Are there any surfskis not being made that we need

It seems like we are living in the best of times, surf ski wise. From pre preg to rotomolded, beginner to expert, Epic, Stellar Fenn and Think seem to have almost all areas covered. Is there anything missing?

Do any of you folks see a general need for any type or style of ski that is not currently made?

Per our discussion on doubles, I see a need for more stable double surf ski along the lines of the prototype V8 double that has been seen by a few paddlers (paddled by bigfoot and the Yeti no less).

I also can see rotomolded boats jumping up in performance. Perhaps a 20' roto ski would be far too heavy, but a slimmer, high performance V7 would find a home with many of us, I'm sure. Could the rumored V9 be a reality?

Finally, those of you that spend a lot of time downwind seem to be hinting that shorter is the way of the future. Do we need a high performance 18 foot/5.5m meter surf ski?

What else is or should be coming to a beach near you?

Fenn XT double has been around for ages and definitely fits into the category of stable doubles....probably equivalent to V8 double.

There seems to be a shortage of low volume intermediate boats to suit smaller guys and ladies. Through lack of anything out there, I forced myself into a Fenn Spark, which is quite elite. I got used to the twitch and love the boat now....but would still prefer a little more stability in big downwinds.

I'd like to see a Fenn XT Double, but I've never even seen a Fenn kayak in my neck of the woods. The only doubles available to try are Stellar and Epic.

A low volume intermediate would interest me greatly. Although I am able to paddle a V10S without difficulty, because I am small I feel that there is unnecessary volume for me. I do paddle a V10L, but it is a little too much boat for me. Maybe a V10SL would be a good thing for me if it existed? It would be a niche within a niche, however.

There is talk of a lower volume, higher performance V8 coming out. It would not be a "low volume" V8 per se, just slightly less volume. Think of it as V8+ or a V10S-.

I consider the Fenn XT to be a relatively low volume intermediate surfski that works great downwind, is easy to remount and is widely available throughout the US.
I also consider the Huki S1-R to be a somewhat low volume
surfski, at least from my perspective and weighing close to 100kg. I also think it has the best downwind performance of any ski that I have paddled.

rhainan wrote: Finally, those of you that spend a lot of time downwind seem to be hinting that shorter is the way of the future. Do we need a high performance 18 foot/5.5m meter surf ski?

Having a little experience with the Carbonology Atom at 5.95m I couldn't see how you could make a High performance ski any shorter than 5.95m. www.surfski.info/reviews/story/1293/surf...logy-sport-atom.html

rhainan wrote: I also can see rotomolded boats jumping up in performance. Perhaps a 20' roto ski would be far too heavy, but a slimmer, high performance V7 would find a home with many of us, I'm sure. Could the rumored V9 be a reality?

Yep, would be great to see a more HPS in rotomoulded construction and if they can keep it under say 18kg then it would be welcome competition to the two current attempts at Plastic HPS (PRS and Molokai).

Wishlist

I'm surprised we haven't seen any attempts from the more widely available brands to replicate the flat water speed of the Van Dusen "Mohican" given the popularity of skis for flat water racing. www.composite-eng.com/boats/van-dusen-kayaks

A 48cm wide Fenn swordfish as a replacement for the XT would be awesome

As others have said, I would like to see a smaller volume intermediate ski, something like a Swordfish but 43-44cm wide and the same length as the current model, the current model seems to fit big blokes without issue but us smaller blokes there is not a lot around, perhaps what I'm suggesting is leaning towards a bit more elite, but all the elite boats are too long and too much and I get thrown around, the ones I can fit anyway, I can't fit the Spark (just), my SES is too elite (41.6cm wide but nice length at 6.1m), just seems a Swordfish with a bit less volume in the rear would be ideal and be a bit quicker than the 45cm model. Maybe the Epic V10l would fit me ok and might be the closest to what I'm looking for, but be nice to have options other than Epic.

What you are describing is a Swordfish S.

The old swordfish had a ideal weigth range of 80-95kg. Above 95kg it would become a submarine quite quickly on downwinds with short steep runs. Below 80kg you would fall around in the bucket.

Both Swordfish have the same hull, the Swordfish S has a wider bucket, how is that any better for the smaller paddler?

Same hull yes, less nose volume and bucket moved forward. This makes for a lower narrower rear deck. Less volume in the rear. AFAIK there is a standard and narrow bucket version available.

Your very first sentence asked for a smaller volume intermediate ski, I gave you one. I didn't say anything about bucket size up to this post.

Wiid,

My understanding is that it is possible to have a Swordfish S with the old bucket which is a little narrower. However the old bucket has the high hump that the S model does not have. This was one of the good modifications included in the S. Those of us that found the hump too high may not be suited to the S with the old seat unfortunately.

rgds

Well I like the high hump (didn't originally but now I paddle with my legs higher so its good for less water in the bucket) but its the first I have heard that the Swordfish S is available with both the old seat and that the rear is narrower, early reports indicated that this was not the case, I will have to look closely at one when I get a chance, moving the seat forward only makes sense to me if the rear has been made narrower, less volume.

Carbonology Pulse is a bit wider (44) than the Spark and also a bit shorter (6m.) so probably overall similar volume. Bucket is deeper than most giving a lower centre of gravity which helps with stability especially for a lightweight like me at 57kgs. I'm narrow across the hips so fit the Spark well but Pulse is just that little bit wider so if you're a tight fit in a Spark the Pulse might be a more comfortable fit. Pays to practice remounts though as more difficult than Fenns &Epics.

Seat is not deeper, the sides are higher!

True, Carbonology seem to always have had higher sides than most. the Pulse has been lowered compared to the atom and vault but when I paddle a Spark it always looks to me like I'm sitting a bit higher in relation to the water surface. Can only really see this on flat days though. Funnily enough, the Spark seems a tad more stable even though a bit narrower.

Another vote for seeing some skis for small paddlers in the stable intermediate and maybe even entry levels. That would include boats setup for those of us with short legs as even in the LV elite boats I find either my calves against the hump (Spark) or having to point toes to stay in contact with the footplate (Pulse).

A few more attempts at ski style K1s like the Feather would be good, though obviously they'd be up against the status quo of sit in K1s.

The Think Eze is probably a bit too stable but has good small paddler credentials, perhaps a rethink on it's width and you'd have the ideal small person intermediate boat?

www.thinkkayak.com.au/eze/

My vote obviously goes for lighter paddler skis, with an emphasis on:
42-45 cm at the widest point, but with a very narrow catch area.
Widest point behind the seat.
Seating area at least 3 inches above the heels.
Slightly more forward seating area.
Shorter skis (let's get back to under 6m).

You might be served by the new skis from Nelo, in development under guidance of Oscar Chalupsky.
I have not seem them yet, but they are rumoured to be either 520 cm or 560 cm in length, and in high and low volume versions. That seems to differ quite a bit from mainstream designs, and I suppose Oscar has good reasons for that.
Dit somebody spot them already?

photofr wrote: My vote obviously goes for lighter paddler skis, with an emphasis on:
42-45 cm at the widest point, but with a very narrow catch area.
Widest point behind the seat.
Seating area at least 3 inches above the heels.
Slightly more forward seating area.
Shorter skis (let's get back to under 6m).

You are almost describing the Fenn Spark Lud. Why did you end up parting with that boat?