Epic weakness in rudder steering components

www.facebook.com/pg/Epic-V5-Surfski-Owne...s/?ref=page_internal

there's a recent post of mine on what i think is the weak design of the spreader arm and locating pin

Hmm, oh well don't do Facebook.

the FB post is in the photos below.   
 

this grub or set screw has been suggested on facebook by Steve - thanks.  it was next on my solutions list if the bigger pin hadn't worked.  an elegant solution which should be standard from the factoty

May I suggest that you change the angle of the top of the pedals so that they are parallel to the lower fixed section. You must be pushing hard on both pedals simultaneously,  causing the stainless plate to bend and the rope to wear. I’ve had three Epic skis, never had the slightest issue with the exact same mechanism.  Kinda dumbfounded by how the tiny roll pin got bent, the rudder shaft should be retained by the clamping effect of the two screw, maybe once the plate was distorted the pin took all the load...???

hi Jonathon.  it's not caused by pushing on both pedals at the same time, but hard on one at a time getting the ski to turn in the surf.  i'm a bit gentler now i know it's limitations.  say i'm pushing hard to the right, the spreader bar is hard against the left angled moulded in 'v' shaped limiter.  because i've got my pedals angled back relative to the foot bar i can over push that pedal and the things that bend are the pin and spreader bar.  so it's probably a unique situation for my set up and the long board style of surfing i try to do as against running straight in or trimming at an angle
i realise that the fibreglass limiter is to stop the rudder going past 30 degrees off centre which i believe is when cavitation starts so it's no use going further.  it's just that in the surf the ski has a mind of it's own and wont turn down out of a broach no matter how hard and long i push the opposite side pedal.  i guess that's a result of it's long water line length and little rocker wanting it to track.  that's the challenge of finding the fine line of turning really nicely and not at all.  if you can go onto facebook you'll see videos of good and bad rides.  Epic V5 surfski owners group.  thanks for the input


 

thanks Steve,  i can assure you that body english is certainly not a problem.  if you've seen any of my facebook videos you'll see that i rarely use the paddle for bracing once i'm on a wave, it's all rudder and body work - plus it's so much quieter without the blades chattering as they skim.  i haven't bent the spreader bar since August.  i think that for the 1st 2 months i was expecting the same level of manoeuvrability i had with a custom 14' recreational/clubbie ski i had for many years.  when my new ski failed to respond to gentle pedal movements, then i just jammed it forward.  i was learning to surf it over shallow reefs and sandbars and that's always very challenging with long craft including my 12' SUP. 
as you said it's very rare to bend a bar but the here's a photo of another one that i'had on my lappy for a while.  plus some shots of the other ski which unfortunately i had to write off after an altercation with a certain breakwater wall.  but that's another story.  i loved that ski