Think Evo rudder options

I believe there are a number of rudders available for the Evo. Has anyone done any investigation as to if there is any real advantage in using the flatwater rudder (obviously in flat rivers etc) as opposed to the 10 inch that I believe it now comes standard with? Some skis really appear to gain speed with smaller rudders in flat conditions, others appear not too. Anyone have any comment on the Evo in this regards?

I have replaced the smaller fatter standard rudder with the newer "shark fin" shaped rudder its about 8 inchs and much thinner.

fantastic at cutting across the face of a wave and the best part NO WEED!! the downside is the crap aluminium cross bar, its since corroded away !! and been replaced by a homemade stainless steel one.

not seen the 10 inch rudder....thats for serious downwind conditions!!

is the EVO faster on flatwater with a smaller rudder??
hard to say,as a very average paddler I certainly didnt notice any difference,might be a different proposition with the UNO.

Regarding the "crap aluminum" , Rudder assembly in general for the Think Boats is their weak link. (see previous threads). IMHO rudders and their function/construction are essential components of well thought out skis. Crappy rudder assemblys , designs , and parts are inexcusable. Not only performance issues but more importantly SAFETY ! Ever paddle a ski with a rudder failure in wind ? it SUCKS !

I can't really comment on the rudder construction of the Chinese manufactured Think Evos available everywhere else, but I can say that the locally manufactured Think Evos (Saffa ones, under licence by Knysna Racing) does feature a steel crossbar with steel rudder cables. I am not sure if it is stainless, or chrome plated.

It also comes standard with a big rudder. I am not sure what the size it is, but I believe it could be around 8 inches. I will check next time I go out.

Well , glad you are getting the goods from your local (SA) construction. My issues with two Chinese thinks skis were a combo of design and execution. Integrity of construction , although easily dumped on the factory , is also dependant on the management/development/distribution keeping an "eye" on quality and holding proper feet to the fire. The humble worker in china is likely doing exactly what he was told and up the chain it goes.If non spec'd parts are put in the skis than they shouldn't be distributed. There aren't that many of them out there , keep an eye on it Think !

The Evo has a 9" elliptical rudder as standard now. It replaced the the sharkfin. I've used both in my present EVO. The sharkfin is sufficient in the ocean. The elliptical is very responsive. I am running the spectra from the outer holes in the new drilled crossbar. Could probably detune the response by moving in a hole.

A rinse with freshwater every now and then stops the corrosion. If you never un-screw the rear hatch cover then i'd agree stainless would be a better choice.

cdo the rudders are nearly the same length, could'nt tell any difference in speed. The sharkfin is probably the better option if paddling in a river with a lot of ribbon weed as its a more swept back rudder.

I have had a legend for a couple of months and have replaced the original 8 inch shark fin with a 9 inch elliptical. I feel the elliptical rudder makes the ski a little more settled and predictable in choppy conditions and the steering is more responsive. I am not sure if the difference will be as pronounced in the more stable Evo.
In regards to the quality of the steering assembly, I hit a submerged tree trunk in the dark, with the (original)rudder. This impact stopped me instantly and I actually slid forward in the cockpit a few inches. The rudder shaft bent and the rudder slightly cracked the hull. This was repaired promptly by the agent and is as good as new. There is no damage to the rudder tube, so a few others owners (discussed in other threads) may be the exception in their experiences with the ski and the support they have received.
Each time I use the boat I wash the steering assembly to help prevent corrosion.

A litte background on the fins in out range.

Think developed the elliptical to work with the Uno when it was released. We tried it out on the other two models and it work really well, so it is not supplied as standard across the range.

There are now 5 fins available.

3" - For flat water

5" - For flat water, or small chop

7" - For ocean conditions

9" - For ocean conditions

10" - For massive days in tough downwind conditions



The smaller 3" and 5" fins are popular with multisport racers for example. The larger elliptical fins are used by guys paddling in the ocean all the time.

Even our team paddlers use different sizes. Sean Rice for example, uses a 7". Tony Schumacher, Ken Wallace and Ben Allen all use the 9". It's all personal preference I guess, and what works for you and your style of chasing runs.


If anyone would like any further information, just pop me an e-mail, happy to help out.

Hey Stew
Have the small rudders arrived yet?
I'm paddling a weed dredger at the moment....it's killing me!

The 9" is great in the ocean, but at the moment I'm doing heaps of estuary and river paddling and even with the small built in weed guard I'm losing heaps of speed.

my races are suffering!

let me know ASAP

Cheers

Thanks for the paint & shirt too

The UNO is an awesome boat!

Thanks for the clarification Stew.
Would any of Think's team paddlers bother to change over to a smaller rudder if they knew a race was on a river/lake (flatwater) ie. is it really an improvement (apart from the less likely to catch weed element)?

cdo wrote:

Thanks for the clarification Stew.
Would any of Think's team paddlers bother to change over to a smaller rudder if they knew a race was on a river/lake (flatwater) ie. is it really an improvement (apart from the less likely to catch weed element)?

Hi CDO.



Yes, the guys do change around fins, in particular the multi sport guys who can paddle on lakes and rivers where there are very shallow banks and entry and exits.


A smaller fin is going to offer less resistance, so should help with speed in a flatwater race.


Cheers,


Stewart.

Hi Stew
Will the 9 in rudder fit on a stellar sel. thanks

Cheeseman Stellar have a 9 inch rudder available, I have one for my SEL, have not had to use it yet though.

Thanks Greg. Looking for a 9 in elliptical rudder for the stellar.Have one on my v10 s ,and works realy well in the ruff.

cheeseman wrote: Hi Stew
Will the 9 in rudder fit on a stellar sel. thanks

Honestly wouldn't know, mate. I'm not familiar with the set up of those skis. Probably best use the one they have, as Greg has suggested.

The think rudders will fit the Stellars. I adapted a think 9" eliptical to my SES. However, the think rudder post/yoke will stick up slightly higher than the stellar rudder compartment cover will allow, so you would have to either leave off the cover, or fabricate another type of cover that allows for some more room. I ended up with a plastic cap that velcros onto the rudder compartment - works fine.

Bill L