V5 came, had my first paddle today

It was amazing. The first 5 minutes felt a little bit odd, but after that I was able to find my balance and go hard.  I'm planning on one more trip in the protected harbor area (Newport Beach) before venturing into the ocean and trying to catch a few waves.

I'm putting in an order for the kick up rudder and I'm also looking at Epic's leg leash (www.epickayaks.com/product-page/deluxe-leg-leash) - I already have leashes for surfboards, can I use a surfboard leash instead? The Epic leash looks super short, but my surfboard leashes are more like 8 feet long. My only thought is that the surfboard leash might be cumbersome.

All the tips I've got from here have been great - it's nice to have this site because it seems like the only other big surfski communities are on facebook.

Regarding leash I think the only difference is most surfboard leashes are not coiled. Ski leashes are coiled so they naturally sit in the cockpit after a remount - you dont have to reel in the 7' of leash dragging in the water. Also the coil reduces the chance of a tangle. Definitely use a leash though. as you know you will never catch a boat once you lose it.
If you're in calm-ish conditions a non-coiled surfboard leash is fine to get started. I'd invest in a 6 or 8' coiled leash for the longer term, or if you have a longer coiled surf leash that should work fine.

Why order the kick up rudder? Low water in the back bay at low tide? an under stern rudder performs better in pretty much every way. If you dont need the kick up/low draft capability, a DK rudder performs better than any factory rudder i've used (probably the same cost too)

I only paddled the NP harbor once when I picked up my SF-S from a guy at the NAC. I paddled all the way from NAC to 1 mile out in the ocean and back. The boat traffic in the harbor, particularly as you approach the main bay and mouth, works well to practice riding wakes in a calm environment. outside the harbor mouth had a lot of reflected waves but still good riding. Also with it being the 4th this weekend, you can probably score some free beer if you chase boats around
Funny story, I was a couple miles out from the ventura harbor and chased down a sailboat as the wind died in the evening to draft his wake for a little while. They said "Would you like some grey poupon?". I hollared back, "Mustard, i was hoping for a beer" and laughed (as I was just joking). Before i could say just kidding the guy threw a Corona to me. good times.

I was thinking the kick up rudder would be less prone to damage in general and I wouldn't need to be as cautious during launches, but if the under stern rudder is that far superior I'm going to stick with it for now and see if I run into any problems.

Those DK rudders look great, I'm going to make a note of that. I'm a 3d printing hobbyist so the entire idea of custom rudders is something I might want to experiment with myself.

Yeah the 4th of July weekend definitely sounds like the best time to score a free paddling beer, or at the least get some good practice wakes near the jetty. Stories that end with a free beer are always good.

During a clinic earlier this summer, one person showed up with a Stellar ski equipped with an overstern. Even on that inland lake with mild chop the person effectively couldn't steer and had to change boats.
Having an understrern is really not that limiting. The only real issue is weedy backwaters, but there shouldn't be any chop there so the steering should be fine.

Thanks - I've already gotten used to being careful with the understern rudder and I'm not having any issues, so I don't think I'll end up ordering an overstern. The ski came with Epic's carbon fiber surf rudder, and I might pick up one of the $40 rotomolded weedless rudders as a back up.

I'm glad I mentioned my plans here - this forum has already saved me some money and frustration.

On another note, I went in the ocean for the first time and promptly capsized when trying to catch a wave - there was a cross swell and I wasn't bracing properly and I kind of got swamped/unstable at the crest of the wave due to (I assume) not fully committing to it. Looking forward to getting back out there.

thanks for the report, keep them coming.  here's my set up
wave deflector - essential as it's a pretty wet ski
seat pad - thin, for grip only, keeps your bum stuck down so you can lean into turns
seat belt - from my wave ski background and essential for the way i surf mine.  warning, not for the inexperienced
paddle leash - not used all the time, only when there's a possibility of coming out of the ski in decent winds or surf.  damage a 2 piece paddle though
paddle - one piece shaft for strength when digging in to catch waves.  zero offset for when you're skim bracing side to      side and an angled blade might dig in and pull you out the ski
waist leash - only used in waves of consequence in case the paddle leash fails.  much easier to re mount with than a
calf leash 
DK rudder - the Epic surf rudder is fine 90% of the time and the tip can be easily rebuild if you hit the bottom.  but for        fast steep waves the DK offers ultimate control and no broaching

i doubt that after your first session, that you'll ever fall out again

pete 

  

paddlepop - what kind of epoxy resin do you use for the small touch ups on carbon fiber parts?

wave deflector looks super helpful, that's going on my list. Was yours a custom design or were you able to purchase it? I think it's something I might be interested in 3d-printing, but I need to look into how to properly attach something like that to a plastic hull - not sure if adhesives will work as well.

I like the concept of the waist leash as well - actually sounds more comfortable - it looks like your attachment point is somewhere near the back of the ski from the picture, am I seeing that correctly?

I'm learning with 0 degree feather after watching the Chalupsky lessons on youtube, and it makes intuitive sense.

I just use 5 minute Araldite epoxy that's easy to have on hand and hardens fast enough to get me back on the water.  with a bit of mucking around it's great on rudders

and for gouges i just smear it over for smoothness and waterproofing, although this repair job has been like it for months

the wave deflector is an Epic part and i wouldn't 3d print one.  mine came in clear carbon so i sprayed it white with a rattle can.  i did an initial stick down with cloth tape to get the right positioning and haven't moved it.  surprisingly it's stayed there through many huge white water hits


waist leashes are hard to track down but are available on SUP sites

i made mine from a spare SUP leash and a loop of 2" webbing with velcro sewn on.  it attaches to the rear handle

the zero degree takes a bit of getting used to.  i went straight from a 60 deg and had missed strokes for  afew sessions but getting better every time until i realised i'd got it

cheers

Perfect, I'm ordering some of that epoxy from amazon, and given that the wave deflector is made by Epic, will definitely be picking one of those up as well.

Thanks for all the tips- super helpful.