Confused - Upgrade to a Surf Ski or Kayak?

Hi, I am looking for help and reading the net sites am only getting more confused so am looking for guidance from your experience.

I am looking at making the move up from my plastic kayak (Escape from Q-Kayaks) and invest in something serious. Looking at the different kyaks available I seem to have to make a difficult choice. I love to paddle fast and ride the swell, and a ski would suit this perfectly. I also like to rest & take in the view, and a sea kayak seems better for this. I am not looking at competing or doing long expeditions as I can only get to paddle 3 to 4 times a month.

I only paddle in the ocean off Safety Bay (Rockingham) where there is choppy 1-3 foot waves with bigger swell further out, and based on the fact that my Kyak is currently 75cm wide, stability is going to be my major issue. I want to be able to paddle alone so having a very light ski/kayak that I can lug to the beach and load on a car would also be a requirement.

I am 6ft3 and weigh just over 100kg. Yesterday I tried a Finn Molokai and only made it about 30 foot before falling out. Even in shallow flat water, I found the ski very hard to paddle.

Anything you can suggest would be appreciated.

Thanks

Try the Finn endorfin. More stable, still fun and easy to remount. Pick them up second hand and good resale.

Perhaps a cross-over would suit you better. Look at the Think Fit and the Epic V-8. The Think Fit incorporates a surf ski cockpit into a kayak-style platform. At 20" wide and 17' long, it performs quite well while still having a decent measure of stability (and a huge amount of secondary stability), and weighs only 34 lbs in fiberglass/28 lbs in Kevlar. And if you do fall out, you can reenter, pull the drain plug, and be on your way like you would most skis. Plus you have a hatch for storing gear.

I haven't tried the Epic V-8, but as a surf ski based on the Epic 18X Sport kayak, it should have a good combination of speed and stability. I've heard it surfs quite well, and weight appears to be comparable to the Fit.

I had a quick go on a V8 yesterday.
It has a very wide bucket and I actually felt less stable on it for the first couple of minutes than my V10 which I had just got out of.

It feels to have huge volume.
I was cutting turns on the jet ski wakes that I could only dream of in my own boat.

Even though the hull is meant to be almost identical to a 18X, It was a completely different beast in the real world.
Maybe the seating position is a different height or fore aft balance?

Is certainly something that almost anybody could get on and head into complicated water.
I'd rather a narrower bucket though.
Maybe it comes in two configurations like the sport?

I love my endorfinn. You can drag it on the beach if you choose. Forgiving most of the time. Not very expensive. I raced it as such and can do 8km in just under an hour and I am not superman.
g

Don't let falling off the first time put you off a specific ski.

I have had an Endorfinn for 5 months now and love it. With no prior paddling experience I fell in with my first ever paddle stroke. There was plenty of brace strokes initially but I have only had 3 unexpected swims (not counting surf entry and exits).

I am a similar size to you at 6 ft and 100 kg and usually paddle on Moreton Bay with a 1-2 ft chop. I am comfortable to stop and take photos and rarely use a brace stroke now. This increased confidence allows you to work on paddle technique and thus speed.

Paddle speed on the Endorfinn for me started averaging 7 km/hr and on a very good day is now up to 9.5 km/hr.

For versatility it will also handle surf entry and exits. I am starting to get a little Fiberglass envy though.

Fibreglass envy. Seek help now. It will only get worse.

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I have booked a trial of an Epic V8 for next weekend so will let you know how it goes.

By the way, has anyone heard of the Apollo XI and whether it is a good ski?