looking to purchase first ski--Twogood?

I'm a longtime sea kayaker but have never tried a surfski. I've seen Twogood surfskis in my kayaking magazines for years, and now there's one for sale near me. Does anybody know what model this is and whether it would be an OK starting boat for an experienced kayaker (but no surfski experience). Thanks for any advice!!!

That looks like a museum-piece - albeit in beautiful condition, it must have been looked after incredibly well.

I suspect that it'll be very tippy and perhaps frustrating because of it.

There are so many surfski brands and models now, that it might be worth starting on something a little more stable.

I guess it really depends how much the owner wants for the boat and what your budget is.

It's a great strategy too, to "try before you buy" if the owner will let you.

Thanks for that--very helpful. The price is only $400 (incl. accessories) but I suppose price doesn't matter so much if the boat doesn't work well for me. I live too far away to try it out but the owner might be traveling to my area soon in which case there is the potential for him to bring it along with him. Though that pretty much commits me to purchase at that point.

Another thing to consider is that those old boats were fixed length - so it may not be your leg length. Modern boats have adjustable footplates.

It's really important that you get that aspect right - the rudder pedals should be a length where your legs are neither too bent, nor too straight. You should be able to rotate in your stroke without the backs of your knees hitting the deck. But if your legs are too bent, it'll interfere with your stroke and you'll feel unstable!

I'd recommend a test paddle.

You can't grasp the stability by width.

My wife has a capella and I have a nelo 510 ski. Similar width.

Chalk and cheese stability.

The nelo is considered a *very* stable ski. The capella a nice stable sea kayak.

I've put people in my ski who struggled to stay upright, but had no issues paddling the capella.

It is how far fore and aft the width is carried that makes such a huge difference.

It looks to be a Twogood Chalup-ski. I have one. It was my first surfski. Was very tough to learn on. Solid as a rock fiberglass, fairly heavy. I would say similar to Epic V10 in stability. I still paddle mine some and it is somehow still very fast vs newer models, though less comfortable with heels and knees sitting higher than on more modern versions. Rob is correct about the fixed leg length. It would be pure luck if it fit you just right. This boat was mentioned in Oscar Chalupsky’s recent book as the first mass produced surfski, which was designed by Oscar and built by Bob Twogood in Hawaii. More of a collector’s item than a practical entry boat, imo.

Would weigh a ton compared to modern skis.
While a cheap ski may seem good enough as a starter it could also put you off skis altogether

It's a Twogood Offshore.

Offshore SX and Offshore XT
Our Offshore models have a unique combination of stability, speed, and cargo capacity. There is not a touring kayak on the water as fast as the Offshore. If you decide to outfit it with deck cargo fittings, along with bow and stern carry handles, you will have a touring kayak that will paddle faster fully loaded than most touring kayaks will go when empty! In flat water the XT has competitive speed and stability. For rough water or surfing the SX has more rocker in the bow to give you agility.

Length: 18' 4"
Max Beam: 18"
Max Beam at Waterline: 18"
Weight: 21 - 43 lbs. depending on laminate materials

Honestly I wouldn't. I am well familiar with sea kayak/ski differences (I put in more miles on a kayak). To start, the best is to go with something like a V8. There are more differences than similarities between sea kayaks and skis, especially in motor skills involved, so easy always wins. Something like a V8 is also a boat that you will likely want to keep for rougher conditions as you progress. They are also easy to sell, so if you find one used it's pretty close to a no-loss situation if you don't use it.
Even picking up a new one, in my opinion is better than buying a vintage. I had friends do exactly this just to find they are unable to take 5 strokes without falling in and ending up with an unsellable paperweight in their garage.

If you get a new one, sure it will cost you and you will lose when re-selling, but if you consider that a price for a most optimal learning path that may not be so bad.

In addition to V8, you can consider a think Zen or a Nelo 520. Nelo would be the tippiest out of the 3 but should be manageable with some initial dedication. Do test paddle...the buckets are different and that may mean a world to your initial progress. I personally dislike anything Think I have tried/owned, sort of meh on Epics but the Nelo is an absolute godsend for me. My first half-summer in it I achieved more progress than in several years prior.
Don't get me wrong Thinks and Epics are fine skis, my point is that you can't really outfit them nearly as much as sea kayaks, so a good initial fit is super-important. I know plenty of folks who are very happy in Think and Epic buckets, I am just not one of them.