need some advice stable but fast ski

My advice would definitely be the FENN Swordfish. I have owned quite a few of the top end skis, and none are as stable as the Swordfish. The ski I got from Oceanpaddlesports came in at 25 pounds and so far soes not feel too much slower than my FENN Elite. Also more comfortable for me!

Having no authority to offer any type of advice as I've only been paddling since Christmas I can only offer what I did.

Having "trained" in a plastice sit on top twice a week for since Christmas and competed/Completed several of the harbour series and bridge to beach on the plastics I made the decesion to take part in this years Hawkesbury Classic. Without a boat and not knowing what boat to buy I set out and and tested several. At Sydney Harbour kayaks I hired a V8 for an hour and after 5 minutes paddling I felt very confident in it. There's always a couple of 'moments' but the secondary stability is idiot proof. After the V8 I tried the V10 Sport for a while. I had 2 swims in 15 minutes and didnt feel confident at all. i was concentrating on staying upright and barely had a thought for forward motion.

I debated the stability Vs speed for a week and hired the V8 again the following Saturday and decided the V10Sport would have to wait as there was no way I was going to get proficient enough on it with 3 months to paddle for 13 hours.

I then wondered about the Fenn Xt as every word I read about it was that it was the best begginers ski out there. I had the opportunity to test paddle one last week end with Ocean Paddles test day and although that I felt it was more stable than the V10Sport, again there was no way I was going to become profecient enough on it with 3 months to paddle the 111km.

So I ordered a V8 and it hopefully arrives in 3-4 weeks. Which gives me about a month on my own boat before the classic. Mean time I'll be hiring one at Sydney Harbour Kayaks.

I'm a V8 owner, so this is necessarily biased advice, but if you want a boat to paddle on rather than swim with, then get a V8 first.

On the second hand market they are changing hands for only fractionally less than retail after six months. Once your paddling improves move on to anything else that feels right for you.

And having watched guys in $5K+ skis swimming most of the way in this year's Bridge to Beach, it's not really to fault of the tool if the tradesman doesn't know how to use it . Don't be sucked into to buying a "fast" ski because other people are using them.

I've had my V8 now for 10 months of pure fun in all sorts of conditions and am now considering upgrading - the joy here is there's so much to choose from. A Think Evo II or an Epic V10 are on the list, but I haven't ruled out a Fenn Swordfish either.

i think the idea of a couple of test paddles of an hr or so each time is a great idea.
Today i had a sit in a fenn XT and to be honest it felt too snug i could feel the hip pinch commecing within moments. I gave a think evo 11 a paddle for about 15mis again it was a tight fit for me, i felt it was a little tippy.
as i own a wavemaster ocean boat it will be my eventual boat for the ocean as its carbon and a great bucket fit,

however like a few comments id like to move forward and blast ahead not worry about tipping over all the time. even in rougher seas i want to pound through, get strong and just have a blast and fun, after all thats what this is all about having fun
i wont be competing in the usa or SA ill be competing on a local level getting out there.
for me its a great moment getting over the line with a smile on my face . So im thinking a V8 could be the way to go.

Go with the V8 then I think you will enjoy it, especially since you said the seat fits you. Since you already have a more tippy ski, you cover the "spectrum" with 2 boats.

Just FYI, the Think Evo II is a little *less* stable than the Epic V10 Sport - I had both back to back and another paddler and I agreed on this. Not enough to make a big difference, but if you are at a point where this kind of stability is not enough, than it matters.

Stronger paddlers (not elite, just stronger and probably with better technique than me) are still beating me or a very close to me in their V8 or V18x when I am in my V10 Sport. And that is in virtually flat water where I have no stability issues. So the paddler makes a bigger difference than the boat in this case.

However, I got an example of the opposite kind (where the boat makes a difference) too, he-he. I have improved my own times since moving to the V10 Sport relative to my 18 foot Valley Rapier kayak in only less than 6 months of switching. I also feel more comfortable in "conditions" in the V10 Sport than I did in the Rapier. The Rapier is very similar to the Epic 18x (not the Sport). I have gained at least 15 minutes over a 20 mile race in the V10 Sport (actually, according to the official results, I gained 32 minutes on the same race I did last year in the Rapier and this year in the Sport, but I attribute some of that to a little better technique on my part). That's a big difference, given I am in no better shape and after 2 years in the Rapier I only had about 3 months in the Sport before that race. I also feel now I can keep-up with a person I paddle with often enough - that person used to beat me/lead me 100% of the time in the 18 footers, now I can keep-up or drop that person when I am in the V10 Sport - pretty much entirely due to the boat.

i own the v10s and i think i would sometimes be faster in the v8 because of stability issue.if you don't want to race for the moment, if your program is large (taking photos, day trip...), choose the v8.

Boat set up will allways affect stability, if the leg length is too long or short the boat will feel less stable than it does when set up correctly

Hi there. I was wondering if you're a currently living in Corsica? I'll be on the island at the beginning of July and would love to do some paddling whilst I'm there - do you know of anywhere to rent a surfski or anyone I could rent from?

Merci pour votre aide!

Andrew.

Consider the V8 for starters. I've been paddling a V10S for just over a year now, in the ocean for about 6 months, and I still have stabilty problems with choppy conditions. Over summer, I got in lots of sessions,in various conditions, and I was feeling like I was getting somewhere but now it's cooled down [in Sth Aus], I haven't got out as much, and I've gone backwards. I went out on Saturday [after a break of 2 months]with a mate of mine who has the new V8, and he's only been paddling it for a few months and he ran circles around me. I traded off all my speed, bracing for stability. We did a 18km paddle and I was completely whacked at the end of it, had lots of spills, and he was fresh as a daisy. So, I jumped into his V8 and it was pure bliss, [felt a bit strange at first]but all I had to do was paddle, everything improved on the spot, paddle stroke technique, posture, the lot. It was as solid as rock, and my paddling cadence shot right up, translating into more speed, all because I didn't need to fight for stability. The choice is do you want to go and have a good session in all sorts of conditions, or do you want to find that you might only want to paddle in favourable conditions. I love the V10S, but I'm finding at the moment that I'm not paddling as much as I'd like in the sea, whereas with the V8, I wouldn't have those limitations. Depends I guess, on how seriously you intend to take your paddling. You can always upgrade later on. I know guys that have both V10S and V8 and use them both according to the conditions - something that I'm now considering. The new V8 is great to paddle, and if you're an intermediate paddler, it's probably not a trade off.

Very true. If one does not have the technique appropriate for the conditions, they suffer. Those will be faster and happier in a more stable boat. A 2 ski setup is nice to have. Most whitewater and sea kayakers have multiple boats - one playboat, one for big water/trips, one fast cruiser... You either limit where you paddle or you get a couple of skis to widen the range of conditions to safely enjoy.

But just sticking with a single stable boat can be boring! Ijust sold my V10 Sport to get the new V10, even though I was definitely not yet at the limit of the Sport in rough stuff. I still got plenty of challenge in my rough water conditions, but on flat and for boat wakes riding (where I do most of my paddling), I thought I felt I could use the added speed and could actually extract it from a faster ski (plus the new V10 is supposed to be a better fit for me ergonomically). I feel at the rate I'm progressing, I should be able to get a good use of the V10 in rougher conditions on open water soon enough, probably this or next year. It just needs to arrive, hopefully in June

Stability before ability!

Been paddling my new Fenn Blue Fin in the carbon layup for several weeks now. Stability wise - marginally less than a V8 but I feel faster due to the extra .5 metre length. Have tried a number of skis over the past year and like most didn't follow the old adage, as Ranga just stated, of "Stability Before Ability". Got very proficient at remounts though

Transitioning from sea kayaks to ocean skis is a quantum leap for most. In a sea kayak you are completely braced inside the boat and are a part of it. With a ski you are locked in from the hips down and into the seat and use a completely different paddle brace technique, due to the nature of the craft and the paddle itself.

The one critical thing that I have learned when paddling offshore which requires much more emphasis on an ocean ski than a sea kayak, is to remain loose from the hips up. Also to practice the finer art of stability I continuously practice in side swell and chop on either beam. Works for me.

So I have gone down the stability path and while I am a pretty good kayak paddler I am still learning the finer points of ocean ski paddling and the stable Blue Fin will allow me to do this. However, as some have previously stated I too will look at a faster boat for flat water events in the next few months. Will keep the Blue Fin for offshore/surf paddling.

Ranga wrote: Stability before ability!

From stability comes better ability?

Stew wrote:

Ranga wrote: Stability before ability!

From stability comes better ability?

Much better adage Stew