Knysna genius Rs vs Fenn Blue Fin 2

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1 year 7 months ago #40120 by Marty swim
Hi I have been paddling for a while I started with a Blue Fin and then went to intermediate skis just for paddling confidence in the surf I want to go back to a beginners skis .Has any one had experience with the Genius RS.
Thanks Martin

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1 year 6 months ago #40121 by davide
Hi
I invested in the Knysna Racing Genius RS earlier this year, after having owned a Fenn Bluefin for about 7 years.
I love my new RS, but I think the reason it works so well for me is that I'm fairly heavy - 120kg's.
My Bluefin has given many miles of paddling pleasure, and is a fantastic downwind vehicle and wave rider. My only problem was that it has very little freeboard for someone as heavy as me, and so I was constantly carrying a full cockpit of water if paddling in any kind of chop.
My RS has a lot more buoyancy and higher sides, making my paddle super-dry. This gives me easy acceleration in runs and easy to join runs together without being swamped by cross-chop.
This added buoyancy, however, is a problem for lighter paddlers. My mate Harry is under 80kg's, and found the RS fairly tippy as he doesn't have the manly weight to sink the boat sufficiently.
My neighbour now has my old Bluefinn, so if you're in Kommetjie then you're welcome to give them both a paddle-test. Otherwise, if you're in the Knysna vicinity on a Tuesday evening, go join the time trial at the yacht club, and ask Albert Wasserman to lend you a RS. He allowed me to try a couple of the boats and the lagoon is a good testing ground.
Other differences are:
1. Bluefin has better carry handles.
2. RS has better foot peddles, foot plate and adjusting method.
3. RS seems to be a lot stronger - I have dinged and cracked my Bluefin umpteen times in the surf, but yet to scratch the RS
4. Finishing on RS is far superior - with a good choice of colours.
5. Bluefin is a lot lighter.
6. Bluefin has better leash anchor point
7. RS comes standard with weed deflecter.
8. RS comes standard with a decent rudder, whereas my Bluefin I had to pay an additional R400 for a decent rudder for downwinds
9. RS is a cheaper - moneywise.
10. Bluefin is a better wave rider. It has more rocker than the RS, so is more responsive to the rudder when riding a swell.
11. RS catches waves easier.
12. RS has bullets on the drains, so drains the cockpit very quickly. The sucky-sound does get a bit noisy sometimes, but is a sign of a dry compartment.
Hope this helps.

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1 year 6 months ago #40122 by Marty swim
Thanks Davide for your detailed reply I live on the Gold Coast in Australia where Knysna skis have very little presence there are a few older EOS skis around there is an importer but in Sydney .I agree with your comments on the Blue fin I have previously owned one and should have kept it however my desire to catch up to friends on flat water led me to narrower boats that I did not enjoy at sea [ego before ability] .I am in my mid 50,s and 95 kg .
In Aus the price for similar weights of boat between the Fenn and Knysna is not a great enough to influence the decision
I don't remember the Blue fin being much wetter than my Stellar Sr the blue fin has a wide catch compared to all other boats I have paddled and a wide wake off the bow a compromise for stability , is the Knysna similar or finer in the bow.
Marty.

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