Robberg Express / Custom kayaks Synergy?

Im 5`11`tall, 80cm inseam 80/85kg 11feet.Skinny butt

Which one would be faster? On flat water too.

How would I fit re leg length and clearance over hump as I paddle K1 so I dont like humps interfering with my leg drive.

I tried a Fenn Elite but the back of my legs contacted the hump from bum to bottom of calves, hated that. If I moved the pedals back to get clearance it would feel like my knees would be up around my ears, plus lose too much stability that way too.

Stability between the two?
Which is more suited to ocean/chop. My location has more wind swell than ground swell. Or flatter conditions?
Cheers
Gnome

The new Aussie Fenn Elites are available with a lower hump, especially for the shorter paddler.

The Robberg Express is faster than the Synergy. Also, the Synergy seems best suited to paddlers weighing between 80 and 120kg where the Robberg is best for the 60 - 90kg crowd.

I also believe that the Robberg's seat is slightly above the feet where the Synergy's seat is about on level with the feet.

However, the Synergy might be better for the big downwind conditions. But try it out first. The Synergy is quite difficult to remount. I keep on hurting the inside of my upper legs when trying to get my bum into the seat since the seat is deep, which also makes side-saddle remounting impossible.

not to steal the thread, but never having done a side remount. Is there instructions on how best to do this. And can it be done with a Fenn elite ?? or is it best suited to other ski's ?

thanks

Gnome,
Rob has done excellent reviews on both of the skis you asked about, so I would start there if you've not already read them. I'm not sure I've ever read a review of Rob's that wasn't pretty much spot-on.

Boss,
I've not tried but I bet if you search through the surfski videos on youtube, you'd find someone doing a side remount. Also, I think Dawid Mocke's instructional DVD has a step by step 'how to' on remounts. And yes, you can do one on a Fenn Elite.

Boss,

This side saddle remount from surfskisupremacy.com summarises it pretty well:

The generally faster straddle remounting method may not work in extreme situations where the wind blows the ski sideways; making it virtually impossible for you to hold it’s nose towards the wind and waves. In such situations, the sidesaddle remount works best.

First, don’t fight the ski and let it drift sideways at right angles to the winds. Grab the foot strap and paddle with one hand and grip the far rail of the cockpit with your other hand. Pull yourself up from the water (as you can imagine, this may take a lot of upper body—especially arm—strength, so train your upper body rigorously). As you get up on the ski, immediately swivel your butt onto the cockpit and seat, so that your feet are hanging over the side. In that position, with the ski moving sideways to the wind and your feet dragging below the water, you’re completely stable. You can even just sit there and rest up if you like. Anyways, after that position you need to bring your feet in. During this maneuver you can easily fall off again, because you’ll practically be sliding your butt to the center of the seat from one side of the ski, so be careful, but don’t dawdle and be quick. Once both your feet are in, you can go ahead and start paddling again.

Check out the "getting started" tab at the top of the page.
The article on remounting is there. That pretty much sums it up.
The deeper the seat, the harder the sidesaddle remount is to do. You can overcome it by getting in at the middle of the cockpit where the rails are shallower and the hump is, and then sliding back into the seat.

Hi mckengmsurfski
Im looking for fit answers as I cant try the skis, just buy and hope it fits.
The reviews dont say what size the reviewers are. So thats why Im asking. Im sure the ski works fine at sea as thats what there designed for. Speed is important, of course. Dont want a barge.
The hump question is very important for my stats as listed above. I want as close to K1 leg drive as possible. Dont like the humps being too high and too long like the Fenn Elite's are. I know the Aussy version is less in size but there too expensive(even when second hand) when a good 2nd hand ski like the one asking about (can be had for half the price, I dont care about a name as long as it works) will work just as well but I need a small hump size.
Gnome.

I gues I have learned something new today. I have always attempted to put my bum into the seat when doing the sidesaddle remount. And on some skis with deep seats it called for my body to be folded in double, which is not always possible. I never thought of using the hump between the bucket and footwell, where the cockpit is much more shallow.

I will try the Synergy again when the water is warmer. No fun in practising remounts in freezing water.

One note though; I find that the neoprene type paddle-shorts makes remounting tricky at best since it seems to want to stick to the boat which makes smooth movements difficult. What are your thoughts?

gnome

The Robberg is smaller, lighter and faster and paddles closer to a K1 than the Synergy.

Looking at your body size and weight, you should fit the Robberg perfectly.

Gnome,
I've owned a Synergy and if your main concerns are hump height and speed on the flat, I would pass. You will find its bucket about as far from a K1 as you can get in a ski.
I've never seen a Robberg Express, so can't comment.
If you want the smallest hump possible, a bucket to fit a narrower backside, a K1 position/feel with full leg drive and maximum rotation without impedement, then you should shop around for a Nelo Ocean Vintage Ski or Ocean L Ski. I currently have Vintage Ski and it pretty much ticks all of the boxes you mentioned and it sounds like you would fit in it. Its not as stable as some of the other ski, so there is a bit of a learning curve, but that's the trade off for a more K1 like position. The hump is virtually non-existent and the bucket sides are low and the back slopes away, so you are free of any 'pinching' from the bucket when rotating.

Hi

I own a Robberg Express in glass(16 Kg.). It´s possible for me to have a good leg drive and rotation when I paddle. I used to paddle K1, and I have some of that feeling when I paddle the Robberg. The feet is also below the seat.
On flat water I can reach a speed arround 13-14 km/h.
My crusing speed on the flat is 10-10,5 km/h.
I am 1.81 meter and my is weight 75 Kg.

Hope that will help you.

Morten

I had issues with the high hump height in my V10L which resulted in pain in the hip flexors. I found the Stellar SES fitted much better with a lower hump and better leg drive. Perhaps the Stellar SE could be worth a look for someone of your size. I'm 176cm, 76kg.

Thanks everyone who replied. I will try to hunt some down to try out. There must be some around, I hope.
Cheers
Gnome.