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A 5'8", 170 lb paddler needs a 10-12 ft kayak, 29-31 in wide, with a medium cockpit. Height decides the kayak first: the kayak is long enough to fit your legs and short enough to turn. Weight decides second: if your weight points to a larger row than your height does, take the larger row, because a kayak that sits too low in the water is slow and tippy. This chart gives the right kayak for every paddler from under 4'8" to over 6'3", and the calculator below picks yours by height and weight. This is a kayak size chart only: it is not a paddle-length chart or a weight-capacity chart.
Seven height bands cover every paddler from under 4'8" to over 6'3", and the height is what decides the size first. Find your height, then check your weight: if the weight points to a larger row than the height does, take the larger row, because a kayak that sits too low in the water is slow, tippy and hard to paddle. The calculator below does the lookup for you, and the reverse lookup tells you which paddlers a kayak you already own fits.
A kayak is a fit for the paddler, not just a boat: it should be long enough to fit your legs and short enough to turn, and wide enough to hold your weight without sitting too low in the water. Too short and your legs have nowhere to go, and the kayak ploughs through the water instead of gliding. Too long and it is hard to turn, and hard to carry to the water. Too narrow for your weight and the kayak sits low, takes on water over the sides, and feels tippy. The rule is simple: height decides the row first, and if your weight points to a larger row, take the larger row. The width grows with the length, so a bigger paddler gets a wider, more stable boat.
| Height | Weight | Kayak length | Kayak width | Cockpit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 4'8" | Under 90 lb | 6-8 ft | 24-26 in | Youth | Kids and youth recreational |
| 4'8"-5'2" | 90-120 lb | 8-9 ft | 26-28 in | Small | Smaller adults, calm lakes |
| 5'2"-5'6" | 120-150 lb | 9-10 ft | 28-30 in | Small-medium | Recreational, calm lakes |
| 5'6"-5'9" | 150-180 lb | 10-12 ft | 29-31 in | Medium | Recreational, day touring |
| 5'9"-6'0" | 180-210 lb | 12-14 ft | 30-32 in | Medium-large | Day touring, lakes |
| 6'0"-6'3" | 210-240 lb | 13-15 ft | 31-33 in | Large | Touring, open water |
| Over 6'3" | Over 240 lb | 14-16 ft | 32-34 in | Large | Touring, big water |
The sizes are the standard recreational and touring kayaks the shops sell: 6 to 16 feet long, 24 to 34 inches wide. The length bands overlap by a foot at the edges, because a paddler at the top of one band and the bottom of the next can use either size: a 12-foot kayak fits both the 5'6"-5'9" band and the 5'9"-6'0" band. The cockpit is the size of the opening you sit in: a youth cockpit is small and snug, a large cockpit is roomy enough for a big paddler to get in and out easily. The "best for" column is a guide, not a rule: a 10-foot kayak will tour a lake, and a 14-foot kayak will paddle a calm river, but each is at its best where the chart puts it.
The sizing rule is height first, then weight. Stand straight and measure your height in inches, then find your row in the chart. Then check your weight against the same row: if your weight points to a larger row than your height does, take the larger row. A 5'8", 210 lb paddler is in the 5'6"-5'9" row by height but the 180-210 lb row by weight, so they take the 12-14 ft kayak, not the 10-12 ft one. If you are between two rows by height, take the larger one: a kayak that is a foot too long is easier to live with than a kayak that is a foot too short.
Setup: a 5'8" (68 in), 170 lb paddler; find the kayak size.
Line 1 — the height row. 68 in is in the 66-68 in band, so the height row is row 4: 10-12 ft long, 29-31 in wide, medium cockpit.
Line 2 — the weight row. 170 lb is in the 150-180 lb band, so the weight row is also row 4. The height and the weight agree, so there is no bump.
Line 3 — the answer. Row 4 is a 10-12 ft kayak, 29-31 in wide, with a medium cockpit.
Line 4 — the best use. Row 4 is the size for recreational and day touring — lakes, slow rivers and calm bays.
Line 5 — the reverse. A 12-ft kayak sits in rows 4 and 5, so it fits 5'6"-6'0" paddlers.
5'4", 140 lb: 64 in is in the 62-65 in band and 140 lb is in the 120-150 lb band, so the answer is row 3: a 9-10 ft kayak, 28-30 in wide, with a small-medium cockpit — the size for recreational, calm lakes.
6'1", 220 lb: 73 in is in the 72-74 in band and 220 lb is in the 210-240 lb band, so the answer is row 6: a 13-15 ft kayak, 31-33 in wide, with a large cockpit — the size for touring, open water.
4'10", 110 lb: 58 in is in the 56-61 in band and 110 lb is in the 90-120 lb band, so the answer is row 2: an 8-9 ft kayak, 26-28 in wide, with a small cockpit — the size for smaller adults, calm lakes.
6'5", 260 lb: 77 in is over 75 in and 260 lb is over 240 lb, so the answer is row 7: a 14-16 ft kayak, 32-34 in wide, with a large cockpit — the size for touring, big water. There is no bigger row: a paddler over 6'3" or over 240 lb takes the largest kayak in the chart.
Reverse — the 12-ft kayak: a 12-ft kayak sits in rows 4 and 5, so it fits 5'6"-6'0" paddlers. A 9-ft kayak sits in rows 2 and 3, so it fits 4'8"-5'6" paddlers. If you already own the kayak, the reverse tells you who it fits; if you are buying, the forward lookup tells you what to buy.
This chart is a kayak size chart only: it is not a paddle-length chart — it does not say how long your paddle should be, which depends on the kayak width and your height — and it is not a weight-capacity chart — it does not give the maximum load a kayak can carry, which is printed on the kayak itself. It assumes a recreational or touring kayak: a whitewater kayak, a fishing kayak and a sea kayak are sized differently, and a sit-on-top is sized differently from a sit-inside. It assumes the paddler is of average build for their height and weight: a long-legged paddler may need a longer kayak than their height suggests, and the tape measure beats the height chart every time. Rounding convention: lengths and widths are given as ranges, and all figures are computed from the table as written.
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Kayak length | row by height, bumped up by weight | 10-12 ft. |
| Kayak width | same row | 29-31 in. |
| Cockpit | same row | Medium. |
| Best for | same row | Recreational, day touring. |
| 5'4", 140 lb | same model | 9-10 ft, 28-30 in, small-medium cockpit. |
| 6'1", 220 lb | same model | 13-15 ft, 31-33 in, large cockpit. |
| 4'10", 110 lb | same model | 8-9 ft, 26-28 in, small cockpit. |
| 6'5", 260 lb | same model | 14-16 ft, 32-34 in, large cockpit. |
| Reverse: 12-ft kayak | rows whose length range contains 12 ft | 5'6"-6'0" paddlers; a 9-ft kayak fits 4'8"-5'6". |
The lookup is exact for the numbers you enter: the height row and the weight row come from the table, and the larger of the two wins. What the chart cannot do is know your body: a long-legged paddler may need a longer kayak than their height suggests, and a paddler with a long torso may need a wider cockpit. It is explicitly not a paddle-length chart — paddle length depends on the kayak width and your height, not just your height — and not a weight-capacity chart — the maximum load is printed on the kayak itself, and it includes you, your gear and your lunch. It assumes a recreational or touring kayak: whitewater, fishing and sea kayaks are sized differently. For the same idea on a bike, see bicycle frame size chart; for the fitness around it, see age-graded running.
Bright Side Kit. "Kayak Size Chart: Find the Right Kayak Size by Height." https://brightoolbox.com/kayak-size-chart/ Accessed October 24, 2026.A 5'8" paddler needs a 10-12 ft kayak. Height decides the kayak first: 5'8" is in the 5'6"-5'9" band, so the answer is 10-12 ft long and 29-31 in wide, with a medium cockpit. If your weight points to a larger row, take the larger row.
A 9-10 ft kayak. A 5'4", 140 lb paddler is in the 5'2"-5'6" band by height and the 120-150 lb band by weight, so the answer is row 3: 9-10 ft long, 28-30 in wide, with a small-medium cockpit, for recreational paddling on calm lakes.
A 13-15 ft kayak. A 6'1", 220 lb paddler is in the 6'0"-6'3" band by height and the 210-240 lb band by weight, so the answer is row 6: 13-15 ft long, 31-33 in wide, with a large cockpit, for touring and open water.
If your weight points to a larger row than your height does, take the larger row. A 5'8", 210 lb paddler is in the 5'6"-5'9" row by height but the 180-210 lb row by weight, so they take the 12-14 ft kayak, not the 10-12 ft one. A kayak that sits too low in the water is slow and tippy.
An 8-9 ft kayak for a 4'10" child. A 4'10", 110 lb paddler is in the 4'8"-5'2" band, so the answer is row 2: 8-9 ft long, 26-28 in wide, with a small cockpit, for smaller adults and calm lakes. A child under 4'8" takes the 6-8 ft youth kayak.
5'6"-6'0" paddlers. A 12-ft kayak sits in rows 4 and 5, so it fits the 5'6"-5'9" band and the 5'9"-6'0" band. A 9-ft kayak sits in rows 2 and 3, so it fits 4'8"-5'6" paddlers.
No. This is a kayak size chart only: it gives the kayak length, width and cockpit for your height and weight. It is not a paddle-length chart — paddle length depends on the kayak width and your height — and it is not a weight-capacity chart, which is printed on the kayak itself.
14-16 ft long, 32-34 in wide. The chart caps at row 7, which fits paddlers over 6'3" or over 240 lb. A 6'5", 260 lb paddler takes the 14-16 ft kayak with a large cockpit, for touring and big water.