Joe,

When I started this hobby, I had that tough-guy approach. I wanted a narrow hull and a small cockpit. Maybe this is because all the books I'd read up until that time were by British paddlers. Now, I realize that narrow and smaller are not necessarily better. The argument that small "ocean" cockpits are more seaworthy does not really stand up when one looks at the huge cockpits currently found on white water boats. Even the latest British boats are now being offered with larger cockpits. The only reason a small cockpit makes sense to me is for beach launching where a wave can wash over before the skirt is on. Right now, I favor a cockpit that is just big enough to get my knees out while still seated. This allows stretching in calm conditions and an easier entry and egress. When you size your cockpit for this, make sure you simulate the seat back you will use. Don't cheat by sliding back farther than the seat would allow once it is installed. On my first boat, a Pygmy Coho, I modified the cockpit opening to be 16x29.5 inches to use a standard Necky skirt. The stock Coho size of 17.5x33 seemed huge and gave me a naked and insecure feeling.

As a side note, I understand that white water boats have large cockpits to avoid leg entrapment if the boat gets pinned and squashed on a rock. This was a big problem when these boats started to be made from roto-molded plastic. The earlier small-cockpit fiberglass boats would just shatter when on a rock, but the plastic boats don't.

Jon