On Wednesday, September 7, 2016 at 7:19:05 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I am 6'4" tall. I weigh about 200-210lbs clothed. My height is fairly evenly distributed between legs and torso. My arms are rather long, though.
Please help me start developing a shopping list for a decent glider that I can enjoy owning and flying without cramps or impeded control movements. This would be my first foray into ownership, but I expect to own multiple in the future.

Factors to consider:
1. Prefer 2-place to single-seat, but I'm open to both.
2. If 2-place, must be FAA type-certified with standard airworthiness certificate. No experimentals. I want to be able to give commercial rides, instruction, and CAP cadet o-rides. Solo ships can be experimental, but not amateur-built.
3. Will consider self-launchers, sustainers, and motorgliders, but not looking to get into that price range.
4. Will consider antiques & open cockpits, if they have a provenance.
5. Not concerned with competition.
6. Acro would be a plus.
7. Will consider something life-limited (e.g., Lark) if I can get it super-cheap to use as a disposable platform for a couple hundred hours to better identify what I really want from a glider.
8. Priced under $30k, $10-15k is better.

My experience:
Highly active airplane pilot, IFR, 1000+ hours. Low-time glider pilot (100 hrs).

Here's what I have flown:
L-23: Fits okay, not very charming to own.
ASK-21: Tight, but doable
G103: Tighter than the ASK-21, prefer to avoid
Bergfalke: Antique wooden open-cockpit novelty; not a candidate.

I'll be trying out a SGS 1-23 and an LS-1f this weekend. There are several KA-6 models for sale all over right now (did they just get hit with an AD or something?), so some targeted opinions on these 3 would be timely.

Cheers

Just a note on your "requirements" - the major dividing point here is single place vs. 2 place. Frankly, there are very few 2-place gliders in the US that come close to meeting your core requirements based on price. Under $30K rules out K-21s, Grob 103s, SGS 2-32s, and any of the more modern, high performance ships. You're looking at K-13s, Larks (if you can find one), and other more rare birds. Acro will probably have to be dropped. Etc.

An original Twin Astir is an option; the front cockpit is huge and the seat load is enormous. There are typically some available to import from Europe; not as many in the US. A good one would probably push your $30K number by a bit.

If you give up on 2-place, then a lot of the single place options already given sound good. FWIW, my first glider was a share in a Grob Astir CS. It has easily the biggest cockpit of any single place glass ship I've flow (and I've flow a bunch for Schleichers, LS, Schempp Hirth, etc.).

Are you in the NY area? Your email sort of suggests this. If so, you can look at a few options out at Blairstown, including a Twin Astir.

Erik Mann