Latest Surfski News

Tuesday, 17 October 2023 07:11
“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” I thought to myself a few moments after launching on the brand new V10 4G for the first time. It was getting dark; it was raining; the squalls were lifting sheets of spray off the water… directly offshore. What WAS I thinking? The answer is that I’m a sucker for new toys – and if I get my hands on one, I HAVE to play with it. Damn the weather, full speed ahead… Since then I’ve paddled the boat many more times, in much pleasanter weather. Here’s what I think of this,…
Thursday, 08 June 2023 12:42
East London, South Africa: Angus Warren watched helplessly as the shark’s teeth crunched through the hull of his surfski. “It seemed to go on and on,” he says, “pushing and chomping. I was thinking, why is it not working out that it isn’t food? “I can’t tell how long it took, but I had enough time to shout a couple of times to the others.” The next thing he knew, he was in the water…
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Thursday, 27 April 2023 18:42
CAPE TOWN - Hank McGregor and Josh Fenn convincingly claimed back their Prescient Freedom Paddle title on Thursday in a dramatic race marked by tough conditions and a rain-delayed start.  Conditions were extremely tough - a brisk northwester blowing spray from the big confused chop into the paddlers' faces as they headed out to the island.  Huge breaking surf on the far side of the island ensured a wide line but the wind dropped as the fleet started on the journey back to the finish, making it that much more difficult and energy sapping to catch the runs.  
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Tuesday, 25 April 2023 11:50
Last Friday, however, I paddled with Dawid on a windless autumn evening in Cape Town. Cruising from Fish Hoek to Muizenberg, we paddled together, stopping at all the coves to surf a few waves. In short, the operative word was "fun". This was a different Dawid - off duty - and, well, I've never paddled with anyone so noisy before. Whistling, singing, shouting to folks on shore - yahooing as he caught a wave. Heading home at dusk we crept up behind a group of seals lazing on the surface. Dawid began barking like a five-year-old paid by the bark...until…
Thursday, 09 February 2023 07:39
A look back - aaaaargh! A mountain. Let it go through... A smaller one, with a glimpse of something massive lurking further out to sea. Catch it, catch it! Sprint, sprint, you’re on it, here’s the break zone, keep going, keep going, the roar from behind and the sudden acceleration as a massive foamy caught up to me, keep it straight, keep it straight... Phew. Arrived. Panting. Stop the watch. ok. Made it. Empty the boat, pick it up to prevent it knocking you down. Done.
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Saturday, 26 November 2022 17:16
The South Africans cleaned up today at the most prestigious surfski race in Australia – arguably the most prestigious race in the world - taking five out of the top six places and the entire podium at the Shaw and Partners “The Doctor” in Perth. Defending women’s champion, Kiwi Danielle McKenzie won the women’s trophy.
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Saturday, 19 November 2022 13:01
Gold Coast paddler, Cory Hill, took first scalp in the five-event ocean ski racing series, the Shaw and Partners WA Race Week, winning the inaugural race today, the 24km Fenn West Coast Downwinder from Fremantle, just south of Perth, to Sorrento Beach. In fine conditions with a 16 knot SSW wind courtesy of the famed Fremantle Doctor, the start off Port Beach was intense with the top paddlers in a terse battle to make the first break.   But it was 33-year-old Hill – the 4-times DOCTOR champ who relishes the Perth conditions – who was able to shake the field…
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Tuesday, 16 March 2021 13:54
It’s not easy to catch a rolling, runaway single ski in 30kt of gusting wind – and as they attempted to grab it, Alex and his doubles partner lost their balance and fell into the water. By the time they’d remounted, the single ski was gone – blown away by the strengthening near-gale. They turned and paddled back upwind to find their buddy.
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Wednesday, 03 March 2021 12:08
Accident reports are easy to write when the story ends happily, but this one didn’t and it’s with a very heavy heart that I’m writing this, with a view to learning what we can from it.
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Wednesday, 15 July 2020 09:13
When the NSRI found Duncan MacDonald, he was approximately 6km off Smitswinkel Bay, drifting rapidly further offshore. Gale-force squalls whipped sheets of spray off the waves, reducing visibility almost to nothing. What Happened? Given the small size of the surfski community, there’s always intense interest whenever there’s a rescue. What happened? What did they do wrong? What can we learn from it? Clearly there are lessons to be learnt from any mishap – so here’s a description of what happened, shared with the permission and cooperation of the folks involved in the hope that we might all learn from this…
Friday, 24 April 2020 11:41
Durban – As the continued coronavirus lockdown grips the country, Canoeing South Africa will host a 24 hour Canoeing4COVID-19 event this weekend as a way to raise funds for members of the broader paddling community that have been badly affected by the lockdown.
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Wednesday, 11 March 2020 14:35
“Hey, Rob! Help!” The shouts penetrated the sound of the howling wind and crashing waves – and even through the noise it was obvious from the tone of his voice that something was seriously wrong. I turned and headed back upwind.
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Tuesday, 03 March 2020 14:43
Many paddlers use Personal Locator Beacons, or tracker apps like SafeTrx on their mobile phones. But handheld VHF radios are also a great choice to consider – especially when they’re DSC-capable like the Standard Horizon HX870E.
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Monday, 24 February 2020 12:01
I finally got my hands on a demo Fennix Swordfish S this weekend and did two Miller's Runs in succession to see if I could feel any difference in handling between the 2018 Swordfish S and the new Fennix model.  Conditions were challenging: False Bay was covered in whitecaps, whipped by a combination of a 25-30kt southeaster and small, confused seas.  The result?  I definitely want to spend more time in this boat.
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Thursday, 26 December 2019 10:30
The shark smashed like a freight train into Roger Swinney’s surfski in an explosion of noise and spray, knocking him off into the water.  “I managed to get back on the ski,” he said, “but I fell off again and as I remounted the second time, I saw the swirl and tips of the shark’s fins. “I didn’t see it clearly, but from the force of it and the movement in the water, it looked big!”
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Surfski.info Review – Epic Mid-Wing Paddle

Sunday, 21 February 2010 18:22 | Written by 
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Epic mid-wing paddle Epic mid-wing paddle Credits: www.surfski.info

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the upgraded Epic Mid-Wing Paddles recently.  The new model has strengthened blades and a lever length-lock.

First Looks

Weight

These paddles are very light – mine weighs in at around 680g (24oz).

Finish

The paddles are works of art – the finish is exquisite.

Works of art!

Works of art!

Strengthened Blades

The new model retains the same blade shape – but has been beefed up considerably in the vulnerable area close to the shaft, as can be seen in the photos.

Old paddle

Old blade

The new, strengthened blade

The new, strengthened blade

Old blade

Old blade

New strengthened blade

New strengthened blade

Lever length-lock

The length-lock has also been optimized.  It’s extremely easy and convenient to use!

Lever Length-lock - unlocked

Lever Length-lock - unlocked

Lever Length-lock - locked

Lever Length-lock - locked

Using the Paddles

I find the paddles offer:

  • Comfort: the oval shaft helps locate the correct angle for the controlling hand (right hand in my case)
  • Easy to set up – and with the lever-lock it just got a whole lot easier.
  • A firm “grip” on the water at the catch
  • Great balance: no tendency to skid or twist as you pull through

Tennis grip

Some paddlers put surfing wax onto the shaft to help prevent hands slipping (which can be upsetting in more ways than one…)

I recently put a tennis racquet grip onto my paddle and find it works well.

Tennis grip

Tennis grip

Whether you use wax or some other grip (my buddy Dale uses a grip off a cricket bat!), your hand will take some time to get used to it and you can expect blisters until it does.

Care of the paddles

I always rinse my paddles, filling the shafts with fresh water and thoroughly cleaning the length lock.  This was especially important with the old conventional length lock.  And over time sand/salt can rub and damage the surfaces at the interface of the inner and outer shafts.

Paddle leash

When paddling offshore I use both a body leash and a paddle leash.  The body leash is coiled plastic and attaches to a belt attached to my PFD with a quick-release clip.  The paddle leash is a light rope.

In my opinion the highest priority by far should be a body/leg leash.  For lots of reasons, you don’t want to lose your boat.

You’re unlikely to lose your paddle – even if you come off your ski and drop it, the paddle will just sit in the water – it doesn’t get blown downwind like the ski.

So why use a paddle leash?

One answer is that it means you CAN let it go and not worry about it.  This can be very helpful when you’re alongside your buddy who’s just broken a rudder cable and you need both hands to try to effect a repair.  Been there, done that, the paddle leash was very useful!  Have I ever tangled the two leashes?  No.

(As always – you don’t want to be attached to the ski when you’re going through big surf near the beach.  You’ll be injured if a big wave takes the ski.  You need the body leash when you’re offshore.)

Single or Split Shaft?

(“Split shaft” describes a paddle like this one that breaks down into two pieces.  “Single shaft” paddles are just that – they have a one-piece shaft.)

Some paddlers prefer to use single shaft paddles, saying that they feel more confident in the strength of single shafts.

But there’s no denying the convenience of split shaft paddles – particularly when it comes to travelling.  Many paddlers also like to change the length of the shaft; shortening the paddle is like changing to a lower gear – making it less tiring to pull into wind, for example.

Models

The paddle blades come in two layups: hybrid (white) blades that are less expensive, and the full carbon blades.

Epic offer three alternative paddle shafts that have different flexibility characteristics:

  • The hybrid/green shaft (most flexible) is preferred for surf competitions or anyplace where the shaft may experience impact (with another boat, paddle, even the ground or a car door)
  • The burgundy shaft (medium flexibility) is most popular
  • The blue shaft (stiffest) is preferred for sprint racing, but not used much by ski paddlers.

Check the Epic website for more details.