Stellar SEI versus Zeplin versus CLK

Another what are these ski like question.

Im 80/85kg, short legs small butt. So ski needs to suit my weight.
Need good around ski for the Rough.
Had a Evo so want stability close to that one
Speed no slower than the Evo.
Gnome

I'm guessing you've paddled at least some of the boats in topic heading - SEI, Zeppelin and CLK - last one I had to look up www.surfski.info/forum/19-boats/9819-genius-clk.html

Like you Gnome I'm around 85kgs, and though 180 cm am stumpy in the legs. I've paddled an Evo ll and own an SEI and SES so will give you a rough comparison choppy river only. No Garmins, no racing, only seat of pants stuff. Most of my paddling is in my SES.

See Wesley's chart www.surfskiracing.org/surfski-reviews-updated-march-2012/. Latest update is Dec 2103 despite the URL. For me I felt the SEI to be more stable again than the EVO ll (not the Evo) compared to where Wesley has it. His chart has the Evo ll marginally less stable than the SEI and the Evos around about same stability as SEI. On that I can't comment. I find the SEI very very stable however some mates struggle in it, others - wife of a mate the other day on very first paddle didn't fall out. Go figure. I would have no hesitation strongly recommending it as an all rounder.

As far as speed goes I liked the speed and feel of the Evo ll (the Ion even more). Frankly compared to my SES at 11kg the SEI at 11.5kg feels a lot heavier in the water. I suspect this may be the double venturi and extra width compared to my SES which is effortless. Can's say the SEI is slow though as I've paddled with a couple of guys in SEI's recently and I was in the SES - my arse was fairly hanging out just holding on. So speed thing there as much about the paddler as anything else. Sits right up there in Wesley's chart anyway.

Cannot make any comparison with the CLK.

As far as the rough goes, went out couple of k's in the SEI on weekend blowing a choppy 25knots with lot of refracted stuff off a Marina (interesting it was all over the place for about a kilometre off the wall) and I found the SEI a joke in terms of stability. Yes, that's coming from an SES nonetheless if you done a bit of paddling the SEI is easy street. Positives - it sucks baby - from about 7 or 8 knots it's venting out. It's also surprisingly narrow internally despite its stats (marginally wider than my SES) with something akin to cutaway sides but it's still too wide at the catch compared to other boats. Internal space reduced from enormous volume of SE / SEL and to an extent the SES, however all Stellars need to be re-visited here, very poor comparatively.

Build is very strong, fittings excellent, rudder adjustment exceptional, comfort high though the back of the bucket more laid back than I'd care for. Think Ion is best however no complaints with my SES.

Hope that helps some.

Hi watto
Thanks for your input.
I just want to confirm one of your sentences.
You said
The sei stability was a joke even coming from a ses.
Did you mean you thought the sei was quite unstable in the chop?

I had a go in one only on the flat and it felt very stable there. So when I looked at the hull it appears like a u shape to me with no flat section. So I do wonder how a round hull can be stable in the rough?
I think of a fenn elite with its rounder hull and it way too unstable for me in the rough, the have a sei that is basically an inch wider. Can it really be a heap more stable??
Gnome

Sorry about lack of clarity. Joke as in a laugh out loud "is this for real?" good kind of way. Very stable. But as I pointed out this is relative to my SES which while stable for an elite boat is still demanding in troubled chop. For me however SEI is brilliant, even up over steep chop then dropping away to one side with cross chop washing-machine style.

Paddling a stable boat in calm to moderate conditions not enough - be sure you can remount then get into some rough stuff which is where the stability the most noticeable.

Great collection of information, thanks for sharing it.

CLK great boat for shorties like me. My legs too short to get proper leg drive on many mainstream boats.

CLK is a beginner boat, slightly more tippy than an XT or Horizon. Slightly faster you'll notice on the runs.

That said it is NOT so much faster to be an intermediate boat.

I can think of no similarities between a Zeplin and CLK. For me the Zeplin is much bigger, way longer, probably a bit faster and too long in the legs for me to paddle.

Hi Ric and Watto
What body sizes are you guys, weight too?

Gnome

pretty forward - shouldn't I expect dinner and a few drinks first before such personal questions?

jk

I'm about 1.73 and 78 - 80kg.

Also have proportionately shorter legs - makes finding a matching ski bleeding difficult e.g. can't paddle a swordfish, vault cos the leg length (& leg hump) is too much for me. So the Genius boats are good for me.

Hi Ric
Sorry I should have been more considerate of you feelings , yes it was blunt.
So how about this for being blunt.
How long is your inseam?
That is crutch to ground.

Im so close to your size its scary
180cm tall
80cm inseam
85kg, usually 80kg when fit (75/77 when really fit), though when unfit Im a porker at 90kg. yes I yoyo. Blame it on the genes, and the ice cream.
A shop that sells both the CLK and Zeplin said at my weight either would work well, Though due to my weight fluctuations I think I might go the Zeplin? Though the CLK is about $700 cheaper. I cant try to the Zep or CLK but have tried the SEI only on the flat. While yes the SEI was very stable on the flat having such a round hull I have no idea how that will go out in the big wind chop (usually side on)off our coast. I would have though a slight flat section under the hull would provide something to sit flat on to help aid stability, where the round would mean it would just keep allowing the boat to roll back and forth all the time. But that paddler has to keep it vertical or you simple fall over? So I assume the SEI is a true Intermediate and up boat, where it sounds like the Zeplin might be a Slightly more stable boat for the Beginner up to Intermediate. Where I might be better suited as I only get to the coast about once a month so I dont get much of a chance to really get my stability sorted properly. Though I paddle K1's Uno Nelo L ski's no problem on the flat with river chop. Ocean stuff is way harder. Where for me it's more about feeling like oh crap if I go for a swim way out here and if I cant get back on Im stuffed!! I had a scary trip out at sea when things got scary and though I didnt swim I know I would not be here if I had and failed to remount. It would have been a least a 5k swim back along the cliff coast to a beach in water thats really cold and really rough. So I learnt my place in the food chain that day and Im wanting to have fun, I dont want a barge but the speed of a Uno type boat can stay in the flatter waters.
Cheers
Gnome

Gnome,
Have you tried an SEL by chance? I own both an Evo One in kevlar layup (10.55kg) and a SEL advantage (glass) (14.55kg). I find them close to each other in stability, with the Evo giving slightly more ultimate stability but very close to each other. If anything the SEL is less twitchy though in chop and requires less concentration. I would expect the SEI to offer a fair bit more stability than the SEL.
If you are really concerned about that rough water remount consider this: I am now physically disabled and there is simply no way I can remount any ski without some aid. I feel completely confident in going out alone but always carry two floatation/stability aids (hobie sidekicks (refer www.hobiecat.com.au/kayaks/accessories/sidekickamakit.html)
which I can deploy if I need to remount. The thing is I have them uninflated on the back of the ski ready to go but virtually never need then. However the peace of mind of having then there if required completely alters the paddle. If needed I can re-mount with just one of these but carry two for the redundancy factor. You shouldn't underestimate how much difference peace of mind (confidence) makes to your paddling ability in rough conditions (but know your own abilities).

gnome haha!

So i've never measured inseam - should have since its actually quite important to this type of discussion.

76cm.

Hmmm, so you may be too heavy for the CLK, and too light for the Zeppelin... at times. I'm not sure the minimum recommended weight for the Zep.

I'm sure you've heard it before, but its not a good idea to purchase a boat you can't try...

good luck anyway.

Hi Cdo
Thanks for your experience I appreciate the help. Its good to hear you think the SEL is very close to the Evo and it does then make sense the SEI should be marginally more stable.
Also its great to hear your still out there doing your thing.

Hi Ric
Thanks for your feed back too, its been great.
Cheers
Gnome