Suggestions on solo whitewater playboat for heavy guy

[jnoble123]

Looking for suggestions on some solo whitewater playboating canoes for me to look into. Here's some background info:

- Already have an Esquif Pocket Canyon for solo whitewater tripping so not worried about having the ability to carry camping or other gear beyond some safety equipment and a pump
- I weigh 250 pounds so it's important that the boat has the capacity to handle my weight
- Having completed a solo canoe whitewater course at MKC I want to have a way to further improve my playboating canoe skills
- Want to have the ability to learn and then regularly roll the canoe

I am interested in your suggestions.

[Wendy]

At 250 pounds the Blackfly Octane 91 is a wonderful playboat for enders, surfing and it rolls like a dream.

[the great gonzo]

I second the Octane 91 as a great playboat for a bigger guy. That boat can handle signifcantly more than 250 lbs.
Other choices that are rout there in plastic are the L'Edge, although 250 lbs is near the upper limit for iert.
Other, longer and thus faster chocices that I have however never paddled personally would be a Blackfly Condor (narrower, a bit less stable but faster than a Octane 91) and the Silverbirch Covert 10.5 solo.

TGG!

[BAD paddle]

In your shoes, I'd seriously try to demo a Silver Birch Agent 88 and if it feels too small, go Octane 91. WHY?

Have quite a few miles on Octane 91, Ledge and Silver Birch Agent 88 and Condor. Of them, the 88 would my go-to suggestion for OC-1 playboating. Spins, boofs, surfs, pretty predictable in a side surf -- plenty of fun. Afraid the Ledge/ Covert would be too small to play confidently at your weight. The relatively blunt bow of the agent, like the Octane, will catch less in steep waves and you'll gain just a bit more time to adjust when getting on waves with strong left/ right rudder demands.

In terms of the Condor, playing is possible but limited. For example it's good for attaining big green waves, but much harder (for me) to spin or boof. The Octane 91 is lots of fun, particularly on steeper waves and does spin well if you're careful, while being super stable and confidence inspiring. It's also edgy by comparison to these other boats and is slower. Again, if I were you, I'd work hard to demo the Agent, and then decide.

Good luck!

[RCa]

Any similar suggestions for a good kayak hull for conversion (to 225lbs)??

[C1NCR]

Older design but I had one for many years-LL Jefe Grande. Most of the time I paddled it I was over 200, never quite to 220.