Aussie paddlers, help me sort the plastic boats!

Posting this here are I know a lot of ski paddlers also dabble in river racing and multisport/adventure racing so could help me figure out the current crop of rotomoulded boats into what works well for downriver racing.

I ask because the spirit PRS and Finn MOLOKAI are up around $2000 as they are a ocean ski that is popular in downriver racing due to their speed. As I don't want a plastic for the ocean I wondered if any of the others come close in speed for much less $$$

All I ever seems to hear about When talking about plastic river skis and kayaks are Spirit PRS, endorfinns or spirit ski's. Surely there have to b other boats that stack up for river racing.

Here is some of the boats I have found in Perth stores that look okay, please rate them fastest to slowest if u know, leave a boat out if u can't rate it, add boats that I've missed.

Spirit PRS
Finn Molokai
Spirit Surfski
Finn Endorfin
Ocean kayaks sprinter
Cobra eliminator
Finn Multisport
Wavehopper

A little dated but still relevant is the Rapid Ascent Big Kayak Test. Easy to google.

They rates quite a few of the plastics that are still around today, you won't find Spirit PRS or Finn Molokai though.

I am a bit suspect of the speeds they stated. I paddle a Finn Endorfinn and would struggle sustain the speed they achieve for anything but a short sprint.
From memory in their test at 75% effort they achieved 11 km/hr for a 1 km out and back course.

Thanks for reminding of that test Scott, hadn't bothered to look at the plastics on there previously.

I was interested to hear from anyone who has paddled the Ocean Kayaks Sprinter and Cobra Eliminator, both of which are mentioned as being the fastest craft in US adventure races.

I have owned a spirit surfski but found it too short in the leg length and a tad slow. I paddle my composite over 11km/hr on average but the spirit at the same level of effort would only do about 9km/hr. I am led to believe the endorphin and spirit ski are on a par for speed!?

Hi AR_convert,

I have owned an Eliminator for over 5 years now. It is definately faster than the Sprinter and Endorphin. I can average 10 km per hour in the Eliminator (except in rougher conditions).....contrast this to my average of 11.6 km per hour in my Think Evo. The Eliminator is very stable, I have only every put it in a couple of times in thousands of hours paddling (it has great primary stability...with lowish secondary). It is a great thing in smoother conditions but is a real pain in rough water. In rough water the rudder is unresponsive and the low freeboard tends to swamp it quicker than the bailer can cope with. Having said that I love the Eliminator and the speed tends to shock others, personally I think it is the "most speed per dollar spent" of all the plastics. I only paid a bit over $1000 for it brand new including Freight to Tasmania. Lastly be warned the Eliminator doesn't like carrying weight....if you are less than 75kg go for it otherwise it will sit way to low in the water.

cdo wrote:

I love the Eliminator and the speed tends to shock others, personally I think it is the "most speed per dollar spent" of all the plastics. I only paid a bit over $1000 for it brand new including Freight to Tasmania. Lastly be warned the Eliminator doesn't like carrying weight....if you are less than 75kg go for it otherwise it will sit way to low in the water.

Sheesh, I had almost run out the door and bought one until the last sentence

Bang for buck is what I was after for multisport races where some rapids were involved but mainly flat water.

Being 85kg at present and usually racing at about 84kg it sounds like I will be too heavy

$$$ is what it's about really, the Finn Molokai II is over $2000 and extra for the dual rudder system, and the Spirit PRS isnt far behind...hard to justify for one or two races a year.

Sorry for that advise...but at least you didn't get stuck with an unsuitable boat! Others also agree with me on the weight refer: www.fastkayak.com/cobra.html

To quote here: it is great if under 160 pounds doable between 160 and 185 but speed will suffer.

I initially weighted 81kg when I first purchased the Eliminator and now weigh 75kg. The speed difference with the weight gone is measurable and it is no doubt because of the shape of the hull. With my light weight wife on this hull it probably has about as much wetted surface as a racing k1 and the weight increases dramatically the wetted surface because of the flared hull (no doubt even more sensitive because of the extreme swede shape). It is a fast hull though in the right hands! My wife is not a powerful paddler but she regularly beats fibreglass multisports with this cheap plastic boat.