayak weight limit (capacity) of 400 lbs gives us 240 pounds of performance kayak weight capacity. That’s a 215 pound person plus their 25 lbs of gear..
Examples of kayaks with a weight limit of 400 lb:
- 400 lb (181 kg) – Jackson Kayaks Cruise FD Weight Limit
- 400 lb (181 kg) – Vibe Kayaks Yellowfin 120 Weight Limit
- 400 lb (181 kg) – Wilderness Systems Kayaks Tsunami 175 Weight Limit
- 425 lb (192 kg) – Wilderness Systems Kayaks Pungo 125 Weight Limit
- 440 lb (200 kg) – FeelFree Kayaks Moken 10 Weight Limit
500 lb Weight Limit Kayaks
Sticking with our assumptions, a kayak with a weight limit of 500 lbs gives us up to 300 pounds of performance weight we can use. That’s a 275 pound person plus gear.
Examples of 500 lb weight limit kayaks:
- 550 lb (250 kg) – Vibe Kayaks Sea Ghost 130 Kayak Weight Limit
- 550 lb (250 kg) – Wilderness Systems Ride 135 Kayak Weight Limit
Tandem Kayak Weight Limit
Obviously tandem kayaks will weigh more than solo kayaks. After all, they’re meant to transport two people. Just remember, you need to use the weight of both passengers, both of their gear, and any shared gear they’re bringing onboard as a basis to figure out a kayak weight limit that’s right for you.
Examples of tandem weight limit kayaks:
- 450 lb (204 kg) – Jackson Kayaks Riviera T (Tandem) Weight Limit
- 500 lb (227 kg) – Jackson Kayaks Big Tuna Tandem Weight Limit
- 500 lb (227 kg) – Vibe Kayaks Skipjack 120T Tandem Weight Limit
- 550 lb (250 kg) – Perception Kayaks Cove Tandem Weight Limit
- 650 lb (295 kg) – Old Town Canoe LOOKSHA T Weight Limit
High Weight Capacity Kayaks
“How much weight can a kayak hold?” Recreation, ocean, and touring kayaks have weight limits between 200 and 450 pounds. Fishing kayaks that carry more gear have kayak weight capacities from 400 to 550 and up. And tandem kayaks have weight capacity ratings ranging from 450 to 700 and more.
As you’ve probably guessed, there are so many different kayak brands, models, and weight options that the answer to how much weight kayaks hold is specific to each kayak and different between manufacturers.
Examples of High Weight Capacity Fishing Kayaks:
- 475 lb (215 kg) – Perception Kayaks Pescador Pilot 12.0 Kayak Weight Limit
- 500 lb (227 kg) – Perception Kayaks Pescador 13.0 Kayak Weight Limit
- 550 lb (250 kg) – Jackson Kayaks Big Red Fishing Kayak Weight Limit
- 600 lb (272 kg) – Hobie Kayaks Mirage pro Angler 14 kayak Weight Limit
- 770 lb (349 kg) – Brooklyn Kayak Company TK122 Tandem Fishing Kayak Weight Capacity
If you’re a larger person, we wrote an entire article on kayaks for big guys and 300 pound people in general.
Pelican Kayak Weight Limit Examples
What are Pelican Kayak Weight Limits? The kayak weight limit on any given Pelican recreation, touring, or fishing kayaks can range from 200 lb maximum capacity on the low end to over 425 lbs on the high end.
Pelican Kayaks are some of the most popular recreational and touring kayaks on the market. They have kayaks to fit pretty much any weight requirement.
Here are some common Pelican kayak weight limits as a reference for what’s available on the market:
Here are some representative Pelican kayak weight limits:
- 200 lb (91 kg) – Pelican Argo 80 X Weight Capacity
- 220 lb (100 kg) – Pelican Athena 100 XP Weight Capacity
- 275 lb (125 kg) – Pelican Sprint 120 DT Weight Capacity
- 300 lb (136 kg) – Pelican Mustang 100 X Weight Capacity
- 325 lb (147 kg) – Pelican Sandbank 100 XP Weight Capacity
- 375 lb (170 kg) – Pelican Argo 120 XP Weight Capacity
- 400 lb (181 kg) – Pelican The Catch 120 Weight Capacity
- 425 lb (193 kg) – Pelican The Catch 130 Hydrive (pedal) Weight Capacity