Latest Surfski News

Tuesday, 17 October 2023 07:11
“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” I thought to myself a few moments after launching on the brand new V10 4G for the first time. It was getting dark; it was raining; the squalls were lifting sheets of spray off the water… directly offshore. What WAS I thinking? The answer is that I’m a sucker for new toys – and if I get my hands on one, I HAVE to play with it. Damn the weather, full speed ahead… Since then I’ve paddled the boat many more times, in much pleasanter weather. Here’s what I think of this,…
Thursday, 08 June 2023 12:42
East London, South Africa: Angus Warren watched helplessly as the shark’s teeth crunched through the hull of his surfski. “It seemed to go on and on,” he says, “pushing and chomping. I was thinking, why is it not working out that it isn’t food? “I can’t tell how long it took, but I had enough time to shout a couple of times to the others.” The next thing he knew, he was in the water…
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Thursday, 27 April 2023 18:42
CAPE TOWN - Hank McGregor and Josh Fenn convincingly claimed back their Prescient Freedom Paddle title on Thursday in a dramatic race marked by tough conditions and a rain-delayed start.  Conditions were extremely tough - a brisk northwester blowing spray from the big confused chop into the paddlers' faces as they headed out to the island.  Huge breaking surf on the far side of the island ensured a wide line but the wind dropped as the fleet started on the journey back to the finish, making it that much more difficult and energy sapping to catch the runs.  
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Tuesday, 25 April 2023 11:50
Last Friday, however, I paddled with Dawid on a windless autumn evening in Cape Town. Cruising from Fish Hoek to Muizenberg, we paddled together, stopping at all the coves to surf a few waves. In short, the operative word was "fun". This was a different Dawid - off duty - and, well, I've never paddled with anyone so noisy before. Whistling, singing, shouting to folks on shore - yahooing as he caught a wave. Heading home at dusk we crept up behind a group of seals lazing on the surface. Dawid began barking like a five-year-old paid by the bark...until…
Thursday, 09 February 2023 07:39
A look back - aaaaargh! A mountain. Let it go through... A smaller one, with a glimpse of something massive lurking further out to sea. Catch it, catch it! Sprint, sprint, you’re on it, here’s the break zone, keep going, keep going, the roar from behind and the sudden acceleration as a massive foamy caught up to me, keep it straight, keep it straight... Phew. Arrived. Panting. Stop the watch. ok. Made it. Empty the boat, pick it up to prevent it knocking you down. Done.
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Saturday, 26 November 2022 17:16
The South Africans cleaned up today at the most prestigious surfski race in Australia – arguably the most prestigious race in the world - taking five out of the top six places and the entire podium at the Shaw and Partners “The Doctor” in Perth. Defending women’s champion, Kiwi Danielle McKenzie won the women’s trophy.
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Saturday, 19 November 2022 13:01
Gold Coast paddler, Cory Hill, took first scalp in the five-event ocean ski racing series, the Shaw and Partners WA Race Week, winning the inaugural race today, the 24km Fenn West Coast Downwinder from Fremantle, just south of Perth, to Sorrento Beach. In fine conditions with a 16 knot SSW wind courtesy of the famed Fremantle Doctor, the start off Port Beach was intense with the top paddlers in a terse battle to make the first break.   But it was 33-year-old Hill – the 4-times DOCTOR champ who relishes the Perth conditions – who was able to shake the field…
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Tuesday, 16 March 2021 13:54
It’s not easy to catch a rolling, runaway single ski in 30kt of gusting wind – and as they attempted to grab it, Alex and his doubles partner lost their balance and fell into the water. By the time they’d remounted, the single ski was gone – blown away by the strengthening near-gale. They turned and paddled back upwind to find their buddy.
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Wednesday, 03 March 2021 12:08
Accident reports are easy to write when the story ends happily, but this one didn’t and it’s with a very heavy heart that I’m writing this, with a view to learning what we can from it.
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Wednesday, 15 July 2020 09:13
When the NSRI found Duncan MacDonald, he was approximately 6km off Smitswinkel Bay, drifting rapidly further offshore. Gale-force squalls whipped sheets of spray off the waves, reducing visibility almost to nothing. What Happened? Given the small size of the surfski community, there’s always intense interest whenever there’s a rescue. What happened? What did they do wrong? What can we learn from it? Clearly there are lessons to be learnt from any mishap – so here’s a description of what happened, shared with the permission and cooperation of the folks involved in the hope that we might all learn from this…
Friday, 24 April 2020 11:41
Durban – As the continued coronavirus lockdown grips the country, Canoeing South Africa will host a 24 hour Canoeing4COVID-19 event this weekend as a way to raise funds for members of the broader paddling community that have been badly affected by the lockdown.
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Wednesday, 11 March 2020 14:35
“Hey, Rob! Help!” The shouts penetrated the sound of the howling wind and crashing waves – and even through the noise it was obvious from the tone of his voice that something was seriously wrong. I turned and headed back upwind.
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Tuesday, 03 March 2020 14:43
Many paddlers use Personal Locator Beacons, or tracker apps like SafeTrx on their mobile phones. But handheld VHF radios are also a great choice to consider – especially when they’re DSC-capable like the Standard Horizon HX870E.
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Monday, 24 February 2020 12:01
I finally got my hands on a demo Fennix Swordfish S this weekend and did two Miller's Runs in succession to see if I could feel any difference in handling between the 2018 Swordfish S and the new Fennix model.  Conditions were challenging: False Bay was covered in whitecaps, whipped by a combination of a 25-30kt southeaster and small, confused seas.  The result?  I definitely want to spend more time in this boat.
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Thursday, 26 December 2019 10:30
The shark smashed like a freight train into Roger Swinney’s surfski in an explosion of noise and spray, knocking him off into the water.  “I managed to get back on the ski,” he said, “but I fell off again and as I remounted the second time, I saw the swirl and tips of the shark’s fins. “I didn’t see it clearly, but from the force of it and the movement in the water, it looked big!”
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Latest Forum Topics

Rob Mousley

Riding the crest of surfskiing wave

Saturday, 10 December 2005 08:33 |

Cape Argus, 9 Dec 2005 

One man's passion and drive for his sport made it so popular that his concept is now being copied in several countries, reports Staff Writer Murray Williams.

It's only 6am on a Saturday and my cellphone starts beeping. "Wake Up Williams!" says the SMS. And across greater Cape Town and the winelands almost 1 000 others are being woken too.

"The Race is on! Get your butt out of bed Williams!"
It's Billy Harker.

Wintertime, Snow, 5F, but Paddling Must Go On ...

Friday, 09 December 2005 11:54 |

blade2.jpgWith Christmas around the corner, and summer sizzling in South Africa, let's spare a thought for our paddling friends in the Northern Hemisphere.

Marek Uliasz from Colorado posted this pic on his blog, check it out, there's some beautiful photography.

Now, if you think this is extreme, read on.....

Discovery Men's Health Series ends on a high...

Tuesday, 13 December 2005 17:27 |

(by Rob Mousley) 

The Discovery Men's Health Single Ski Series in Cape Town ended on Sunday with the William Simpson Peter Creese Lighthouse race...  (What a mouthful!)  What an awesome race.

For many in the field, it was the also the last hard paddle before the Cape Point Challenge, the 56km race being run on Saturday 17th December.

Newsflash - new skis

Friday, 10 March 2006 17:05 |

Exciting times are with us...

 

I've been talking to a number of manufacturers (Epic, Fenn, Red 7, Knysna Kayaks) and it seems that there's a wave of new model skis just around the corner.

 

Look out for articles on each of these manufacturers in the coming weeks, here's a snippet on each of them...

 

Warning: Great White Sharks off Plett

Friday, 14 April 2006 10:27 |

For those planning a long weekend in Plettenberg Bay (South Africa), take note of the following warning, published on News24:

 

ImageGreat Whites patrolling Plett

13/04/2006 19:46 - (SA)

 

Cape Town -Great White sharks appear to be flocking to Plettenberg Bay along with the Easter holidaymakers, according to the National Sea Rescue Institute.

 

Station commander Ray Farnham said on Thursday the bay was experiencing "a visible presence of Great White sharks in what we believe may be greater-than-normal numbers".

 

About us

Monday, 31 October 2005 17:13 |
Firstly what do we want to do?
  • Make surfski information centralised and accessible
  • Build an online community of surf-ski enthusiasts
  • Welcome and guide newcomers to the sport
  • Provide useful and credible content
  • Have fun
  • Paddle a lot
What inspires SurfSki.Info?

SurfSki.Info is inspired by the spirit of Open Source software - where a community give freely of their talents to create something that is of benefit to others. Computer folk have quietly become some of the most generous people around. Communally they produce the best software available - all for free! This site would not be here without these people, I thank and salute them.

Speaking of good people... while browsing the surfski newsgroups on Yahoo I came across regular high-quality postings by a person named Rob Mousley, who Dawid Mocke once described as the 'keenest surfkier on the planet'. I wrote one email to Rob on the 25th November telling him of my fledgling website and that same day I had an inbox full of articles and the site's daily visitor count went from 6 to 160. He is a human network, it is fitting that he works for a company called Grapevine. Nice work Rob, you share the spirit of open source and are a very welcome partner of SurfSki.Info.

Regards,
Alain Jaques - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Alain Jaques goes around Robben Island
Alain Jaques
 
 

NZ King of the Harbour - Race Results and Report

Monday, 10 April 2006 22:39 |

Image

 

The New Zealand King of the Harbour results have been published on www.surfski.co.nz.

 

*** Full race report and pics at: Sportzhub. ***

*** Great article on the race and more pics at: Epic Kayaks ***


Missing paddlers identified...

Monday, 27 March 2006 10:51 |

NSRI, Simonstown - Picture: Hazel McQueen

Craig Lambinon, NSRI spokesman, said that three paddlers who were in the area at the time of the initial report called the NSRI on Tuesday as soon as they heard about this story.  

 

The three paddlers were all on single skis.  Conditions at the time were rough, but they were not in trouble at any time.  

 

The original story follows:

 

The NSRI were activated yesterday (Sunday 26th March) when observers on shore near Oudekraal here in Cape Town reported a double ski or kayak in trouble. 

 


 

KIA Motors: car giveaway...

Monday, 13 February 2006 15:27 |

(By Rob Mousley)

 

ImageKIA Motors have raised sponsorship of surfski to a new level with their giveaway of a KIA Picanto at the KIA Motors Marine Surfski Series in Durban.

 

The vehicle, valued at R73,000, will be given away to a lucky paddler at the final race of the series in March 2006.

 

The rules are simple: race in at least three events, test drive a KIA vehicle, turn up at the prizegiving. (Special arrangements are being made for paddlers under 18 years of age.)

 

 

Surfskier Saves Baby Dolphin

Saturday, 11 February 2006 17:50 |

10/02/2006 08:00  - (SA)

Mariska Petzer , Die Burger

Cape St Francis - Initially he sprinted to the surf for a juicy, fat fish in the shallow water and then he suddenly became a dolphin rescuer.

 

This, briefly, was the drama in which Dave Hall, an engineer in this tiny coastal resort, played the leading role, saving the life of a baby dolphin not longer than a woman's arm.

 

The little dolphin, probably not older than five days, was floundering in the shallow water of Cape St Francis.

 

Beach strollers saw the struggling dolphin and told Hall, as well as Trudi Malan of Aubatis, a marine and wildlife rescue service.