New vajda ski

I had a stellar SEL and SES , and now the hawx , the hawx is just as stable as the SEL , more then the SES , and just as fast , it's not as twitchy when first getting in as the SES , drain is way better , the stellar would flood water in when sitting still , the hawx would have a lot less water in with the bailer open , hardley any water let in , I have the elite build hawx . And prefer the bailer system on it vs the stellar, the cut away is better then the bucket on the stellar, carbon layup is finished better on the hawx then the carbon stellar , all this is just my option though .

mshubert wrote: the hawx is just as stable as the SEL , more then the SES , and just as fast.

mshubert, thnaks for the info. Just to clarify did you mean just as fast as the SEL or SES? What sort of conditions do you normally paddle in?

Thanks

Simon

Simon, I have the excel Sel (about 26lbs) and Elite hawx (about 26lbs) . They had some hawx 25lbs and some 27lbs. I like bailers so Hawx is nice, but SEL has a bullet and a drain plug so if it's flatwater then i just leave the plug in. The catch is alot better on the Hawx and the cutout on the bucket is great. Much tighter then the SEL though. I feel the Hawx is alittle less stable on flatwater then SEL but not a huge difference. Haven't had it in rough water back to back so hard to say difference. Most say the Hawx chines are great in rougher stuff but I can't give an opinion yet on that. For me either boat is a winner since the are both more stable then most for the speed of comparable boats. Price, Hawx was alot more but in 13 the Stellar prices are going up so they will only be a couple hundred difference atleast here in USA. ( Not sure were your from). Hope this helps. Chaz

SimonF wrote:

mshubert wrote: the hawx is just as stable as the SEL , more then the SES , and just as fast.

mshubert, thnaks for the info. Just to clarify did you mean just as fast as the SEL or SES? What sort of conditions do you normally paddle in?

Thanks

Simon

I would say about the same speed maybe a little faster , I paddle in flat water rivers , and the price of the hawx was cheaper then the Stellars . Bucket I didn't find any tighter then the SEL or SES , just tighter in the foot well , but that's we're you get the tight catch from , the vent drain/plug is also better then the stellar , stellar just had a rubber cap , the hawx has a screwed in plug with a vent tube , and all the plastic parts say made in Britain not china , the boat is made in Europe and not china , I paddle flat water and yea I could have let the plug in on the stellar but with the hawx I can leave it open and still not have a lot of water in , and if I did close it , it will be faster with less drag cause the bailer in flush with the underside when closed unlike the stellar , also the rudder on the stellar is only held on with a lock nut , and the hawx is held on with a lock nut and a set screw on the side , with the alen wrench in the rudder cover handy . Also you can adjust the foot pedals while in the boat one handed quickly , unlike the stellar which had 3 quick released to work with , the hawx you just pull the string up in the middle and the pins are spring loaded and you slide the foot board amd they click in , I'm not saying the stellar is a bad boat at all , just I liked the hawx better

Also the rudder cover housing is screwed in unlike the stellar which was just glued in , the foot board adjust rails are aluminum in the hawx and not plastic like the stellar , weight is about the same , I did find the double foot strap to be more secure on the stellar , the hawx uses a single foot strap , but with the narrow foot area of the hawx you don't move around as easily so it don't need the double strap , the foot area is still big enough in the hawx to wear my dry suit and winter paddling neoprene boots . As well as the bucket not being that tight even wearing a dry suit . Re entry is also just as easy in the hawx vs the stellar. I will post some pictures soon

I paddled the Hawx on a flat lake, so obviously I have a very narrow exposure to the ski, but I thought I might list my observations for those that have not even seen one yet. It is a beautiful ski. Unfortunately, it is just a tad too narrow for me, but I have a fairly wide pelvis, and prefer a loose fit. I primarily paddle K1 (Vajda Infusion 2), but I have a V12 too. One of my favorite things about the V12 is the bailer. Ted Vandusen started it with the Mohican, and I instantly fell in love with it. It empties way faster than any other system I have ever tried. The V12 is also a very dry ride, which comes in handy for cold weather paddling in flat water. I know it is not the first concern for an ocean going ski, but it means alot to me. Try a Nelo, and tell me if your first stroke does not send a wave of cold water crotchward. The new Nelo 560 ski is really neat for a lot of reasons, but is one of the wetest boats, with the slowest bailers I have ever paddled. The 560 is more like a modified K1, and K1 hulls do not do well with bailers. The Hawx cockpit is more K1 like (like the Nelos), but has the dry ride and bailer of the V12. It is more stable than the Nelos, or V12, and feels just as fast. Even if it is a few seconds slower in the flat, it should be faster in big water for just about anyone. I Know I would be faster in it in big water. It is a good thing it is a tiny tight on me, because my boat budget is blown for the year. BTW, the V12 fits me perfect, I need the wide Huki seats, Fenn elites are just a tad tight on me too. Cliff Roach, Philadelphia

Just a FYI , I am about 170lbs , have a 32in waist , 5' 7" tall and it fits me perfect . My brother which is about the same but weights about 190lbs can fit in as well just a tad tighter but he said it wasn't to tight .

Thanks for the info folks. Chaz, I paddle on the east Coast of Australia in conditions from flat river with a bit of powerboat wake to short steep bay and sea conditions so an all-rounder is what I am after. If it is a predictable as I hear the Stellar's are (only tested in the flat so far) in confused conditions but with better catch and drainage then i must wait a bit longer until they ate available and try one before I buy anything else.
So thanks, all your experiences help.

Cheers

Simon

SimonF wrote: Thanks for the info folks. Chaz, I paddle on the east Coast of Australia in conditions from flat river with a bit of powerboat wake to short steep bay and sea conditions so an all-rounder is what I am after. If it is a predictable as I hear the Stellar's are (only tested in the flat so far) in confused conditions but with better catch and drainage then i must wait a bit longer until they ate available and try one before I buy anything else.
So thanks, all your experiences help.

Cheers

Simon

Contact mark mckenzie at elite ocean sports , he has demos of the hawx and should have some in stock to buy . Great guys to buy from ! I tried the racing (blue and white build ) of the hawx and for the price it's great, the carbon elite build ( green and carbon) is quicker from a dead stop and has a better glide , is slightly less stable then the racing build due to the weight difference , but only a small small amount .

MaxB wrote: Hi Mark,

I'm trying to understand where the Hawx sits in the Vajda range. Specs look quite similar to the Orca. Is the Hawx an intermediate, or an elite level boat?

Cheers, Max.

Max,
The Vajda Hawx sits somewhat on it's own in the Vajda range. It certainly has elite level speed but is more stable than the Orca. So, 'intermediate'/'elite', I guess it depends on your criteria for making such a judgement. I would say that it should be able to compete with most of the 'elite' skis out there while providing a bit more stability than most skis of similar performance.

Mark M.
www.eliteoceansports.com

For the record the french senior champion and junior champion have bought a Hawx. I guess they have found it is no so "intermediate" boat

Chaz, when did you get a Vajda and are you going to use it in the Great Island Tri next year? I was going to say, I'd like to try it but if the V-bar maker thinks it tight, I'll never fit in it.

Dan, I'm alot bigger then Cliff and I fit so you can too, just not alot of "extra" room. Send me your e-mail and I'll get back to you about the boat and some more info. Thanks Chaz

The Vajda Hawx Elite has arrived down under and Cade Barnes promptly went out and won in its Aussie debut at Race 1 of the the Blast Paddlers Summer Series at Rose Bay. summerseries.blastpaddlers.com
Vajda should have a container arriving in January.
Bravo Cade!

Mark M.
www.eliteoceansports.com

Check out Cade Barnes’ video of a downwind run down under in the Vajda Hawx Elite.

www.vimeo.com/58275521

Great conditions, wow he was moving

I don't know who put the "Technical conditions" description on there I would have thought those conditions were ideal, you could see the swell lines moving ahead of the paddler left to right but I would have said from behind not going across and if the wind was indeed Northerly in my experience (for what it's worth) set's up a great combination of swell and chop to zig zag down the course.

Cade certainly makes it look easy. Having bought my elite hawx through Cade, it is a ripper of a ski, & holds some great speed & stability. Nearly 2 weeks & it surpasses my expectations every time I am on it. I was impressed with my v12, hawx takes it up another notch.

Great video - how does one combine the GPS data with the video?

According to Cade, it's "Gopro with dashware using garmin forerunner 305". Pretty cool. See vimeo.com/46515035

Just a heads up that Eliteoceansports will be at the East Coast Paddlesports and Outdoor Festival (www.ccprc.com/index.aspx?NID=1542)in Charleston, South Carolina April 19-21st. We will have demos and limited stock of the Vajda Hawx Surfski, as well as Vajda Sprint and Touring class K1s. This is a great opportunity to demo the Vajda Hawx and find out for yourself what this ski is like.