Single or double?

I have been paddling a Fenn Blue Fin S for a few months now and loving it.
Last weekend my wife had a try on the Blue Fin and was very successful. She did a few ins and outs at Fish Hoek and thoroughly enjoyed herself. Now she also wants a ski.

The question is:
Should I get another Blue Fin or go one step further with a Fenn XTS double? I am inclined towards another Blue Fin and then later on when she has built up some experience, try renting a double to try and then buying one.

I am also thinking that being on a double would give her more confidence and in that way encourage her to try downwinding.

Any pearls of wisdom from the forumites?

I would think about getting 2 skis in the beginning. Doubles are great however if she decides she doesn't like it, I would think the resale would be more difficult.

Also, I would prefer to see the other person when paddling instead of having them behind me all the time.

This is what I am thinking. The only downside is then having to buy the double later on as well as the single now. I will end up with 5 boats, not that you can have too many. The storage will also become an issue. Got to love this surfski malarkey.

Double skis and kayaks have a justified reputation as divorce makers. There is something about the close confines and the need to stay in synch that is just too much for most couples to handle. I have a v10 double. My wife and I made it 8 minutes before an epic fight ensued, no pun intended. We have not been in the double since. Maybe borrow or rent a double a few times to see if it is an ok fit for your relationship before buying is a good idea.

Zachhandler is right. You really must try a double ASAP. You will almost certainly have your answer straight away. They are surprisingly difficult to get the best out of. I am a reasonably competent downwind paddler and my partner can confidently paddle my Bluefin in choppy water. However although we never fight about it; we find paddling my XT double extremely difficult in anything other than glass calm water. We ride tandem bikes with no trouble but there is just something about the double ski that we really struggle with. I’ve been in the back of a Fenn Elite double behind Michael Booth. It was pretty awesome. I’ve never been so fast in a ski but although we didn’t come close to falling out; I still felt quite tense. I’ve been behind Oscar in the Nelo 600 and that was pretty fun but once again I couldn’t quite relax. Maybe it’s just me. You and your wife might have a ball. I hope you do.

Great feedback, keep it coming. Thanks.

My biggest concern is having 2 beginners in a double. I don't want to spend to much time falling out and playing the blame game.
I am thinking to just get another single for the wife and maybe in a years time consider getting a double. Of course I will rent a double to try for the first few occasions to see how compatible we are in a double ski.

The two of us on the Legend Nessy is painless as the boat is so stable and paddling out of sync wont throw you out the boat.

Hi Steve,

There's a demo Nelo 600 Double at the Fish Hoek Beach Sports Club if you'd like to try it out.

Cheers
Rob

Great, thanks Rob. Next time I come to Fish Hoek I will give it a go. Who is the go to man there?

Give me a shout and I'll tell you where the boat is and the combination of the lock! Just to preempt you - it is being used and isn't available this particular weekend!

Great thanks. I will let you know!