Think Fit

Not a 100% surfski, but it does have the Evo interior.

Just wondering if anybody has paddled it before/owns one?

Interested in it since it will fit in my garage (17' x20"), has a factory option for flip-up stern rudder, and what looks to be a day hatch.

-B

Hi Brian,

Daryl Remmler here, designer of the Fit. The hull of the Fit is loosely based on a 60's Sprint K1, but is little flatter on the bottom, to improve stability and surfing. It's a surprisingly fast boat for it's length and stability; only 2-3% slower than the Evo. It surf's like a demon, and is very manueverable.

The deck is quite tall, so the Fit can easily handle rough conditions without water coming into the seat and footwell. Of course it has the drain should that occur. Remount is not as easy as a traditional ski, but with practise, not very difficult.

Best regards,
Daryl

It surf's like a demon, and is very manueverable.

Best regards,
Daryl

Was this in a lake or in the ocean? Pics?

Pacific Northwest coastal waters, or lakes. Or chasing the local coach boat. Your choice.

Pictures of the boat can be found at www.thinkkayaks.com .

Click on the "Boats" tab, and then click on the picture of the Fit, and a few pics will come up.

Daryl

Daryl,

Thanks for posting. Will be renting a boat for a race tomorrow, and the Fit was on the list as something that might be a good fit (haha) for a beginner.

Well, I raced a Think Fit. Didn't come in last. Just second to last. Hey, my sixth time in a faster boat, I'm still getting the hang of a wing paddle. ;D

Wondering how to get back in if I do go over though. Noticed how high the combing is, the traditional get your butt in the seat then bring your legs in method that I can do now with the Think EVO/Epic V10 Sport is gonna be tough.

The seat fits me very well, better than the EVO. My calves do brush the hull slightly with knees bent in rest position. Overall, a very comfortable place to be, more so than the EVO and the V10S for me. Seat felt higher than the footwells, seat width was just about perfect, and the back of the seat was vertical/high enough if I did take a break, was able to sit upright while still getting lower back support.

Also curious about what class the Think Fit, err, fits in when it comes to racing. Based on USCA Touring standard, looks like the Fit would be up against the Epic 18x and the king, Westside EFT, which are both longer. Willing to work a bit harder, as long as I have a chance to at least be somewhat competitive. I'm also 205 pounds, which has me a little worried about how much boat I'd have in the water. Caught a weed on the bow during the race for example. In a couple of years if I find myself getting good at the ol' forward stroke, would probably bite the bullet and find some way to store a full-on surfski like the Think Legend or Epic V10.

Hello All,

The Fit is a little harder to remount than a standard ski, as there is a combing to go over. However, with the side saddle method it's not too difficult with practise.

The Fit was designed to meet the Sound Rowers FSK (fast sea kayak) class rules, which is popular on the West coast, and also used for events like the Yukon Quest. It does meet USCA Touring class rules, and is competitive with the other boats mentioned.

Best regards,

Daryl

I'll have a Fit available for demo in Sydney from this weekend.

Looking forward to getting it out on the water and giving it a paddle and see what it's like.

<a href=http://onlineyogasports.com/>Onlineyogasports

My wife had a Think Fit for a few years (she just sold it to a local paddler because he desperately wanted it to use for racing). I often paddled her Fit in the winter to have a more stable boat. It's fast and fun, and a great combination of surf ski cockpit and traditional sea kayak. One word of warning: if you paddle on rivers with lots of leaves, the plumb bow will pick them up like crazy. It is harder to reenter than most surf skis, but very doable. I rescued my wife when she was test paddling her fit after she got caught in a tree growing out of the water in a fast river and had to turn loose of the boat. I swam out and intercepted the boat and paddle, grabbed the paddle and the boat, reentered it, and paddled over to the tree to get her (2009 USCA Nationals in Warren, PA).

The Think Fit has now been declared a legal Sea Kayak class boat by the USCA (I'm on the USCA Kayak Committee). The Epic V8 was given an exemption from the two hatch and bulkhead requirements as a surf ski, and the Fit was given the same exemption (being essentially a surf ski). You'll still need to add weight to meet the 40 lb requirement for Sea Kayak class (but not for Touring class).

As a side note, our boat did not have the optional over-stern rudder, but I added a Van Dusen over-stern rudder to the boat. It looked like a factory fit, and all the plumbing was wonderfully supplied by Think already in the boat: extra cable length, tubing, and holes already installed made it a very simple job.

Greetings:

I am interested in a Think Fit. It sounds like you have some experience with this boat. I would appreciate anything you have to say about this boat. I am looking for a used one, but they seem to be in short supply.

You mentioned that the Fit has been declared a surf ski. Is there some documentation that I could get, so that I would be able to enter the nationals with out any worries.

Take care

Jim

Brian:

Do you have a Think Fit for sale? If you do please call (248) 798-1905

Jim

Hi Abraxas,

The Think Fit has been declared a legal boat for USCA Nationals Sea Kayak competition: www.uscanoe.com/USCA_K1_Sea_Kayak_Specs_and_Mo_W119.cfm

It fits the dimensional requirements, but lacks the hatches and bulkheads required of a standard sea kayak. However, the kayak committee (which I am part of) ruled that the Think Fit, like the Epic V8, gets an exception to this rule by virtue of being essentially a surf ski (at least so far as the cockpit is concerned). You would still have to add weight to your boat to meet the 40 lb requirement.