Need advice from kayak to surfski...

I live in the U.S. and only paddle on inland lakes. Usually my sessions are between 2-4 hours. I have owned two kayaks (Eddyline Nighthawk and Necky Eliza). I want something where it FEELS that I am moving faster in the water, for fitness and fun. Also, I need something that is short, 17' would be at max length. Are surfskis really faster and do they feel much faster that a 16 foot kayak? Could I "rig" a surfski so that I could roll it upright? (I can roll my kayak). Can I paddle in cold weather, as long as I dress for emersion? (I have a full Kokatat drysuit). I am 5'8" and weigh 160. Lastly, what surfskis should I look at to narrow my search.
Thanks in advance to all who respond.

Dave

A surf ski will definitely be a faster boat - once you feel comfortable paddling it. The top end skis like the Epic V10 and Fenn Elite will be quite a bit less stable that the kayaks you are used too. All are 21ft 6.5m long

I would look at a Epic V10 Sport as a good starting point if you can find one to try out that would be perfect. These are still over 6.0m long though, would be less stable than a Eliza. Would be faster, handle the rough wind chop better and be safer if you did fall in far from the shoreline.

In a stable boat you can sit on your bottom to balance - fine in calm conditions. In a less stable boat you balance with your paddle stroke. Once mastered though this will work for you on the flat and in conditions a big as your mind and energy can cope with. This is the world of surf ski.

good luck

Dave, I'm a sea kayaker, and actually a pretty quick one. However that speed has not transferred into my ski paddling. I was pretty disappointed when I started to paddle skis to see that while my average speeds were quicker, it was not by much. So while I'm a good kayaker, I'm a poor ski paddler speed wise. And if you need to limit yourself to something 17 feet long, I think you also would be disappointed however I'm not familiar with the kayaks you paddle. One of my 17' kayaks is very easy to paddle all day with a high average speed. Because the ski is more physically demanding on me I'm worn out in a few hours and if I had the choice which craft to paddle over a 2 hour or more period I would take my kayak. For ease of a 1 hour training paddle I would take the ski everytime.