Paddling the V10

For a larger image click here. 

I took the V10 out in Hout Bay, around to Seal Island and back.  Although it was a relatively calm day, there was the usual chop at the base of the Sentinel peak and some small runs to be had on the way back into the bay.

I had the good fortune to paddle a V10 (one of the early SA-built skis) for a month at the beginning of the year in several races and all kinds of weather conditions.  I loved the ski then and this one felt no different.  It was just as stable in the choppy water, and seemed to pick up runs just as easily.

It also rubbed my coccyx raw, just like the earlier ski! 

What I liked

• The build quality - this feels like a strong, well built ski.
• The extra Kayak Centre touches (like the handle and the rudder tiller-wheel)
• The stability - this is not a beginner's ski, but the extra stability compared to a Fenn Millennium or Icon frees me up to paddle instead of bracing in the chop.
• The performance - although I didn't paddle this example in a race I can confidently predict that it'll go well upwind and downwind. 
• The agility of the ski compared with the demo ski that I used previously - the steering was much more positive.

What I didn't like

• The rudder pedal assembly, which felt flimsy to me.  The same assembly was used on the previous V10 that I paddled and, while that example was admittedly an abused and battered demo boat, the pedals had not stood up well.
• The footplate, which also felt very flimsy.  I couldn't push my heel onto it with any force without it bending away.

(NB: Kayak Centre has since announced that they are taking measures to beef up both the rudder assembly and the footplate.)

For more information:

• Go to http://www.kayakcentre.co.za/
• Call Kayak Centre in Durban on 031 - 765 7041 or 082 873 5544
• Call Derrick or Andy at Brian's Kayaks and Sports in Cape Town on  021 511 9695

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed