Big guy on a Cobra Maurader-Will it work out?

  Hi everyone, I am a newb kayak fisherman and wanted the groups opinion on a kayak.  I really like the Maurader from Cobra and want to know if I will fit comfortably on it.  I am 6'5'' and go about 300 even.  I have heard that people with long legs will  not fit very well.  I know the footwells are snug, but I am ok with just wearing socks.

I have only paddled a few times, but I know I don't want to have a wet ass the entire time.  I want decent stability, but I don't want to feel like I am paddling a fat Coleman canoe solo.

When I was younger (and about 50 lbs on the lighter side) I paddled a tarpon 140 and loved how it would Cruise, but now, being bigger, and into ocean fishing I need to find a good kayak that has the capacity and stability for my size + gear.

I know the Fish and Dive and the like barges work great for big guys and all their toys, but can I do the same thing with some speed in a Maurader? 

Your wisdom is appreciated.

Welcome Big Matt.  A Maurader capacity tops out at 475 lbs.  Have you considered an Ocean Kayak Prowler Trident 15?  That tops out at 550 and paddles as good or better than the Cobra?.

Matt,

Welcome to the site.  I referred you here since you are considering purchasing my marauder. 

Like I stated to you in the email, an OK Trident 15 may be a good choice if you can find one at the right price point.  They are normally more expensive than what I'm offering the marauder for, so it depends on your budget.  Same thing - I don't know about the height issue.

I don't think the weight would be an issue as the marauder is a stable boat and some of our larger members have paddled them before. 

The height is the only thing I don't really know about because i'm just a wee little guy.

I've messaged Erik Kunz (KzReelRods) because I believe he is similar in size to you and has previously owned a Marauder - He currently paddles a Trident 15 so he can probably give you the +/- of each.

The T15 will be faster than the marauder.  But I havent had any problems with speed, more of an issue with it's too difficult for me to put on top of the *#%&$ car.

Yeah, thanks Ben, you have been the best person I have ever encountered on Craigslist-I hope that comes as a compliment...

Anyway I came accross this

http://kfs.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/7666050875/m/1681075791

I hope this explains my hesitation.  I just don't want you to come all the way out to Livermore if I don't fit.  Otherwise, you have a great set up.

Matt - no problem.  I am just happy to have more people join our sport.

I am in no dire need to sell the yak and I want to make sure whoever purchases it finds it is a good fit for them.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,4339.0.html

Hey Ben-This may be the answer I have been looking for.  Check out this post.

Do you know if your Maurader is the newest model?  I know you said you purchased it about a year ago, but is it like the new one in the above post?  Anyway we can find out? 

If all looks good I can have cash in hand for Sunday.  How does that sound?

mine is definitely a generation 2 - i still think you should let others chime in with their opinions.

also if you have time maybe you should contact aquan sports in redwood city to see when their next demo day is?  they may have a t15 for you to paddle.

You might want to try a Malibu X-Factor too.  Good luck and welcome to the board.   

I'm 5'10" and 260 pounds and I'm OK in the Marauder. My legs are on the big side; so sometimes I feel like a sardine in a can. However, it's as bad as long as I wear my neoprene booties instead of wading boots. It's very stable for me as long as I stay vertical (don't fall asleep). I wish it had a rudder option though. You should try it out on the water before you buy. Oh, and it's at least 10 pounds lighter than the X-Factor and T-15.

I'm 6'4" and around 300 lbs ans size 13 shoes.  The Marauder was a good boat for me.  It is extremely stable and plenty fast on the water.  It cuts through chop on the ocean very nicely and performs well in surf.  The footwells are the most obvious design flaw, but it was not that bad in reality... there are plenty of good features that made the foot wells tolerable.

I now ride a Trident and am very satisfied as well.  I'd say I'm generally more satisfied with the Trident.  I will say that the Marauder was great for paddling with my 4-year old.  The cockpit layout made it ideal to have him up there with me and he could crawl around and sit in a number of positions.  It'll be more difficult to do that on the Trident because of the hatch/cockpit design.

Here is my assessment of which boat does better in a variety of categories.

Footwells:  Trident 15
Speed on Water:  Trident 15
Stability:  Maruader (close)
Storage:  Tie
Hatch Design:  Both are good
Weight of Boat:  Trident is considerbly lighter
Rocker:  Marauder
Stealth (quietness on the water):  Trident
Weight Capacity:  Both are more than adequate
Deck Layout:  Both have good features.
Dry Ride:  Both
River Anchor OK:  Marauder... trident is a bit too long for a river/steelhead boat.
Comfort:  Both are plenty comfortable
Rudder Compatible:  Trident only

erik, thanks for the response!

but do you think the trident is lighter or is that a typo?  from everything I know the marauder is supposedly lighter?

The trident 15 is most defnitely a lighter boat.

I own a maurder and concur that the trident is lighter. I lifted a trident at Aquan and it was way easier than my Marauder. The hatches add a lot of weight to the Marauder.

Thanks for all of the responses guys. 

Matt, my buddy (Matt), always borrows my New Ride, he is 6'10" and has no problems sitting in it for hours...he just pulls the foot pegs out and leaves them at home....

Jim