Fenn Swordfish Questions for beginner

Hi there! I just picked up a Fenn Swordfish after many years in touring kayaks and am getting used to the boat (aka falling in!). I have a few random questions about the boat, hoping someone with one of them could help me out! (Couldn't find a manual on line)

• Just in front of the cockpit there is a little hole (next to the handle) and a little wire popping out of another hole. What are these? Should I cover them up?
• The foot peddle area has two drain holes, but they only work when I'm paddling. At low/no speed the foot area is full of water, I guess this is normal? Do folks usually plug them up or leave them open?
• How tight should the foot strap be? It's pretty loose, should I strap it down or just leave it be?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Just in front of the cockpit there is a little hole (next to the handle) and a little wire popping out of another hole. What are these? Should I cover them up?

There should be a small (half inch) hole with a bung in it. This is to drain water out of the hull should it get in. In the bung there should be a narrow breather pipe. This is to equalise the pressure in the hull when the air inside gets hot or cold and expands/contracts.

Could you take a photo of the holes you're referring to - doesn't sound quite normal!

The foot peddle area has two drain holes, but they only work when I'm paddling. At low/no speed the foot area is full of water, I guess this is normal? Do folks usually plug them up or leave them open?

Totally normal. Here in South Africa we usually leave them open, but I have seen that folks in colder countries sometimes put bungs in them, perhaps attached to a piece of bungy cord so that you can pull them out if the cockpit fills.

How tight should the foot strap be? It's pretty loose, should I strap it down or just leave it be?

Uses for that foot strap include:

• Using it as a handle when carrying the boat.
• Using it as a handle when holding the boat in shallow water
• Hooking your feet in when you come out of the boat in small surf so you don't lose the boat!
• Pulling against when paddling - but only a few, usually elite kayak paddlers, do this!
• Mounting your garmin
• Attaching your leash

My footstrap tends to be fairly loose - but as I say it's a useful handle.

Oh - and welcome to surfski - you're gonna love it! Where are you from?

Rob,

Thank you for your quick and informative reply! Hello from Connecticut in north east USA! I'll mostly be paddling around the Long Island Sound, hopefully progressively longer distances.

Here's a shot of the hole and the wire in front of the cockpit:



I looked around online and saw pictures of other Swordfishs with the same holes, but they were all promo shots, so hard to tell what's what. Maybe it just needs a new bung. I put tape over it since I was afraid of it filling up with water while I swam over and over.


While taking that picture, I found a green cable thing, any idea what it's for? Here it is:




I'm still getting used to the primary stability and finding where the limits of the secondary are, plus it's a good way to blast my hip muscles and get my low bracing on point.

How do most folks carry their ski? Mine is 35lbs, so not too heavy, but I got tired pretty quickly with it under one arm and went back for the kayak cart I use for my 60 lb touring boat.

Thanks again for the help!

Here's a shot of the hole and the wire in front of the cockpit:

Ok! I was slightly wrong... The "wire", if you look closely, is actually the breather tube that I mentioned...!

The hole is indeed the drain hole and should have a rubber plug. When I had a swordfish I attached a short bit of rope to the plug and attached the other end to the handle so that it didn't get lost as yours obviously has been! But many people use duct tape over the hole - perfectly acceptable alternative!

As for the green cable gadget - if you pull on it, you'll see that the pins that hold the footplate in place disengage and you can adjust its position. If it hasn't been used for a while, the pins may need some lubrication.

When it's windy, it is best to carry the ski under one arm with the other on the handle to keep it under control. If it's not so windy, you can hoist it onto your shoulder and carry it that way.

Good luck!

Cheers

Thanks again Rob! Cheers!