I'd include the FENN mako 6 in the intermediate category, in terms of tippiness, not performance.

Thanks Al.  When do we see you back at the vlei for time trials?

The forum with new posts highlighted seems to have disappeared from the home page.  Is this deliberate?

I suspect that if you are gripping as loosely as you should, then the shaft shape shouldn't make a difference.  Personal preference and what one is used to are the only factors.

Here are a few good rules of thumb. 

Don't exercise if

1. You have a temperature
2. You have muscle aches
3. Your resting heart rate is more than 10% above normal

These indicate you have a viraemia (circulating virus in the blood stream) and may be at risk of damaging heart muscle. This is usually around the first 48 hours of flu symptoms setting in.

A cough, snotty nose are not dangerous per se, but be guided by how you feel and take things a little easier until you are better.  Hydrate well and rest and you will be better for it.

Sounds like possible carpal tunnel syndrome.  See your orthopaedic hand specialist with this one too. Let us know what he says.

How adventurous are you?  How about paddling it there?

Looks good.  What does it weigh? (in Kg, please)

Also good to see who their sponsors are, Always good to support companies who support paddling.  Maybe that's why I drink so much Hansa Pilsener...

Suggest you rather get a T-bar for the back.  Holdfast make them to fit into the slot on their bicycle rack holders, which bolt on in front of the tow bar.  You can then just carry the ski backwards if you're worried about weight in the nose. Of course, this means you have to get a tow bar too. 

I've always found paddling is hard enough as it is, without making it even harder for myself by adding resistance.  Haven't personally done the bungee thing, but the lady did ask...

In K1 on flat water, some guys use a tennis ball with a bungee cord threaded through it, to loop around the hull with the tennis ball at the bottom.

Stuart's advice is very good.  The other thing to do is intervals.  30 strokes (counting on 1 side) as hard as you can, then 30 strokes recovery.  An alternative is   1 min hard, 1 min recovery, 2 minutes hard, 1 min recovery, 3 minutes hard, 1 minute recovery.  Repeat 5 times. Interval training is good for speed and endurance.

Have recently seen the Garmin 405 forerunner advertised in a sports mag.  Seems it is the next generation up from Garmin 305.  Less bulky, more watch-like.  Apparently you can switch off the GPS portion and use it as a watch.  Battery-life consequently much longer.  Has anyone had a chance to evaluate it?  Do our intrepid SS.info editors perhaps see their way clear to test-driving one?

Did you put the actual Red 7 bullet on, or did you make one yourself?  Strikes me Red 7 could make their fortune just selling bullets...