"BEST"Kayak Ergometer

I am considering buying an erg for off water training. Being fairly new to surf ski I find it dififcult to work on my stroke technique without losing stability. As an example if I want to concentrate on paddle entry I find it quite difficult to sit in the bay with chop and work on this aspect. On the erg i can repeat entry over and over without stability issues.

My thought is with an erg i can be somewhat more precise in my training as far as technique. Esp. on cold wet days.

I know the erg is more stable than is my ski but I believe it would be helpful.

I have read reviews for the Vasa and the Speedstroke. Both seem to get good reviews. I now see 2 others,
the K1 trainer and the stroke2 max ergo.

All of these ergs have endorsements. i don't know if these are paid endorsements or not.

In the end is one really better than the others?

From what i have read the Speedstroke Gym model is tops but of course this is just someone's opinion.

Has anybody used more than one of the above ergs and if so your thoughts, please.

On the other hand is it worth spending $2,000 or more for one of these?

Will i progress any faster or develop better technique with an erg as opposed to just time in the ski when conditions permit?

I am not endorsed or aligned with anyone. I have a Kayak Pro. It is awesome. They are pricey, but do not really depreciate terribly after the initial post retail drop, and they last forever. Really, I wish I bought one earlier. Just my 2 cents worth. Cliff Roach/ Goodboy Kayaks

I'm with Cliff on this one. I just happened to find a used KayakPro Speedstroke on ebay last fall. I drove 4 hrs to get it but it was well worth the price discount.

I still need to put a mirror in front of it but you can really focus on everything accept balance. Plus, it can really help with conditioning so you start the next season being strong with good endurance. I don't plan on stopping paddle so even at full price, you are buying something that will last a very long time.

not sure where you are located, but just saw one for sale on Wesley's website surfskiracing.org

kwolfe wrote: not sure where you are located, but just saw one for sale on Wesley's website surfskiracing.org

Thanks. Im in Florida so after shipping may still be a good deal.

Hello drjay
I can give you only some Infos to the Paddlelite Ergo i bought some years ago. (dont know if it`s sold all over the planet). A Ergo Trainer can t give you all the things you need for a good training exercise, but it is quite ok. for pushing your condition.The Paddlelite has a few pros and cons i figured out .
Pros: good tool for doing something on bad weather conditions or wintertime.
keeps holding your training standard
Cons : bad seat out of the seveties racekayaks.
ropes allways touching the frame on a high paddle stroke.
Wrist Problems after one hour Training (never happens to me in a kayak)
best technic trainig is allways done in a kayak itselve, because a machine doesen t give you the right feeling for a boat
hope that helps a bit, and excuse my english