DD3 Albatross

Hadn't heard if this ski until told it was first ski across the line at the Hawkesbury race ( a river race for those outside Australia). A quick look at the website where it claims to be the fastest ski on the market!

Anyone have any experience with them? Perhaps a midpacker over East could do a review for us, RAB? Are you still looking for a new ski?

Interesting that it beat a Carbonology Atom in this event, mind you may just be the paddlers and it was a marathon race.

Check out the Vajda Rocks 2 Reef race 2011 video from Rambo. At the end they have a sprint race and it looks like the Albatross is right up there with the Vajda skis, the Nelo, etc...
I remember having a joust with RAB about Aussie ski prices and he vigorously defended the 'boutique' local built skis...
Still don't understand why he's not buying one now that his Epic is in pieces? None of these are available to us in the US, so you guys should be taking advantage where we can't. They look to be very nice.

I agree, I wouldn't mind paying more for a boutique ski if I was confident of good local support. How cool to be able to choose your colour scheme too! I live in Perth on the West Coast and haven't seen a DD3 here.

I think it's becoming evident that you are more likely to sell a ski if the customer knows they are going to get that support, so if they charge more for a boutique product and back it well they should do well.

Not sure about the name... "albatross" says "slow graceful glide" to me, not "fast"

I think my point then, and now, is that the Aussie built skis aren't more, they are of a comparable price to, say, Epic for a similar layup.
I don't think you'd be paying more to have a DD3, you'd be paying a similar price.
I think RAB's argument at the time was that the Aussie builders were justified in charging what they charge and Epic were not justified for charging a comparable price. In the meantime he was paddling an Epic.
In the end, I was left wondering why you guys aren't supporting Aussie-made boats and continue to paddle skis from elsewhere?? Like you said, you didn't even know about the Albatross until this week. Odd, I knew about it a year ago...
As to customer support, I guess that would be up to DD3 to answer.
Now I guess it's up to RAB to buy an Aussie ski and end the debate!
Oh, and Albatross is an large seabird that glides effortlessly... I wish that were me earlier today!

I guess thier pricing is similar, and using aussie labour and materials would be a lot more expensive. I guess they dont have shipping costs though.

Is it just me or are glass ski's in the last year or so a kilo or two lighter in weight!

DD3 STANDARD: Vacuum infused. Made with glass and LRC soric, and carbon reinforced. Choice of deck and hull colour. 13.5 kgs
DD3 MAXI: Vacuum infused. Carbon infused honeycomb soric. Carbon construction.  Choice of hull and deck colour. 12kgs.
DD3 SUPER MAXI: Full Carbon / Nome x/ vacuum construction. Clear gel coat. Black only. 10kg.RICING / CONSTRUCTION / WEIGHT

ECONOMY 13.5 -14KG (depending on model)
$3,300

MAXI 12KG
$4,300

SUPER MAXI 10KG
$5,300

Hi Guys,

I have an Albatross that I got in April and I can assure you that they're great ski's. I am a mid-pack paddler and I have been slowly creeping up in rankings on my Albatross, I also train with a fairly high level squad in the Manly area that have a wide variety of skis, the ski is easily as fast as any other ski, and I think it is faster as soon as I get a bit a swell as I often find myself pulling away from guys that I was keeping with into the wind.

Some of the reasons to try a DD3 Albatross are;

* Great Build Quality - very comfortable too
* Your choice of colour, see attached file for a pic of mine
* DD's after sales service is excellent, he's also holds training clinics for the DD3 crew (DD is a pretty accomplished paddler)
* Swell riding speed and control is great.


Anyway, try it for yourself and make your own comparisons.

cheers

chrisinmanly wrote: Hi Guys,

I have an Albatross that I got in April and I can assure you that they're great ski's. I am a mid-pack paddler and I have been slowly creeping up in rankings on my Albatross, I also train with a fairly high level squad in the Manly area that have a wide variety of skis, the ski is easily as fast as any other ski, and I think it is faster as soon as I get a bit a swell as I often find myself pulling away from guys that I was keeping with into the wind.

Some of the reasons to try a DD3 Albatross are;

* Great Build Quality - very comfortable too
* Your choice of colour, see attached file for a pic of mine
* DD's after sales service is excellent, he's also holds training clinics for the DD3 crew (DD is a pretty accomplished paddler)
* Swell riding speed and control is great.


Anyway, try it for yourself and make your own comparisons.

cheers

Can you compare it to a ski you have paddled in the past, ie, if you could paddle a V10 well then you will find this better? Just to give us an idea on where it sits as far as stability/speed. Thx.

Seeing as my name has been mentioned a few times here, I may just have to reply.

I did check out the DD3 ski's when I was shopping.
I heard rumors of poor quality control and the second hand market reflected the general feeling of the ski's, with very low resale prices.

At the time they were pitched at a very much cheaper price than the V10 that they are a copy of. Like around $1000 cheaper for a similar layup.

So for me, the things that rattled in my brain were;

1 Unknown (questionable through hearsay)quality control.
2 Unknown backup, as in no idea if the company would be around for parts/problems in the future.
3 No local representative or ability to test ride.
4 Never saw one in the flesh in this neck of the woods.
5 No resale value.

This was also before a lot of the current manufacturers entered the market as it has now sort of become more acceptable to tolerate a flopped boat, back then it was badder karma.

They soon went off the radar in this neck of the woods and now their pricing is right up there with the big boys.

So really, for me, what have they got to offer?


My comments regarding pricing of Epic boats still stands, they are too dear.
I can get a lighter layup for the money from almost every other manufacturer.
They have mass production in a third world country, yet still ship to Australia at a price 30% more than they are sold in the USA.
No more comment needed.

If an Australian firm went ahead and sold a sorted boat, I will buy it.
Even if it was dearer than the current players.

I'm certainly still entertaining one of Lats.....but for that to happen it would need a longer footwell, a reshaping of the rear deck directly behind the seat to enable the paddler to lean back when required and maybe the option of not having the seat some 4cm above the heels if the customer so wanted.
Other than that, it's right up there.

I may just get him to make me one of his rudders to fit my V10, best rudder I've used yet.

Oh, there he is... Hi RAB.
AR, I too have noticed some sudden ability to produce a 'glass ski several pounds lighter than even last year. I tried a friend's 'glass vacuum Swordfish the other day and it was as light, if not lighter, than my Nelo WWR layup ski. In fact, after paddling it, I would not be able to justify the extra cost for a carbon ski. My guess is that it was 29-30 lbs. The question then becomes how well will they hold up?

DD3 are doing pretty well for a locally produced ski (built on the NSW Central Coast). 9th in the Molakai, 1st in the 400 Km Murray Marathon and 1st in the 111Km Hawkesbury marathon last weekend.
Mine is the Standard layup (seems similar to the Epic Performance layup)and the build quality is great. Only issue (for me) is the pedal/footboard which is a 2 point set-up and it moves a bit - would prefer a set-up like the Stellar.

Here's a timely picture on this topic, it's DD3 CEO and Pro Kayak's Matt Blundell, a Sydney based Epic distributor, amongst other excellent products, going bow to bow at last weelend's Summer Series at Balmoral, hosted by Blast Paddlers and sponsored by Cabonology Ski's amongst others. Matt is on an Elite V10L and Damien on the Albratross maxi, the two champ paddlers were head to head the whole way with Matt edging out Damien by an inch on the line. Damien could be forgiven though after setting the new double ski record in the 111km Hawkesbury Classic a week earlier in 7h 56min in DD3 double ski they are working on. (sorry all, no luck uploading the photo, go to summerseries.blastpaddling.com/portfolio/event-1-photo-gallery/
you'll the see the shot I'm talking about midway through the gallery.

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