4 beginner boats to choose from...can u help

Hi there,

I am a beginner...have been test driving some boats (ready to purchase my first one), and have narrowed the field down to 4 possibles.

I am picking between the ones that are pretty stable thanks to some sound advice offered here previously...

These are the ones that i am trying to choose between:
Fenn XT (of course)
Epic V10 Sport (speed and stability)
Huki S1R (just had it recommended)
Think EVO (saw it reviewed)

Can anyone offer any advice which may narrow the choice down?

I have also just found an Australian made boat the OZFLYTE R21 ...but know nothing about it ....is this a stable boat?

Would love to hear some thought before i get my dollars out of my wallet

JP

Aloha,

I got the Huki S1-R before I stepped up to a more high performance ski...... Was glad I did, the Huki S1-R is crazy stable and also fast. I did a ton of downwind paddling in it and it was solid and surfed very well. After about a year in it I stepped up to the Huki S1-X Special. After a year in the stable Ski, the transition was fairly easy. I wish I could say more about the other skis but I have not paddled them, except for my very first ski, which was a Fenn Millennium, way too tippy for this beginner, that's when I purchased the S1-R.

I wanted to surf some swell and didn't feel comfortable in the Fenn Millennium (of course I was a newbie), so I got the S1-R. Glad I did, good size surf and wind was fairly easy to paddle in and I had a blast catching open ocean swells and waves in the surf zone. If you want to maximize your pleasure, get a stable ski first.

Huki's are great Skis, Jude & company make a quality product and you can customize them as well.

Hope this helps,
Happy paddling,
-Rich

Buy a more common boat such as an xt or epic sport. In 12 months time when you go to sell, you will get good money for your boat. In Australia, boats like tne Huki aren't that well known and resale will be more difficult. All the more stable boats are good, but you need to figure why you are buying one.
If you are paddling for fitness and on your own, or are interested in doing some adventure racing, buy an xt, because stability is more important than speed. If you are doing adventure races you will battle to get enough time in the boat to go fast. If you can get an xt secondhand you will sell it in 6 months for what you paid for it.
If you have done some paddling, buy a sport, evo or stellar. If you are paddling mainly in flat water pick one of these 3.
If you are doing all your training on flat water and your first race is in the ocean, go for stability.
Remember what most of the people on this site call stable will still scare the daylights out of most beginners.
have fun.

Agree with Dicko.

Go with a more popular boat - Fenn is indestructible but slower than V10S.

But keep in mind this is coming from a guy who has the only boat of its kind in my state...If you really love the EVO (The reviews on surfskiracing.com are very positive), go for it as paddling enjoyment always comes first!

As a beginner I would like to make some observations. I have an Evo, my wife has the Horizon with a Synergy rudder, and I have paddled a lot on an XT also.

Please also note this is not a review, but my opinion as a beginner. First off; I am really struggling with my Evo, and it is definitely not as stable as the XT nor the Horizon. As Dicko says: what is stable for some may not be so stable for some beginners. However, I decided to go for the Evo because of the ease that it picks up runs compare to the other 2. I have also found that the Horizon handles beam chop much better compared to the XT. I thus have to work rather hard in staying in the Evo, and do my distance training in my wife's Horizon if she is willing to loan it on occasion.

It all then depends on how much of a beginner you are. I have not paddled a V10S yet, but believe it's stability is around the same as that of the Evo.

I am in a lucky situation to back up on my wife's boat. If I were you and you don't have this luxury, think about getting a secondhand XT and then an Evo or V10S.

Unfortunately the Horizon is quite new so you probably won't be able to pick up secondhand ones yet.

I can't add much more to whats been said above, they are all pretty much on the mark. One very good point that I will reiterate is that if you are doing mainly downwind go for stability over speed, my V10S gave me lots of confidence in 3 metre swells. However if you are doing circuit racing/training (adventure racing where it is point to point and not bothered with wind/swell direction), a boat with less volume up front may be better, hence the reason I went to a V10L (low volume version of V10) when I traded up, the V10L will dig the nose in on big swell but loves the cross/beam chop....hope I havent confused you Tell us what sort of paddling you intend on doing and we'll throw some suggestions at you.

Another point to consider (which I didnt until I damaged my new boat) is local support, what does your local dealer sell? what repairers are around, etc, if you do need support for your boat you will rue having an exotic brand of boat that no-one has parts, knowhow for

Enjoy the decision making process, I know I did and along the way I learnt a bucketload about boats and paddling

Wow, thanks for the excellent feedback guys...i have picked up so much just by chatting to people, and getting your advice. I am so glad that i joined here before purchasing a boat.
I guess it is helping me to define exactly what i want.

I am thinking that i will be starting out in the ocean inlet, where calm waters are initially, but the goal is to experience the thrill of ocean waves and riding them and maybe doing some events (FUN).

From everyones advice...the main theme is dont run before you can walk!...in other words...get a stable boat (even though you want to tackle those waves and get some awesome speed up)... step back a little, get a boat which i can practice my paddling technique ... and not just trying to stay in the thing...

Well this narrows it down to 1 boat really...the Fenn XT!

I am going to attempt to get one 2nd hand if possible before i buy new...but they seem to disappear very quick from sites. If you know someone is Australia who is looking to offload one, tell them to get in touch with me...

My next mission is about paddles....!!!!

Thanks to everyone who wrote feedback, your comments have been appreciated

If you want to buy a second hand xt check geartrade daily.
Having said that second hand xt's sell from $ 1600 for an old one to $2200 for a newer one. A new one only costs $2500. ( I think). If you look after it you'll only lose a few hundred bucks when you sell it. Take into account the time and money spent driving around and it's probably easier to buy a new one. Concentrate on your technique while you have the xt.
In 12 months time you'll want something faster (we have all been through this) and every time you paddle with your mates you'll discuss which boat you'd like next.You will lose sleep over stability versus speed, even though you are talking about 30 seconds an hour faster. If you think deciding which boat to start on is hard, wait till you want your next boat.

Hi not sure if you get honcho ski's down under. They have a new ski called the Guru which is also super stable and fun to paddle with a not to bad speed. It is manufactured in South Africa

Here's our review of the Honcho Guru:
Honcho Guru

And here's our latest review:
Custom Kayaks Horizon

OZflyte R21 is extremely stable and fast. The seat is lower than the other makes making it more stable and your heels are lower again to still give you that feeling of over your work. It is narrower than the Epic and Fenn at paddle entry. It is a joy to paddle and as their test paddler i would strongly encourage you to go for a paddle on one. What's the harm. I have a demo on the Gold Coast or Sydney Harbour Kayaks have a very nice full carbon one. They are designed for Australian conditions (very close swells) so they have made them stronger and a little heavier than other makes. Good luck and let me know how you go.

Um, I think that you will find that all modern ski's have the feet as low as possible. You'd have to have them hanging out of the bottom of the boat to go any lower.

Narrower than Epic and Fenn at paddle entry? Which boat, or are you saying that this so called beginner friendly boat is narrower than all the models from these brands?

So far you have flooded the forum with your promotional posts.
If you want to promote the product, dissing on the others is not the way.
If you have a narrower paddle entry, give us some numbers.
This may just be a great boat, but your promotional skills suck big time.
I just bought a boat and nowhere did I find yours after extensive research for the last two years.

In short, you have done yourself and the boat a big disservice.

How about arranging a review instead?


O.K. So I did the google thing, and low and behold the first picture I find of your new boat has a padded seat pad installed.
So, your better fitting seat than the competition requires a bum pad?
Stop making shite claims and give us some straight talking honesty instead.

looks like i have got off on the wrong foot, apologies, but i thought this was an open forum. I have my opinion and you have yours and for me pictures and words will not inform the paddler how a boat feels. i have paddled them all. You?
As for the R21. Its new(one month old), its Australian made, the seat pad you talk about is a mm think, not needed but some paddlers might need some softness for a 2 hour paddle. However, I'll send you the stats you require and look forward in seeing you for a paddle and an apology.
For the record, not dishing other skis just giving my 25 years of paddling experience to those that ask for a straight answer. Not all skis suit all paddlers and if you are going to spend over $4000, I think you would like to know what other paddlers think and other options out there. Happy Paddling

You might have started better if introduced yourself properly and declared up front that you have ties to Ozflyte and their new ski.

The moment you affiliate yourself with a manufacturer, you no longer have a chance at saying anything about other manufacturers without looking a fool.

By all means tell us the good grub on your new ski, but don't denigrate others, as you are now in a special position and not a general forum user.

P.S. I am also on the Gold Coast and would love to try your new ski.
So would my regular paddling partner who is looking for a ski.

You might be right but i feel i'm a coach / paddler first and salesman second but will take your comments on board for future discussions.

I coach fulltime on the Gold Coast so if you and your friend would like a demop paddle please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we can arrange to catch up. This Saturday works for me before 12noon. With the Gold Coast marathon on this weekend the best place might be down on Currumbin Creek. Hear from you soon.

I am not usually around on the weekends, I generally pack up and go bush to do some rock climbing.
But the weather this weekend is not looking good for that so I may very well head down that way.
Are you there anyways with all the other paddlers on Saturday?

I live on the northern end, but quite often paddle down that way. The 14k round trip up the creek is a common run for me.