single shell recommendation for tall guy

[wayup]

I'm 6'8", 240 lb and none of the singles in our club seem to fit me well. What do you recommend I look for in a used, affordable, single that is still pretty competitive at races? Bang-for-the-buck... don't need the fastest boat since this is my first shell but don't want a slug either. And where are the best places to look for used boats? Thanks folks.

[jackarabit]

Nationwide classifieds at row2k assuming you're in CONUS. No experience with big & tall.

[jamesg]

Filippi have a competition mould (F39) for a big boat (110 kg, 8.44m length), so I'd guess some builder in the US has one too. Just ask them.

Training boats stop at about 90 kg and may not have enough legroom either.

[Rockin Roland]

You need a boat with a large pit so that you have plenty of room to reach full compression at the catch. Don't get a Fluidesign as they have small pits however some of the Sykes boats are very accommodating for big people.

[wayup]

Really in the market this year for a tall guy single with a generous cockpit. Can be a full on competition boat.


Other suggestions?

[Tinpusher]

At 240 pounds you're into the super heavyweight category and there aren't going to be many of those coming onto the used market. A few manufacturers list boats in that weight class (220-255 pounds). Hudson has its S1.51 and Kaschper has its super heavy singles and I'm sure others do too.

The Hudson is 29'6" long. Wow, that's 2'2" longer than my 1.41. Or alternatively you could lose 20 pounds and open up to a bigger market.

I decided early on that I would buy new and don't regret it. I'm sure most manufacturers will produce a super heavy if that's what's needed. Depreciation is relatively slow on well cared for elite boats and the current US to CDN $ exchange makes it attractive for those south of the border.

[unclerico]

I am also looking for a boat for big, beautiful people. I also weigh 240.

Would a Vespoli Matrix 27XL Single do the trick? They claim weight is for 210-270. Mainly to train, but maybe to enter a race one day?

[tcleland]

I am 6'5" and 235# and am looking at getting a bigger boat. Any recommendations/opinions on the Vespoli 27XL and the Hudson S1.51? The hull designs are pretty different with the Hudson at 29 ft long vs 27 ft for the Vespoli. I am currently rowing a 2005 heavyweight WinTech 1x that is rated at 210 lb.

[Tinpusher]

What about the S1.42? Its rated up to 225 pounds. My 1.41 is rated up to 210 and I'm 15 over that now and have no issues. The extra length of the 1.51 makes it pretty unwieldy.