Stellar Falcon

Has anyone paddled a Stellar Falcon, recent addition to the Stellar range? I'm good with my NK Squall 58 and NK 610 Storm but a mate currently paddling NK Squall 58 wants to step up though finds NK 610 bit too tippy. If not Stellar Falcon information, welcome any feedback on this nuanced upgrade. Location Perth, Western Australia

A brilliant surfski database comparison website is  Surfski Comparison  however great shame very little added recently. If you've checked the site to see how awesome it is, contact David and ask if new skis could be updated.
 

Hi Everyone.

I have test paddled the Falcon.  I won't be very helpful in helping you slot it into the correct place in the line up however.  

I found the ski to be rock solid stability wise although this is always relative. I think any ski paddler would find this comfortable though. 

I found the flatter hull slapped alot more than im used to going over bumps and wandered a little also. Maybe could benefit from a bigger rudder. 

For my skinny frame I swam around in the bucket and it would need alot of padding out for me to ever feel engaged with the boat. It was one of a few buckets that Ive felt would rub the back end raw without some adjustment to the seat. 

As you know, there's no substitute for test paddling one and Im sure it will be a great boat for many in the earlier years of their surfski journey. 

Iain. 

 

Thanks Iain, appreciated. Have previously owned SR and SEI both version 2 as well as original SES so know Stellar boats well. Agree with the slapping observation certainly the first two of above and have read similar comments. I'm around 90kgs and padded out SR and SEI at waist and knees, and SES at knees though found all buckets good, SES in particular. Will pass on to my mate for sure, and as you say, boat fit very idiosyncratic. Re rudder, I'm a great fan of DK rudders, had them on all Stellars, and now on my NK"s. Cheers again mate. 

So I have had my Falcon Excel for a few months with 3 or 4 paddles only since winter in New England. So I am enjoying it thus far. Fits in the intermediate class of skis and is between SR and SEI  in terms of speed and stability. I still have an SR 2G in my garage along with Evo 3g Ultimate, Think Six, Uno 2G, Zen, 550 2G, 560 2G, and 550 2g SCS on the way. So as you can see I have some excellent skis to choose from. It will take more time in the bucket to tease out the nuances of the Falcon but it too is an excellent intermediate ski. I like the updated seating, the bucket is flared to accommodate a wide range of paddlers. Its volume reminds me of the V10L which I thoroughly liked for my size. Although technically I was over the weight limit with my 2nd V10L 2G, I performed just fine. The Falcon can accommodate larger paddlers than the V10L so don't mistake this.  The gunwales are very low on the Falcon making it super easy to remount like the V10L. This comes with a wetter ride but that has never bothered me. It sheds water nicely coming from the front in the way the bow is designed so no need for a wave deflector.  But side chop you can expect some water since gunwale is very low. It has the same aesthetics as the SEA in terms of the beautiful shape foredeck that for some reason just appeals to me as I sit in it looking over the bow. It is lightweight and easier to carry. This next spring I will post my full review of the Falcon but in the meantime, if you are in the market for an intermediate ski and it is available, you should try it along with the 550 2G and Six. 

Thanks Wesley, brilliant as always. 

I have been paddling the Falcon for about a month now.

Background: I'd rate myself as an intermediate paddler with a pretty strong aerobic engine (triathlete/cyclist/lifelong athlete), but I lack the open water skills that a lot of my fellow paddlers possess due to the fact that I don't have a ton of bucket time under my belt (yet). I can hold my own in the ocean, but am by no means an elite paddler. I'm lean at just under 5,11" and 158 - 160 lbs. 46 years old.

Feedback on the boat after 1 month of use:

1. The bucket was much too wide for me in stock form. I was sloshing around and could not stay centered. As a result, I was having issues with chafing (tailbone), stability and power production. I won't lie - coming from the Epics I own/have owned (V7, V10S, V10 G3), I was initially concerned that the boat was not going to work out for me. Keep in mind here, though, that I have very narrow hips. For the larger paddler, the bucket will most likely be perfect.
Once I padded the hips out though... the boat was transformed and with each outing, I became more and more impressed.

2. With hip padding installed, all of the issues listed above disappeared. During follow up outings I found that the boat was rock solid in beam chop and confused waters. The excel layup version picks up runners very quickly. Compared to my Epics, I feel that the boat is MUCH more agile. For whatever reason, I have a much, much easier time controlling the boat in confused waters and making it go where I want it to go! The same can be said for surfing; I struggled to control my Epics in the surf. Not the case with the Falcon. I'm sure that this is primarily user error (once again, an elite paddler I am not), but for whatever reason, the Falcon just works much better for me in the rough and surf.

3. Secondary stability on the Falcon is very impressive. Compared to the V10 Sport, which I feel has a higher degree of initial stability, the Falcon is rock solid when the going gets rough. With the Sport, I'd be cruising along feeling fairly stable in moderate conditions and the next moment I'd be in the water, not knowing what went wrong (one of the main reasons I sold it). The Falcon's secondary is like a brick wall and very confidence inspiring for a paddler of my caliber. I am paddling with much more confidence than ever in the ocean now. The combo of agility and secondary stability that the boat provides is just awesome and makes me want to hit the open ocean now.

4. So now the big question: How fast is it? I like to race. Given how relatively stable the boat is, I wondered how much speed I'd be giving up to a boat like the V10, which I have had success with during flat water races, but am not all that confident in when it comes to open water paddling. That lack of confidence in the ocean, coupled with the increased amount of bracing and mico-bracing that I have to execute obviously means that I am not directing full power into each stroke, so I know that I am losing speed as a result. The Falcon allows me to apply full power with each stroke when in the ocean, so I am already well aware that it is the faster boat (for me) in conditions. I could not help but to test it on the complete flat though, so I took it over to our local lake and laid down a 1 hour time trial last Friday. Conditions were not ideal: 10 mph wind, lots of turns and weeds to contend with. Given the wind, my partner, who trains on this body of water nearly every day, estimated that we lost .2 mph avg. speed on the session. Regardless, I covered 7.41 miles in 1 hour flat with the Falcon, so 7.5 - 7.6 mph avg. for 1 hour on a completely calm day was probably where I would have been. I am hoping to get back over to the lake soon to lay down another TT, this time with the V10 G3. If the Falcon is within .2 mph of what I can lay down in the V10 G3, then I would consider it to be a homerun in my book as far as the speed/agility/stability combo I'm looking for in a boat.

Hope that this helps anyone is is thinking about this boat. So far, I'm really, really impressed by it and love getting out on it. Oh yeah - and the carry handles are just awesome. I have to climb up and down a very steep embankment to put my boat in each day. The handles make this task so much easier, and will also help in some of the multisport races I compete in.

I agree with the person that didn't like the bucket. For a relatively narrow ski the bucket is massive. It's actually the same exact size as the S18s g2. I vastly prefer the bucket in my Epic V10 G3. As far as speed goes it's a tough comparison because I haven't paddled a wide variety of boats but on the flats I'd say it's compatible to the V10. Same amount of effort same speed. The ski itself is very stable with a large flat spot just under and aft of the bucket. I think there's a trade-off for Speed to gain the stability and I'm not sure how it would handle on a choppy wave, I've heard some reviewers say it skips quite a bit. Overall I'd say it's a good intermediate boat. Part of me thinks that a beginner to the sport could bypass boats like the s18s G2 or V8 and jump into the falcon. It's that stable. I'm not sure I made the right choice buying the falcon. I think there are other boats that might have suited my predominantly Flat Water paddling a little better but time will tell as I get to know the boat.

Surfhead wrote:

Part of me thinks that a beginner to the sport could bypass boats like the s18s G2 or V8 and jump into the falcon. It's that stable.

My skill level consists of 2 months or so of paddling in a V6 plus a few years of SUP. I paddled an s18g2, SRg2 and a falcon back to back and found there to be little difference in overall stability between all three. The shape of the s18 bucket was probably a big factor as even if it is the same size as the falcon it felt twice as wide due to the shape and it made the boat feel twitchy. I was honestly very surprised with the relative lack of "beginner boat stability" I expected it to have. Im 6'3 180lbs and if I owned the s18 I would have to pad it without a doubt. Of the three the Falcon was the most comfortable to paddle and overall fit me well, no problems with the bucket. No real complaints with the SR but the Falcon had it beat in pretty much every respect. I've also tested a V8pro and a V9 and chose the Falcon over them as well.

Hi TheJRM - thanks for your post on the Falcon!

Despite being what no one would call lean:), I too am finding the bucket on my Falcon quite large (considerably wider than my Epic V8).
As a result, I don't think my stability is what it should be.
May I ask how you padded out your bucket to get such a good result? A photo would be great if you have one.