We want all guests to feel comfortable on their trip
Spirit of the West welcomes guests of diverse body sizes and abilities. We recognize that people in larger bodies have historically been underrepresented in outdoor recreation, and our commitment is to ensure that every guest feels safe, respected, and supported throughout their tour. Our goal is for everyone to have an equal opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the coast.
While creating an inclusive and welcoming environment is a top priority, we also believe in being transparent about certain limitations within the paddling industry, particularly when it comes to gear sizing. We offer rain gear and PFDs in a wide range of sizes; however, kayak and spray-skirt options do have upper size limits based on current industry manufacturing standards. We believe everyone deserves access to outdoor experiences and appreciate your understanding as we work within the gear that is currently available to us.
Below, you will find size guidelines for our spray skirts, PFDs, and our most spacious kayaks. We share this information to help guests feel prepared and to ensure we can maintain comfort and safety on the water.
Please let us know in advance if you anticipate any difficulty fitting into our kayaks. Equipment is limited, and we operate in a remote location; advance notice allows us to complete all necessary preparations before your tour date.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can best accommodate you, please contact our office – we are always happy to help.
Kayak Sizing
We use a mix of single and double kayaks, with doubles generally offering more room. We have several SC (Extra Spacious Cockpit) kayaks, which are wider and longer than standard cockpits and work well for guests with wider hips or longer legs.
Our kayaks are 24″-26″ wide, with cockpit openings of 16”- 18”, and are typically very accommodating. A few models in our fleet that suit taller guests especially well are:
- Seaward Passat G3 XLC
- Seaward Tyee XLC
- Atlantis Titan
- Atlantis Titan SP: A special build for Spirit of the West that has an extra inch of deck height. We have a very limited number of these boats in our fleet.
If you prefer a specific boat, we will do our best to ensure it is available for your tour. If it is in use on another tour, we will provide an equally comfortable alternative.
The standard kayak cockpit has an infamously small opening of 32.25” by 16.5”, which can lead to difficulties when entering and exiting the kayak. For this reason, we are also equipped with more spacious cockpits with slightly longer and wider cockpit openings.
| Standard Cockpit | Spacious Cockpit | |
| Length | 32.25” | 82 cm | 37.5” | 95 cm |
| Width | 16.5” | 42 cm | 18” | 46 cm |
Pro tip: Taller guests often have larger feet, so your kayaking footwear is worth considering. Low-profile shoes that are easy to slip on and off tend to work best, such as neoprene booties, strapped sandals, or neoprene socks paired with Crocs. These options provide protection and warmth while fitting more comfortably in the kayak than gumboots or larger running shoes.
Skirt Sizing
The tunnel sizing is the size of the opening for your waist. The cockpit length and width should be measured on your boat’s cockpit and is the maximum size that the splash deck will fit.
Our team will carefully select the most appropriate skirt size for your assigned kayak.
| Max Length | Max Width | Tunnel | |
| M | 37” | 94 cm | 21” | 53 cm | 20”-45” | 50-115 cm |
| L | 38” | 96 cm | 22” | 56 cm | 20”-45” | 50-115 cm |
| XL | 40.5” | 103 cm | 22.5” | 57 cm | 22”-49” | 56-125 cm |
Rain Gear Top Sizing
To find your ideal jacket size, use the following measurements:
- Arm length: Measure from the centre back of your neck (at your spine) along the top of your shoulder, down to your arm, to where the wrist meets your hand, just past your wrist bone.
- Neck: Measure from the center front of your neck back to the front.
- Chest: Place one end of the tape measurer at the fullest part of your bust, wrap it around your shoulder blades, and back to the front to get the measurement.
- Waist / Hips: Start at one hip and wrap the tape measure around your rear, around the other hip, and back to where you started. Make sure the tape is over the largest part of your buttocks.
| Arm Length (A) | Neck (B) | Chest (C) | Waist/Hips (D) | Gasket Size | |
| XS | 34” | 86 cm | 15.5” | 39 cm | 34-35” | 86-89 cm | 27-28” | 68-71 cm | Small |
| S | 35” | 89 cm | 16” | 40 cm | 36-38” | 91-97 cm | 29-31” | 73-78 cm | Medium |
| M | 36” | 91 cm | 16.5” | 42 cm | 39-41” | 99-105 cm | 32-34” | 81-86 cm | Medium |
| L | 37” | 93 cm | 17” | 43 cm | 42-44” | 106-112 cm | 35-37” | 89-94 cm | Large |
| XL | 38” | 96 cm | 17.5” | 44 cm | 45-47” | 114-119 cm | 38-40” | 96-101 cm | Large |
| 2XL | 39” | 99 cm | 18” | 45 cm | 48-49” | 121-125 cm | 41-42” | 104-106 cm | Large |
Women-Specific Additional Sizes
| 1X | 31” | 78 cm | N/A | 42-45” | 106-114 cm | 40-43” | 101-109 cm | Large |
| 2X | 32” | 78 cm | N/A | 46-49” | 116-125 cm | 44-47” | 112-119 cm | Large |
Raingear Bottoms Sizing
To find your ideal pants size, use the following measurements:
- Waist: Measure your waist, starting at the top of your hip bone, then bring the tape measurer all the way around your body, level with your bellow button.
- Inseam: This is the distance from the uppermost inner part of your thigh to the bottom of your ankle. Stretch the tape from your crotch to the bottom of your ankle.
Unisex Bottom Sizing
| Waist | Inseam | Height | |
| XS | 27-28” | 68-71 cm | 29” | 73 cm | 4’10-5’2” | 147-157 cm |
| S | 29-31” | 73-78 cm | 30” | 76 cm | 5’2-5’6” | 157-167 cm |
| M | 32-34” | 81-86 cm | 31” | 78 cm | 5’6-6’0” | 167-182 cm |
| L | 35-37” | 88-93 cm | 32” | 81 cm | 5’10-6’2” | 177-188 cm |
| XL | 38-41” | 96-104 cm | 33”| 83 cm | 6’0-6’6” | 182-198 cm |
| 2XL | 41-42” | 104-106 cm | 34” | 86 cm | 6’0-6’6” | 182-198 cm |
Women-Specific Additional Sizes
| 1X | 38-44” | 96-111 cm | 32” | 81 cm | 5’6-6’0” | 167-182 cm |
| 2X | 40-46” | 111-116 cm | 33” | 83 cm | 5’6-6’0” | 167-182 cm |
Still have questions? Our office team is happy to help
Contact us by email at [email protected]
