Found Merv Larson surf ski. Hoping for some info

Hi everyone,

I just acquired a Merv Larson surf ski. It had been up in the rafters of this house in La Jolla where I had been renting a room. The house got sold and I was allowed to have the dusty old kayak in the rafters.

Well I pulled it down tonight to take to my new home, brushed off the 3 inches of dust and saw Merv Designs was the label. After doing a bit of research, it seems Merv was somewhat of a badass in the surf ski world. I really knew nothing about surf skis until tonight.

My original intentions when acquiring this old kayak were to see if I could possibly use it to access the outer kelp beds for spearfishing in la jolla. This would most likely require me modifying the kayak to hold my gun, fins, etc. If it was an old piece of junk kayak, it wouldn't be a problem. The problem is that it is actually in pretty damn good shape, and from the reading I've done, it seems it may be a piece of history in the surf ski world or valuable in its original condition.

Merv was an innovator, probably the best surf ski rider ever, and an icon in the surf ski world. While I am new to surf skis, I am a surfer. Merv reminds me of George Greenough in lots of ways. If this kayak I have is historically significant or even just cool to have in its original state I would feel bad modifying it.

Anyway, I am posting here tonight to learn more about what I have in my hands and to get everyones opinion on whether or not I should use it for my intended purpose.

It was dark when I pulled it down so no pictures yet but I'll try to get some asap.

It looks approximately 20 ft, maybe 18 ft when compared to my 14 ft Bark paddleboard (prone, not SUP). Similarly shaped to my Bark 14 footer as well. Sit on top with a foot pedal operated keel. Fairly flat rocker. Looks like its for racing to me, kinda like my paddle board, but what do I know...

Thanks for your help!

Cool find.
I'll give Merv a call today and try to hook you up with him.

That would be fantastic. I would love to learn more about this thing from the man himself!

Pics to come soon, if anyone is interested.

Hey Spearo, cool find!

I'm really curious what it looks like. Merv is a pioneer, designer, shaper, in the California paddle surfing scene. I'm also how far back on the evolutionary tree the design is? Is it a waveski, a planing hull kayak, or a displacement hull surf boat? I surf waveskis, and paddle surfkis and kayaks. All good fun. Personally, I'd get a beater plastic Sit-On-Top for fishing, and surf the iconic Merv!

A great forum for waveskis, if you need more information:

www.uswaveski.com/

Inquiring minds would like to know.

Check out vintage Merv Larson tearing it up:

Not sure I could surf this thing Seamonkey! Its definitely a surf ski and not a wave ski. At least 18 ft long. Looks very very similar to an unlimited paddleboard except you sit on top rather than lay or knee paddle.

Thinking it would be a fun project to restore. Had cool teak handles to either side of where you sit but one is missing now. Might find some old teak and try to shape a replacement handle.

Here is an interesting thing about it: the bottom of the hull is pretty flexible. It appears to all be fiberglass but hollow. It is rigid along the centerline of the hull but flexible to either side. Is this normal? Its quite different from my paddleboard which is solid foam and fiberglass in structure.

I had to temporarily store it in my friends backyard last night. Going to go rinse the years of dust off here in a bit and give it a once over and take pics to post!

Oh yeah and cool video btw!

Okay here are the pics. Still dusty, but you get the idea.

SWEET ! It's flex on the sides and solid down the centerline cuz there is likely a foam (or maybe teak , kidding) stringer oriented vertically. Flexy cuz its probably hand layup minimal layers and no core material in the laminate.(not to mention relatively old). Looks cool though , how bout a shot bow to stern of the hull and maybe a rocker profile.I don't think I would inclined to paddle that to far off shore…..

Single footwell design, way ahead of its time...

I met Merv in 1976 when I was a junior flatwater paddler and he got me into his waveskis and he built me a surfski also to race in the lifesaving events (if you were one of the dozen guys racing then Merv built your ski. Merv got a mold from Hayden Kenney in Australia for the spec ski of the day (or built his own mold off a Hayden Ski - I can't remember which). I had a no pigment clear ski Merv built me that looked the same. Merv was working to get his skis as light as possible and used only a couple of layers of 8 oz. fiberglass cloth on some - so they flexed. He used foam stringers he shaped. He used the basic hull and made different decks - this looks like one he screwed onto the hull. He also raced an Olympic flatwater boat (a Lancer) with leg straps for balance (that boat is in my garage) and built a deck he put on an Olympic flatwater K2 hull. I had lag straps on my racing ski so I could roll it. Always the innovator - every time I was in his shop there was always a new idea to make a lighter faster ski. I can also get you in touch with Merv.

Yeah definitely seems to be a centerline stringer/minimal internal structure. Could be sketch to take offshore due to its hollowness and age. Not sure how fast it would sink if it sprung a leak!

I'll see if I can get you those shots soon. Thanks for the info!

locoguy wrote: I met Merv in 1976 when I was a junior flatwater paddler and he got me into his waveskis and he built me a surfski also to race in the lifesaving events (if you were one of the dozen guys racing then Merv built your ski. Merv got a mold from Hayden Kenney in Australia for the spec ski of the day (or built his own mold off a Hayden Ski - I can't remember which). I had a no pigment clear ski Merv built me that looked the same. Merv was working to get his skis as light as possible and used only a couple of layers of 8 oz. fiberglass cloth on some - so they flexed. He used foam stringers he shaped. He used the basic hull and made different decks - this looks like one he screwed onto the hull. He also raced an Olympic flatwater boat (a Lancer) with leg straps for balance (that boat is in my garage) and built a deck he put on an Olympic flatwater K2 hull. I had lag straps on my racing ski so I could roll it. Always the innovator - every time I was in his shop there was always a new idea to make a lighter faster ski. I can also get you in touch with Merv.

Thanks for taking the time to share some great firsthand info. Getting in touch with him would be great. Please let me know if you get an email address or number where I can reach him.

It really sounds like he is a true legend. Due to Merv's status I'm till not sure whether to use the ski in the ocean as it was intended or not.