Opinions/reviews regarding Think Uno Max

Last week I had to borrow my mates Uno Max for a training paddle. We did a solid 25km on flat water without a break and I was reminded how comfortable the bucket was in these skis, not many people can jump in a borrowed ski and say they didnt have issues with the bucket.

chrisso wrote: I've got a few questions:
there's talk on this thread of an enamel finish on the old model- the Think website cites a polyurethane finish, which sounds more likely to me. Anyone know what the facts are?
Secondly, has anyone paddled both glass and Kevlar, (3kg weight difference) with comments on the difference in feel, speed, durability?
I'm tossing up between a new glass uno max and a 2yr old Kevlar one. Any thoughts appreciated.

Cheers

Hi Chrisso,

Here are the constructions broken down, including the finish. You can take these as fact.

Personally, I paddle the 15kg Performance model as my daily ride and love it. I paddle with a lot of guys on 12kg skis and I don't feel disadvantaged. It may be a little harder to get up at the start of a race or interval, but once I have it moving it feels great and runs well.

I've obviously paddled lots of our Elite construction Unos and Uno Maxes, and as a race construction, I think they are fantastic. The newer carbon/kevlar layup feels sensational downwind.

There are lots of factors for guys when deciding between constructions. If racing was the sole focus, I'd go the lighter model. But a Performance will still be a great boat to have if you decide on a new one. For me, and the amount of time I can commit to training these days and where I am in the pack, the Performance is more than adequate.

Just 3 weeks ago I bought an Uno Max Elite. I had been wanting one since they came out and finally was able to get one locally through Chris Laughlin at NorthCoastKayaks in Maine, USA. I had the original Uno, many Evo's including a 21lb carbon one, and many legends including a 24lbs carbon one that will go down as one of my all time favorites skis. I have paddled the Uno Max quite a bit in the 3 weeks and was struck by how stable I found it for me personally. I had expectations it would be similar to the original but it clearly is a different ski, well behaved, tracks nicely, smooth steering(7inch rudder) and I really like the bucket for its ergo design that enables me to maximize leg drive. I need no padding whatsoever, but I can see why a little more room in the bucket will accomodate more paddlers.

I like chined skis and have a Hawx that has soft chines so while different hulls they have a similar feel to a degree. I have time trialed the Max on my courses but need some more data. August I have had a race a week so have been tired in my time trials but have TT it with two of training partners, one in a v14 and one in a Huki S1 XL so I will have some comparative data as well which is always good.

When you find a nice fitting ski for you personally,you look forward to paddling that ski even more and that for me includes the Uno Max and the Hawx. I do prefer lighter skis(21-26lbs) to race in so in next few months I hope to paddle an all carbon Uno Max so looking forward to that.

I have a think uno max with a different color scheme. It has a red/orange nose and a light greyish back. Can anybody tell me how come mine looks so much different to the ones with stripes?

Lionell.01 wrote: I have a think uno max with a different color scheme. It has a red/orange nose and a light greyish back. Can anybody tell me how come mine looks so much different to the ones with stripes?

An Uno Max with an orange front and grey middle and back is the very first mold. It has since had the paddle cutaways smoothed out for aesthetics. Apart from that, the same ski, but you've got an older colour scheme.

I bought I uno max 12kg a month ago.Have to get used to the chine, but did a few down winds ,and its the ski I want to paddle every day.I use to be very pro epic but found the uno has more in comfort to offer.I still have a new v10 performance that I paddle less an less every day.Well we are all deferent !! Thanks to Adam for his good customer services.

Have only had a short paddle in both layups but they feel almost identical. If it wasn't for the obvious difference in colour scheme I don't think you would pick which one you were on.
Very different to the Epics and Fenns that get a fair bit tippier and accelerate a lot better when lighter.

peterpav wrote: Have only had a short paddle in both layups but they feel almost identical. If it wasn't for the obvious difference in colour scheme I don't think you would pick which one you were on.
Very different to the Epics and Fenns that get a fair bit tippier and accelerate a lot better when lighter.

I find the two constructions different. I paddled a glass one for over 12 months, and absolutely loved the ski. I've recently swapped to a carbon/kevlar and really notice what a difference 3kgs and extra rigidity make. Really enjoy the step onto the higher end composite ski. I could even do the Pepsi Challenge on the two based on the sound of the skis!

I bought the Uno Max almost 12 months ago after extensive research, including some inquiry on this forum and months of test-paddling a variety of boats.
Speed & downwind handling were my priorities, with comfort a secondary priority.
I'm 6'2", 92kg.

In short, I love the boat, and would buy another Think in a heartbeat: the product, service and support have been flawless.

Here's the long story:

After paddling Epics for several years I felt the need to look further afield and I paddled the vajda, v12, red 7, eos and fenn glide. - all great boats in their own rights.

Then I contacted Stew in Sydney and had a test paddle of the Uno max one cold day in August. He was helpful, informative and supportive. He didn't try to shove the product down my throat - neither during the paddle, nor in the 6 weeks after (while I was convincing the minister). He supplied paddle, boat and his time free of charge at short notice. And he didn't upset my delicate ego when a ferry toppled me - infact he complimented my (well practiced) remounting technique!

The Boat (from my perspective):

1.Fit/contact is excellent: It does feel a bit tight at first. -I'm 6'2" and I've got a pretty big arse. - But once I got it set up right, I felt great and now whenever I get back in my v10 it feels sloppy.

2. Stability: It does feel twitchy at first - The hard chine takes a bit of adjustment, but when you learn to trust the secondary stability, you discover that it is there if you keep doing your part. After a while I learned to relax into the 'slip' that occurs when the boat comes off the chine and now I absorb the slip in my stroke/hips and I find it as stable as any other HP ski I've paddled. - Again - the key is setting it up right - I spent 6 weeks tweaking the foot plate and paddle length.

3. Speed. Phenomenal! - PBs in 10km, 20km, 40km. - haven't beaten my (v10) Hawkesbury time (104km...not 111) - but tide has a lot to do with that. It is easily the fastest boat I've paddled in flat, downwind and upwind.

4. Surfing. UNBEATABLE! (my opinion) The pin tail, seating position and lowered nose make it far and away the BEST downwind boat I've ever paddled. It leaps onto runs and sits easily in the dip. I've had everything from fart-runners to nose-to-tail heart stoppers, and it has been stable, manageable and predictable in everything in between. I live for runners in the Uno max!

5. Maneuverability: Hands down the most agile craft I've paddled and by far the most responsive out of my paddling mates (v10, v12, red 7, vadja, fenn mellenium (yes one man is still paddling that prick of a thing!!!), SES) - NB - agility accounts for twitchiness, and you need to learn not to over-control the pedals. -

6. Finish. Flawless when it arrived. I bought the glass model, knowing that I bump stuff often. The boat was perfect on arrival and has remained in excellent condition despite a rigorous life - paddled 3 times a week for nearly a year - plenty of race bumps, lots of time on the roof, heaps of nose-burying waves. I have been bumped several times by bull sharks in the river, have rammed logs in the dark and have beached it onto sand/shells heaps of times. The hull shows some scratches and extremely minor discoloration (in the cockpit). Also some very minor wear where it sits in the cradles. All stainless fittings have remained rust-free (except rudder assembly as below)

Flaws:
Hard chines don't handle cross-chop. Cross-beam swell/chop/wind is an ongoing challenge.
Rudder assembly - as per my other post - the alloy/stainless combination is not great. I would recommend regular (ie monthly) dis-assembly of the rudder/t-bar assembly to ensure it does not 'cold-weld' together.

Would I buy another Uno max if this snapped tomorrow?

YES I WOULD!

Good luck on the hunt for the perfect boat.
Chrisso.