Kai Waa Vega Arc

I weigh the same as you (70kg) and got to try an Arc in breezy and confused conditions. Your assumption about the Arc being corky and reacting too much - with a lighter paddler onboard - in rough conditions is correct. The fit and finish of the ski is excellent and it has an awesome pedigree, but I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner weighing less than 75-80kg. I've paddled mid-weight layups of the Fenn Bluefin, Epic V8 & V9, Carbonology Boost LV & Cruze LV, and NK Squall 540 in similar conditions and consider the Arc the least manageable of the lot. However, I'm a small, old guy, someone bigger shouldn't have the same issues.

I fabricated a wave deflector from a section of paddle shaft.

The miter is joined with cyanoacrylate (CA) glue, a gel type used in woodworking.



I fastened the deflector (semi-permanently) with Sikaflex construction sealer. I would not recommend using Sikaflex construction adhesive. The bond may be too strong and damage the paint if the deflector ever needs to come off. Sealer is very flexible. It only takes a tiny bead.

You could tape it on like most people do. The shaft beds down in the bungee tray - in the radius that curves back up to the hull.

The miter cut was done with a track saw. It was the first cut. The shaft can be held on a table between pieces of 3/4" and another layer of 1/2" plywood
The full shaft is held in place as the plywood creates a new table surface. Then layout the angle, lay the track on top and drop the saw in. Safe, crisp and clean.


Taking out a section of the shaft longitudinally can also be done by holding the shaft with the plywood on each side.


The water curls around and shoots down as it exits.

There is room under the cover for a deflector that is at least 1/2" taller - with room to spare.


I like the low profile, I've never hit it.
A wave has come over it once, but it hit the foam and the bungee. It shot the water up about waist high and it didn't fill the bucket.

Here's how I carry the wing, it's held with bungees and rests on EVA foam from NSI. I alter the feather to about zero and it holds firm.
That lumbar pad is a fantastic addition. Perfect for grip when leaning back. Attached with 2" velcro.



Here's the bungee up front and an extra bolt I put in the track. It's a flanged (stainless) bolt, a flanged nut and some vinyl washers to grip the track teeth.
The track teeth slipped a few times on me, I probably had it crooked by one tooth or something. It won't move anymore.


End plugs are high density polyurethane foam. I get spare small chunks from a shaper that uses it. It's about as solid as wood. I put some gray primer on, for color.


Super nice boat.

This is the rail saver tape I use. It's spendy, but super high quality. It was developed back when Sup's started. It has a textured surface that skips the paddle off the boat and helps prevent damage. Amazing stuff.

northshoreinc.com/shop/rspro/rspro-jumbo-sup-rail-saver-tape/

I use hexatraction to help grip the boat or protect the paint where it rests on the cross bars.

northshoreinc.com/shop/rspro/rspro-hexat...on-basic-board-grip/

Super fun boat.

Here's a recent review with good visuals.

I added a front drain. Surfing with a waist leash and a rear drain is not so good.

I fabricated this tube back when I was in the gen1 V-10 - the one with the stubby orange drain plug.
The 10 would take on water thru that short orange tube if the boat was floating upside down. I made a tube that pointed up when the boat was inverted.

It works on the Arc too, with a smaller rubber stopper. I drilled a 1/2" hole, with a diamond bit designed for ceramic tile. Smooth, perfect hole (use a template as a guide).

Irrigation tubing is easy to bend with heat. I used electrician's shrink fit tubing to reinforce things, grab the loop of string etc. Works great.

When I'm driving, I can leave both holes open and get a bit of airflow. As we all know, a dry boat is a happy boat. On that topic, Sharon Armstrong had a similar tip years ago. She was double holing her boats and pumping air thru them to dry them out. I've only had water in the Arc once, back when I was using the rear drain. Not a drop since.






I've been having a blast surfing on the north shore, sometimes upwind/downwind, sometimes glassy. I love how this boat goes upwind. Much, much easier than the V-9. Super fun because the Arc is so nimble and easy to turn. Excellent training for downwinding.


South shore downwinders are as fun as ever too.

I like this front drain/air hole idea. I hope I get to see the drain in person next week when I am in Maui!

I have been wondering about putting my preferred rear line/waist leash setup on my new Arc for a bit. Locally we have had problems (as you allude to) with some of our Vegas on some big days with rear leash set ups pulling the rear drain bungs out during hulis.

What do you do now with the rear drain - just cover it with tape while you are on the water?

I don't own any ceramic bits, but I do have some good forstner bits and I have been able to drill clean holes in fiberglass with them, putting painters tape on the surface before drilling, adding a small pilot indentation with an awl and drilling the holes with the drill running in reverse....

Do you worry about your rear camera mount in a potential huli with the rear leash?

^Yes, I tape the rear drain hole with a piece of 20mil pipe wrap tape. If I uncover the hole, I place the tape behind it, so the rudder won't turn. That should help remind me not to paddle with the drain open.

I don't use a mast for the cam, my gopro is mounted to the brim of my ball cap.
If I did a camera mast, I'd use a leg leash.

Reddit recommended the ceramic hole bit. I had one on hand, so I used it. The carbon is super hard - so be careful. I recommend using the correct bit, they are only $20. Use a template to prevent it skating.

The best placement for the drain hole is behind the cockpit at the end of the 'V', it's the lowest point upside-down.
I put a proper drain plug that has a screw in or push in plug. Something like what Epic use.

Do not leave an exposed drilled hole! You will regret it as the laminate WILL delaminate when you pull the plug out. It will pull a few carbon strands up and tear a long way.

Excellent advice Ranga, thanks.
For those that don't know what Ranga is describing. Here's an Epic drain plug.
It has a proper rubber gasket, smashed onto the hull with threaded inserts and screws.

If you look down into the abyss of my drilled hole, you can see the strands he's describing.

I wish I had taken a picture of the hole I drilled before covering it with the NSI traction pad.
I had a proper template set up - used water - and went very, very slowly, as if it were glass.
I cleaned the bit a few times as it made a fine paste of the paint and carbon fiber.
The cut was extremely clean and precise.
When it was nearly thru, I left the circular cutout dangling by a few threads of carbon.
I grabbed it with fine pliers and carefully knifed the remaining threads, which was NOT easy.
Carbon threads are hard as can be. Super strong.
Then I covered it with the pad, poked a hole in it and filed out the pad, (carefully) with a very fine rat tail file.
The other thing to be very conscious of is - as Ranga said - the rubber stopper can delaminate the hole.
I've done the stopper trick in other boats and some stoppers are just too hard.
The ski has an extra coat of dark gray textured paint on the storage areas, I think that helps.
Most importantly, the plug I used is very soft. So soft I wondered if it would have enough grab, or push thru the hole.
The pad is a bonus seal, and I doubt I could jam the plug thru the carbon hole even if I tried to.
But Ranga has an excellent point. A hard bung jammed into a ragged hole will fail.
Here's the pad material I used on the rear deck. Great stuff, I use it on my footplates too.
northshoreinc.com/shop/surf/surf-tractio...-by-the-square-foot/
Carrying the wing works better this way for me. I can load all my gear when the ski is on my truck racks, then walk straight to the water. The back pad and the pad under the bungee are perfect for leaning back on a wave. Super comfy.

Here's how I store the tape when the rear drain is open.

I'm loving how the Vega Arc surfs in all conditions.

On this day, the tide action was backing up the current and the east swell was wrapping all the way around the island. It creates steeper, shorter lived, less predictable runs. Super fun.

The Arc's super light weight allows quick, last moment accelerations - potentially sneaking into a run.
Heavy boats are great once you get them going, but I'll take a light boat any day. My joints certainly approve.

If I barely miss a run and find myself perched on top with zero speed as a bit of white water comes thru - the Arc floats and restarts with ease. Super fun boat.

Sounds like the Arc is working very well for you. In Bellingham, we don't really get swell so we depend on higher wind than a lot of places to get good downwinding waves from the fetch in our bay. My impression is that lighter skis like the Kai Wa'a surfskis get bounced around a bit sometimes on our windier days, particularly with lighter paddlers. And carrying the light skis on land or dealing with them after a huli in our high winds becomes something akin to kite management (and encourages us to use rear waist leash setups rather than mid-ski mounts and leg leashes). But otherwise our older guys (me included) love that lightness most of the time when we are loading or unloading and carrying our skis.

Yes, I agree that there are tradeoffs with the super light weight boats in wind.
I'm about 180lbs, (82kg) so I don't suffer much.

I have a friend in her mid 60's that weighs 99 pounds (45kg). She wrangles her Oc-1 in the knarliest wind Maliko has to offer. When she paddles out of Maliko gulch, she has at least 5 minutes of quartering headwind straight in her face or in her ear...

I think of her if the wind seems challenging. Then I imagine the boat being twice as large - that's what she's dealing with. Then I calm down, use my best Aussie accent and tell myself to harden the fuck up!

Here's a few ideas for newer paddlers not accustomed to "swell," fetch etc.

Downwind, my south shore runs have only wind waves, (or chop). No swell behind me. I'm aiming my boat due south.

That video is less than 4 miles from the start of the fetch. Wave period is maybe 2 seconds. (Ocean swells typically begin at 12 seconds).

The 'swell' I mentioned is coming straight at me. The prevailing tradewind was 30mph, gusting to 50, from the east. That's typically a 12 second period.
Ocean swell energy in the Alenuihaha channel makes a 90 degree right hand turn and zooms "backwards" up my south shore run. That's what I meant by the swell pushing back and steepening the waves.

Also, the nearly full moon creates a south to north tide flow. Fun times for sure.

The east wind makes a left hand turn "down" the south shore and a right hand turn "up" the south shore.
Weather forecasting for that run is tricky. Here's a map.

Thanks LPB I really enjoyed that video and beautifully paddled by you. Lots of great intersections with some classic V signs there to push into and get that extra energy.
I was surprised that your wind wave period on that run is only 2sec but have no idea what it is locally in Perth (Western Australia). Seabreeze.com.au displays the swell which is usually WSW 12.5-14sec but the downwind paddles follow the coast South to North with the afternoon breeze usually SSW. Under 14kn is a bit slow to create much excitement and is harder to maintain decent speed. 18kn or more is really fun

Yes, I was also surprised that south shore wind waves have such a short period.
South shore waves are so groomed that we can time the swell period from shore, by watching the peaks as they pass.
Timing your wind waves from the SSE will be tricky. You have a potentially longer fetch. (Wind waves from further away, same direction, are faster and will overcome and pass local wind waves at your spot... )
If you know you have a shorter fetch someday, with an 18 knot wind, you can plug the numbers into this calculator and it will tell you your wind wave period. For example, 18kt over a 20km fetch for 4 hours is only 3.7 seconds.
In my video, my numbers are closer to 30kt over 10k, so the swell period is.... 3.7 seconds.
Last calculator on this page:
swellbeat.com/wave-calculator/
You can plug those numbers into the top calculator on the page to determine how fast the waves are traveling.
It shows how much faster your groundswells from the WSW are, compared to the wind waves from your SSW.
For example, your 18kt/20km/4hrfetch wind waves (3.7 second period) travel at about 17 kph.
Plug in your 14 second WSW deep water swell (2 meters high is a guess) and it's zooming along at almost 70kph.
Big swells are crazy fast. They slow down a bit as they encounter shallower water, but the energy remains. The swell just gets taller. Our "Jaws" reef is shaped like an open horsehoe. It focuses that big stuff and stacks it up crazy high.
When Kai Lenny zooms across those big ones on his foils, he's exceeding 90kph.
I saw Laird wipe out on one, at full speed. He was turning cartwheels across the face of the wave, skipping like a stone. When he finally stopped, the wave broke over him and you could see him, submerged in the wave face as it went over. Those people are not human.
We have a lot of bouys around Hawaii. Surfers use them to predict conditions. Long period swells have astonishing energy.
Here's the converter I use.
www.convert-me.com/en/convert/speed/?u=m_sec&v=18.8

Thanks again LPB. I like the swellbeat.com/wave-calculator/
When I make a few local adjustments such as current swell height around 1.2m and the shallower water particularly between Rottnest Island and our metropolitan coast in Perth, the swells are travelling at 40-48 km/hr
I can only dream about how good 30kn must be! Does anyone there run clinics or facilitate travelling DW paddlers in a similar way to Boyan in Tarifa or Team Mocke in Capetown?

Before Covid, we had small versions of Boyan or Mocke "camps" for travelers. They were in our peak tradewind season - June, July August. Typically, the trades are very reliable in our summer.
Maybe someone will set up an organized ski thing again this year. Summer is when you want to come to Maui for reliable downwind.
If I hear any rumors, I'll let you know.

Here's some 40 knot gusts. It was off and on that particular day.
When rain is blasting you from behind and there are no clouds - that's windy!