Re: fenn mako 6 or huki s1-r??

Sebastian,

What ICF K1 do you use and feel very stable in? A racing boat like the Vajda Supersonic, Cleaver X, Nelo Vanquish; a masters' boat like the Vanquish Vintage, Lancer; or a trainer ICF K1 like the Kirton Tor?

The Mako 6 / Epic V10 / Huki S1X-Special are a little bit more stable on flatwater than the Lancer and Vintage. The Think Evo is also between the Vintage/Lancer and the Tor, but much closer to the Tor in stability. The Huki S1R is about like the Tor in stability.

The Mako 6, V10, S1X-special, Evo are narrow at the paddle entry and look and feel like racing skis. They all perform very well on flatwater and on rough water. The Huki S1R is fairly wide at the paddle entry (more like a sea kayak in width at paddle entry) and looks and feels more like an intermediate ski. It's a bit slower on the flatwater than the others. If the Huki S1R sounds like it's best for you in stability, but you can buy a Fenn more easily, the Fenn Mako XT is very similar to the Huki S1R on the flat and in the rough water.

Hi Sebastian,
I cannot comment on the paddling on the boats but you are able to test a Fenn Mako6 or Millenium at the Lake Konstanz (Bodensee). They are also available in France.
Epic Surfskis are available and ready for testing in Hamburg (Germany) or Skandinavia. There are also some Custom Kayaks surfskis around.
Huki skis are great and Huki is offering great service but import to Europe is difficult and expensive. You have to organize it yourself and you are the one who is taking the risk of the likely case of the boat being damaged during transport. According to Jude Turzcynski from Huki, so far only 2 Huki skis have been shipped to Europe (France if I remember it correctly).

Cheers, Rolf

If flatwater speed is what you're after, with the capability of surfing wakes, etc. then the Mako 6 is the better choice. It's hands down faster than the S1-R, which I own. A friend has the carbon 6. I've paddled it; it's a rocket. The S1-R is significantly more stable though, a superb choice if you enjoy going out in big conditions, or if your skills are not quite up to that level (like mine). Had my Huki out Saturday in 4-7' swell and confused wind driven fetch with gale force winds-it was supremely stable. Opting out the S1-R with the 4" rudder will increase speed, but still not to the point of the Mako, and the S1-R does give you the option also of a kick up rudder for shallows. Interesting feel to the Mako; it feels nervous right at the onset, but two or three paddle strokes in, it firms up wonderfully at speed. Picks up and flies like a bird on the slightest swell also-the single footwell and narrow 'fit like a glove' cockpit and catch invite proper rotation.