: I am exactly your size (5' 9", size 10 shoe), both the Petrel and the stich and glue
: Night Heron fit me perfectly. I have sat in the high deck
: version of it and it was way too voluminous in my view. I would
: recommend the regular size. -- Erik

I am 5 foot 9 in. tall weigh 165 lbs. and wear a size 11 shoe. I find it quite hard to enter and exit my boat if you opt for the Night Heron go for the high deck -- nick R.

Well folks. You give dramatically different views under similar circumstances. If I were to interprete what you are telling me, I would say that Nick R.'s opening in his Night Heron might have been a little small. From the Chesapeake Light Craft site, the Night Heron cockpit hole is 16 X 31 inches. My Corsica S is 16 inches wide and 34 inches long. If I could enlarge the hole in the Petrel or Night Heron to that size, I would be OK with that opening. The knee height is stated as 11 inches. That is VERY close to my Corsica S and therein is my concern. That is very good for me in a whitewater kayak, but I would want slightly more in a sea kayak. Since the deck arches, I don't know where they are measuring the knee height.

So, two questions:

1. What does the cross section in the knee area look like.

2. Where should I buy the plans for the kayak-- Here in Nick Schade's site, or on the Chesapeake Light Craft site?