Will a 10ft SOT be too small for salt water usage?

Hey guys, I'm still learning a lot myself but at the same time trying to help my girlfriend. Her and her dad have had kayaks for a while (he has a 14 ft malibu kayak x-factor, she/her mom has a hobie kona convertible). I opted for a 12ft (Tarpon 120) when I was looking due to weight requirements (I'm 6ft 220lbs, not the smallest guy out there), and the size seems to work well for me. Her kona is about 12 ft, but considerably wider than mine and she seems to have a lot of issues with tracking and being blown by the wind. It's bad enough that the few times we've been out together her dad and I are fine while she's miserable and constantly fighting crosswinds. I'm not sure if its just too much kayak for her, or if its just the design that's giving her issues. I've found a couple 10ft models that it seems like she would like, but I worry that they will be too unstable for usage in the ocean. Really any info would be appreciated. She's approx 5'6" ~130lbs if I had to guess.

You can make a 9-10 foot yak work in the ocean but its not ideal...12-14 foot will be better for ocean conditions...

 

Sincerely,

Jim

10ft is too short small for the ocean....minimum should be 12-13ft. If the yak is high/when horizontal, it will catch that wind. Your Tarpon and the Malibu are lower to the water, that why you guys aint getting wind wiped. Kayaking in ANY WIND is not fun, especially in the ocean.

sounds more like the design than the length.
I know plenty of women paddlers that use 16-18ft sea kayaks in winds higher than what I'm comfortable in.
Look at Freya Hoffmeister for instance, just as an example.

I would suggest going to a good paddle shop and having your girlfriend test paddle a number of slimmer kayak hulls. The narrower hull will also make it easier for her to get a proper forward paddle stoke as there won't be a need to reach so far to the side.
something in the 12-13ft range should be good, and keep the hull width around 24-26 inches (these are just suggestions, every paddler is different, hence so many kayak designs)

i go a Trident 11, with foot-controlled rudder.  plenty stable for me, wind no big deal. 

Are you sure she paddling a Hobie Kona?  Thas a tandem boat, would suck to paddle solo with no rudder.

I go out in my slayer propel 10 quite often, in decent conditions (no rough stuff).  it handles fine, but like piscean said, its really more about the kayak design than the length in itself.

I think a Trident 11, Venus 10, Hobie Sport, Slayer Propel 10 and a whole host of 11 foot kayaks (hobie revolution 11, hobie quest, OK tetra, wildy tarpon 100, feelfree lure 11.5 on and on) would be fine with a petite female paddler, in the right conditions.

That being said, you have to figure out what you're looking for, and the best way would be to demo lots of boats.  (PADDLEFEST)

Before I answer, who you voting for? 

She's approx 5'6" ~130lbs if I had to guess.

you really want to eliminate guesswork, no betta time to axe her to step on a scale.  To plozzibly deny its just for your curiosity, blame it on "The NCKA safety committee says so."   

She may understand that, to fishermen, ounces do count 

HMMV, but I found 10'-ish yaks without rudders / skegs to be hellish WRT tracking in a straight line, and worse in wind if they ride high in the water due to being under-loaded. 

When my wife and I got our first boats, mine was an Ocean Kayak Frenzy (9'), and it wouldn't go in a straight line to save its life...wife's 10' Old Town SIK was substantially faster and easier to handle compared to mine, and it still was pretty bad. We're at 14' now on the boats we've got, and I think that's about right for us for most of what we do.

She's approx 5'6" ~130lbs if I had to guess.

you really want to eliminate guesswork, no betta time to axe her to step on a scale.  To plozzibly deny its just for your curiosity, blame it on "The NCKA safety committee says so."   

She may understand that, to fishermen, ounces do count 

Hahahaha, it's not so much guessing as much as me just not remembering well when she told me before (for snowmobiling purposes, I don't dare ask without a reason). It's 130 +/- 10lbs.

Thanks for all the input guys. I don't know info on the kona aside from what I've been told, but according to her dad it's a convertible tandem/single (it has the attachment points and foot slots to put a seat in the center). It definitely is way more buoyant than she needs.


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Agree with earlier statement. Test drive a bunch of boats and find out what works for her. I have a 10' tarpon 100 that I've had several miles offshore. 6'2" 210lbs. Im big strong and not too bright. It definetly isn't for everybody. When the wind kicks up it's hell on the water.

Good luck.

I have an OK Tetra 12 and it works for me in the ocean, but I did add a skeg to help with tracking in a stright line when I paddle.

I have a 10ft kayak, emotion stelth angler, and take it in the ocean all the time, mainly to dive off of. It's plenty stable for me and quick, but it does not track straight at all. It zigzags with every paddle stroke. I wish it was larger for more storage of gear, but I like how light it is when I have to move it around by myself.
Why do you not use her kayak as a tandem and both paddle it?

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I have a 10ft kayak, emotion stelth angler, and take it in the ocean all the time, mainly to dive off of. It's plenty stable for me and quick, but it does not track straight at all. It zigzags with every paddle stroke. I wish it was larger for more storage of gear, but I like how light it is when I have to move it around by myself.
Why do you not use her kayak as a tandem and both paddle it?

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Tandem kayaks and tandem bikes can put a marriage in serious difficulties.

Suck it up buttercup and spring for a mirage drive or a propel she'll be way happier. My TLW has a mariner propel that has a seat bar that bothers her back and said she'd let me purchase her a new propel with the better seats.