I am also about the same size and I paddle a Petrel. There is certainly plenty of room in the cockpit. The coaming is sloped aft a fair amount which makes entering feet first very easy. I can also get in rear end first if needed, but you will need to be pretty limber to do so.

As a few others have stated, the boat is intended to be a performance kayak, so it should be set up with tight hip braces and upper thigh braces. If you are looking to be able to move around in the cockpit, it may not be the best choice.

: I am using a Perception Corsica S river runner and the cockpit is
: comfortable, but probably slightly small for a long trip. I felt
: the same was about the P&H Scorpio LV. I have used the
: Tsunami 140 and felt that it was "too roomy".

: With that description, can anyone give me a feeling about the Night
: Heron and the Petrel? How about a comparison of cockpit room
: between the Night Heron and the Petrel?