Anyone paddle a Guevara?

After some time away from surfskis and racing I am looking to get back into it. Previously I owned a millenium which I never got comfortable with. I eventually bought and was allot happier on the XT.

Back then it was the XT or the XT for stable boats. I read the review on the Guevara and am seriously considering it. It looks like a nice boat and right now I value stability over speed.

The review does mention that the Guevara is faster than the XT and "just shy of the mark" for serious racing. Does anyone have an opinion of how shy? Am I going to regret not going with an Evo or V10S? Right now I am looking to do more playing in the roughs than racing, but I see myself getting more into racing down the road. I had a futura2 for a short while and found it to be frustratingly slow when paddling with others. Will the Guevara keep up on casual paddles with people on faster boats?

I have a chance to get a good deal on a Guevara and it sounds more stable than the Evo or V10S, I just don't want to be kicking myself two months down the road. I weigh 79 kilos but am working my way toward 75.

Thanks, I appreciate any input you might have!

John

You should look into a Huki S1-R. I have an R and an X and I still love the R for the days that I play in rough water. In the right water, I am faster in the R than I am in the X.

I can't comment on most of the other skis that you mentioned, but this chart may be of help to you, especially between an S1-R and a V10S:
www.surfskiracing.com/surfski_review_chart.html

Thanks Shaun,

Everything I have read says the R is a good boat. They are a bit pricey though, especially when you factor in shipping. I may have to take a look at it again as I have yet to hear of anyone who dislikes them aside from fit.

John

I have talked to Jude about the problems that I have with their fit. I feel like I am sitting in a recliner when I paddle Huki boats, so I tape some foam in the back of the seat to give myself a more upright sitting position. From talking to other Huki paddlers, they have the same problem, and talking to Jude, I am the only one that has this problem with his seats. Whatever, some minicell foam and some tape is all it really takes to fix the fit issues.

Other than that, the boat seems to fit what you are looking for almost perfectly.

I have a carbon X for racing, but my R is my fun surf boat so weight wasn't a big issue for me, so I got a glass version that was fairly inexpensive and suits me just fine. Even though it is glass, it is still only about 27lbs. Keep an eye on the Huki bargains page, you might get lucky and find a really nice boat for very little money (this is where I found a great deal on my X). If you see one you like, make him an offer that wouldn't make it more expensive than the other boats, like the Guevara.

Also, I know there are a fair amount of those boats in the North East, keep your eyes open for a good used one. Then you could even paddle one before you buy it.

Hi John.
I paddle a Guevara and it is quiet simply the nicest all round boat money can buy.Definately a knotch u on the xt if you want to go faster.
Then again my opinion may appear biased since i make the boat, but i can assure you of many years of happy paddling on the Guevara.
Good luck.
Andrew.

John,

The Guevara might be worth a look, especially if the price is right. I haven't paddled a Guevara, but my Honcho Rookie seems solidly built - and has a very comfortable cockpit. It's fun to paddle. You could always keep the Guevara as your big-water/loaner ski, and eventually get a longer ski for flatwater racing.

Another ski to consider would be the Custom Kayaks Synergy. It's got the stability and the speed. I've paddled one for the last month - about 100miles - and so far, so good. Not as stable as the XT, but FAR more stable than the other elite boats I've paddled. I bet you'd like it.

Jeff

To be fair about it, John asked about the guevara- not particularly about other skis.
John, maybe you should try the boat and form your own opinion.
Andrew, perhaps you might put a boat at the disposal of the SS.I appraisal team.
Forgive me, just my observations.

I realize that the question was asked 5 months ago but I hope that my input now may help others who are looking for information.

I've recently become the owner of a Guevara. I had been looking for a relatively stable ski and came across this one. I didn't have the chance to try it out first before purchasing it simply because it was a long distance purchase and it was at a price I couldn't pass up (it was half the price of other boats of its kind). This is what I can tell you about this ski.

The first day I got in the boat it was more tippy than I had expected. I was comparing it to the Think Evo and the V10 Sport. But after I've paddled it a bit I've come to learn that the secondary stability is quite good. And that this boat is actually more at home on choppy water than it is on relatively flat water. It also is a very easy boat to surf in. Catching waves has been a very easy task for me where I've had some troubles in the past trying to get on waves in the Evo. On the bigger waves I've been quite impressed to. It latches onto the wave with very little effort. And while I'm no expert on the subject, I think that the fact that it's a bit shorter than the norm helps the boat from getting caught up on the wave in front of the one you are surfing.

As for speed, I've done well paddling with people in like boats. An important point to make is that I'm a female who is paddling with guys so I'm already at a bit of a disadvantage. But if you want something that's going to be near the front of the pack, then you might want to look at moving up a notch on the surfski totem pole. Also, my boat is glass. I don't know if they make a carbon version (I don't think they do) but you might get a bit more speed out of it.

If price wasn't a consideration and it was put side by side with an Evo, a V10 Sport, an S1R and an XT I may not have made the same decision. But that wasn't the case. The Honcho line is not at all known in my part of the world and we all know that word of mouth is the ultimate advertiser.

All in all, I like this boat. It won't win me any races but I'm sure it will give me a solid foundation on which to build. And I will certainly enjoy playing in the waves in the meantime!

I paddle and love the Honcho Guevara....at least for what it is.Will it match it on the flat with the v 10 or M6? ...No! but I found it wasn't much slower either. I'm a B grade paddler at best and on the Mako 6 I could sit on 12.3 km/h and the guevara would be 11.5km/h. Both of these speeds could be maintained for 30 minutes.

Hope this helps