ski advice for relative beginner

Hi.

I having been paddling on a Finn endorfinn plastic ski for approx 6 years for mostly fun and fitness and have previously completed the Avon descent.

I am looking to upgrade to an ocean ski for something faster and lighter and was after some advice on which ski to get.

I aim to use the ski for mostly fun and fitness with maybe the odd race here and there. I am living in Manly, Sydney and would mostly be using it in the harbour and in the open ocean at Manly beach.
I weigh approx 70kg and 177cm tall.

I have tried both an Epic V8 and and V10 on flat water. I found the V8 solid as a rock whereas the V10 I found slightly tippy on the flat but managed fine.

I was was thinking about purchasing an Epic V10s or a Fenn Swordfish as a general all round ski however I have not tried either of these skis specifically.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm 71kg and dislike the larger 6.5m skis, and while the Epic Sport is not long it would stll be a big ski for you too with the width and volume in my opinion. I have a 6.2m Swordfish which I absolutely love and have paddled a new V10 in messed up chop and it was very similar stability wise to my Swordfish but felt like a big ski to me, actually the V10 I paddled was the heavy performance model and my Swordfish is the 11kg carbon model so I would say the Swordfish might even be slightly more stable than the new V10. So if you managed a new V10 ok I would suggest you try a Swordfish, I know of a guy that bought one as his first ski and yeah he did struggle a bit for awhile but is now paddling and swimming a K1

The V10 seems to be more comfortable for some, it took me awhile to get the seating position to work for me in the Swordfish and I had to make a custom seat pad to get comfortable. The V10 is a wetter ride and is slower around the cans by a long way compared to the quick turning Swordfish, only really a consideration if doing racing around cans. You should be able to get a Swordfish a lot cheaper than an Epic but if you prefer an Epic after trying a Swordfish just pay for one and be happy.

The short answer is, no matter what advice you get, you still need to paddle them and that's the factor that trumps all others. So get hold of the dealers and line them up. They feel very different so you won't have much trouble making up your mind. If you could paddle the V10 on the flat you could handle both the Swordy and the V10s in chop or surf so try to get some conditions other than flat, because that's where the differences will be more evident, and because that's what you want them for. Neither are flat water skis.

Vajda Hawx 46 or 52 and Think Evo II and Stellar SEI are other options. Since you're on the North Shore, plenty of dealers ready for demos. Come down to the Clontarf race on May 10th, everyone will be there & plenty of experts

I'd have to agree with Marieski and say try as many as you can. While there are a number of skis in the same range, they all suit your shape differently. Try lots and then take the one you think you like out for a long paddle of at least 1 1/2 hours. Some skis seem comfortable at first but are not so comfy after an hour.

Fortunately there are quite a few skis that you can try close to Manly. You should be able to demo most brands somewhere close by.

As Portmanm has said, you should come down to Clontarf on the 10th and talk to a few of the guys (and gals) there. Most will be happy to give you a short test paddle and you will see just about very brand. If your not comfortable just approaching people there, come and talk to one of the organisers and they should be able to introduce you to a few people. Also a great way to meet people to paddle and race with.

Thanks very much for the advice guys. I will head to Clontarf next week and aim to try as many as I can.

The one boat I would suggest that you add to your list is the New V10L. it is a shorter ski at 6.2m and is designed for lighter paddlers. I find it more stable than the V10, as do other lighter paddlers I know. Because we find that as light weights (I'm in the low 60ies) we tend to bob around on the V10, where on the V10L the boat sits in the water. The better fit also adds to stability.
it is my boat of choice

Try both the magnum and the Australis by DD3. Both offer stability and speed; Both come in at 5.8m. The Magnum offers more stability, but is not a novice level ski.
As all DD3 all skis made here in Australia by qualified Shipwrights who are competitive paddlers. Attached are photos of recent DD3 Australis.

I started on the v10sport. It was a good ski providing more stability than the original v10. I tried most skis for my level - fenns and thinks, I then tried the Australis by DD3, it was fantastic and really suited my level of paddling. I found that when paddling with my mates the ski seemed to run better when we were all paddling at the same stroke rate. I found the Australis to be even better in the runs.
I use the ski 4 times per week and the ski is as solid as the day I purchased it. I did have a small problem with the footboard and the crew at DD3 fixed it straight away, they even gave me a ski whilst mine was getting fixed.

A mate of mine has the Magnum and I had a go of it. It is really stable - more than my Australis-and fast. It is the carbon model (mine is the glass). I was surprised at how strong it was for 11kg. I know he is really happy with the performance and build quality. I have had my Australis now for 3 years and it has many more years left.
If you are located in Sydney give the guys at DD3 a call or they could even be at the race this weekend at clontarf competing.

Happy paddling - Sydneypaddler