Knysna CLK surfski - thoughts...?

Anyone familiar with the Knysna racing CLK surfski...?
I'm hearing good things.
Any thoughts or obervations about the ski appreciated...

I'm a total convert!

I consider myself becoming an intermediate paddler, weigh about 73kg, am 173 tall (and have proportionally short legs for that). So I need a stable boat, with short leg length, and it must be built for a light person (compared to your std 6'+ 90kg paddler).

My options are limited to Horizon or XT. Dorado is too unstable for my weight. Swordfish leg length is too long. Guevarra leg length too long. Synergy2 is just a little bit too unstable for me in rough seas (I think I'm underweight for it too). ... or the CLK...

Genius was started by a guy with roughly my height/weight cos he couldn't find boats for his size... (that's on another thread somewhere on this forum).

OK, so nuf about me - but at least you know where this is coming from. I'll compare CLK to Horizon & XT below.

The boat IS stable. I think maybe slightly less so than the Horizon/XT options, but not noticeably so. I've had it in pretty rough conditions and haven't come out due to conditions. (Langebaan Discovery course a few weeks back)

The boat is faster than the other 2. But I paddled the Swordfish on Saturday - Swordfish is faster. It is also tippier (and too long for me in the legs). If you can paddle the Swordfish, it's probably a better bet. If I was 15cm taller in the legs, I'd be tempted.

CLK catches much smaller runs than the others. This surprised me as a newish paddler, cos I'd never been able to get onto small waves. This makes it a really fun boat. Comparing the boats upside down next to each other (CLK vs Horizon), you can see the CLK is rounder than Horizon, looks faster, and is a bit (20cm?) longer.

Then there's the weight for price difference. When I bought the CLK it was CHEAP - the epoxy vacuum boat same price as the normal glass Horizon. With a weight difference of +-4kgs (not weighed the CLK, but I was told it was 14kg in vacuum - I'll have to check soon). Compared to the 18kg Horizon, that makes a HUGE difference.

For the ladies, the weight helps even more, now they can also carry the ski easily, put it onto car more easily etc. A female friend got it for that reason, and as more a beginner than me, loves it.

Other than that, our instructors seem to love the boat it has been alleged that there are some people in Cape Town who conduct surfski lessons, who claim to prefer to use the CLK rather than the Horizon (cos its just so much fun) - so even a (mythical) more advanced paddler might possibly see the boat as fun to ride.

Did I say I was some evangelical convert?
(no, I don't work for them B-) - I'm just a part-time paddling desk-jockey)

Great to here your opinion , hopefully you wont get to much heat from some forum users for your views. as a newbie to the sport take it for what it is.

THXS

Really think I'll get flamed for that? OK... so be it

~puts on flame retardant hoodie~

Ric wrote: .... our instructors seem to love the boat, cos its just so much fun

Who are these "instructors" you claim love the boat, and how do you know, we want names and quotes, otherwise this is a blatant fabrication to have us believe someone apart from you loved the boat.....

... post updated to reflect the fictional nature of alleged "instructors" ...

Why do you think that a swordfish is too long?
Is this a little person thing that big people just don't get?

Just that it sits high with a light paddler and doesn't really use it's full length in the water?

Sorry meant to say the leg length is too long on Swordfish & Guevara (updated post). The actual boat length seems great.

So ja - yet another little person problem - surfski would be much easier with a few extra inches in height... that's really my whole jist of my original answer.

On Swordfish, the minimum leg length means I can touch the pedals, but my calf muscles get blocked by the hump, meaning I can't straighten my legs to get proper "leg push" or rotation.

So despite the boat feeling awesome (if a bit tippy for newb), and fast, and turning great - I just can't use it unless that leg-hump thing could be taken away...

Guevara had the same problem, except a bit more pronounced.

(keep the flames stoked )