Stellar SR vs Epic V10 Sport

Hi Topswimmer - thanks for prompt reply.
Hey Dicko...I noted your earlier input, but if you are referring to the South African producer, there website is down and I cant find anymore info on them. I am actually a "smaller" paddler at under 6' and 82kg. Do you have any links to Zeplin info? Tks Hammy

Try this review.
www.surfski.info/reviews/surfskis/story/...k-centre-zeplin.html

Thanks Dicko.
Hey Topswimmer...last questions for you so I can guage our similar novice status. Are you novice from nothing into surfskis, or from kayaking across to surfski? I am transitioning from sea kayak. What layup is your squall? Do you recall what layup the SEI you trialled was? As the very experienced guys pointed out earlier in this thread, ski weight is a big factor in stability. A very light Squall can feel tippier than heavier SEI.
Appreciate your input, as for me its now down to Squall Vs Stellar Sr. Tks Hammy

Strangely enough my Squall is 14kg my friends SEI is the excel lay up about 11kg I believe.funny you mention the SR as the same friend is finding the SEI tough in some conditions & is thinking of swapping to the SR?

The SEI Excel can feel a little more reactive than the "intermediate" label would suggest, although it's a fun boat and more stable than most elite skis of comparable weight. I have one, and I find my SEL in Advantage feels more stable in spite of the 1" narrower beam (that mass thing again). The SR would be a good choice for your friend if he's finding the SEI challenging. The new SR is just an all-around excellent, put-a-grin-on-your-face boat.

One note on fit of new SR. It can accommodate inseams up to 35.5 inches with appropriate knee height. With footplate maxed out 36 inches you should be fine with barefoot or low profile shoes but u will be on edge of proper fit. Bucket is nicely shaped so can accommodate various sizes more easily. I found I only needed quarter inch padding in hips for summer paddling and no padding for winter use with drysuit. I can fit in any ski with 39 inch hips,29.5 inseam,34 inch waist,178lbs. Large hipped paddlers will fit nicely too since bucket is rounded and not too deep.
Hope this helps on fit questions. Wesley,Stellar Surfskis,SurfskiRacing.com.

wesley wrote: One note on fit of new SR. It can accommodate inseams up to 35.5 inches with appropriate knee height. With footplate maxed out 36 inches you should be fine with barefoot or low profile shoes but u will be on edge of proper fit. Bucket is nicely shaped so can accommodate various sizes more easily. I found I only needed quarter inch padding in hips for summer paddling and no padding for winter use with drysuit. I can fit in any ski with 39 inch hips,29.5 inseam,34 inch waist,178lbs. Large hipped paddlers will fit nicely too since bucket is rounded and not too deep.
Hope this helps on fit questions. Wesley,Stellar Surfskis,SurfskiRacing.com.

I am one of those "larger hipped" paddlers, (in the old Imperial scale) 40-41" waist, 247lbs and 5'10". As those of you on this site who know and have met me, I am a big unit. As Wesley states, the new 2015 SR accommodates a whole range of body shapes. Mine fits me like a glove and is without doubt the most comfortable and "secure" ski I have sat in, paddled and indeed owned.

However, one friend of mine who has very large thighs (courtesy of his football playing days) did not feel comfortable with the narrower bucket (less volume) design of the 2015. After test paddling a second hand 2013/14 larger volume model he was over the moon and promptly bought it. This is an extreme case, but in majority of cases the 2015 SR will suit a large amount of paddlers of varying body sizes and weight.

Mick

Hiya all

My post on this thread stirred up a little discussion a couple of months back ... here's a little more of my new SR in the salty suds

Hello paddlers. Just thought I would update you, and thank you all for input. Since last update, have trialled very light NK Squall, Old model SR, Horizon, New model SR, old model S18S. Goldilocks said the S18S is just right. Have been particularly conscious of: stability before ability; that I often paddle alone; that the S18S just "fitted" me like no other; it has the flexibility for the trips and waters I do. Yep...definitely slower than the new SR (whose speed wow'd me). But If thats the only compromise...will live with it, and try to fix my woeful stroke style. Have ordered new model with twin venturi's, mid handles in Excel lay-up (tested advantage).
Appreciate all the input folks. Hammy

Good choice Hammy - I have that same spec 2015 S18S (excel) in the right conditions they're not that much slower - a very under rated ski IMHO. Great fun - you'll love it.

here is a video shot earlier this year - yeah i know I'm a hack - but still having a lot of fun!

Try the 9 inch rudder too - great in a blow - I've had this ski out in over 30 knots - its a blast.

The S18s is a great boat. I have a new model in Excel and love it. I have it for lazy day trips , fast touring and big water fun. Plus it worked very well for friends new to surfskis and really well for people with basic paddling skils doing there first downwind. I had it with me at the U.S. Downwind Championships in the Columbia River Gorge last month and took it out a few times for fun. Mostly i paddled a V10 sport ultra for racing there as it is quite a bit faster than the S18s but stable enough for me in the big water. But!.. i can honestly say i have more fun in the S18s. On my last day there we had really nice wind and i decided to use the S18s mostly because i was really tired after 10 days of downwind in a row plus two races.. I put on the water with Greg Barton, Jasper Mocke and some other super fast paddlers and felt a bit embarrassed to be in my S18s. I decided to try and keep up with them as long as i could just for kicks. Amazingly i stayed with them working my ass off and i felt totally stoked that i could just hang with them…… Then their apparent 10 min warmup was over and within the next 10 minuets they were out of sight. Ego crushed i decided to just have fun and that i did. The s18s is very fast in its class and satisfyingly fast for all around fun, super maneuverable in the bumps and well behaved. It carves on a wave face with its short length and abundant rocker happily and rarely buries its bow even when your not doing your part. When it does you can bury the bow deeply on short steep bumps and it stays very stable and pops up in total control even if your at an angle. If you keep the power on when under it leaped forward as if preloaded with speed. Its deep secondary stability lets you do things you just can’t do in a skinny boat. I can throw it around and put in deep powerful strokes in places i just can’t in a tippier ski. At one point i was about to drop onto a nice honest double overhead wave at “swell city” and just as i was teetering at the top of the wave giving it my all a big diagonal wave over my head lifted me up and dropped me 10 feet to the left back on the wave face and with a stroke i was off and screaming down its face laughing hysterically. The S18s allowed this to happen without drama. I most likely would have missed the wave in my V10 sport because of a brace or two and it would have been ‘exciting’, but in the S18s it was more like an amusement park ride….. just pure fun. Grinding up wind in chop you will hang with or beat people in much faster skis. I love my S18s but think this fun could be had in any “beginner” ski be it a V8, S18s, Bluefin, Eze-Ace or whatever. They are very underrated boats… There’s such a push to be in a skinner ski i think at time it takes some of the fun out of it. Beginner skis are super at building skills, safe especially in colder water environments and just super fun. If i could only have one ski/kayak type boat it would be a S18s. I own a plethora of skis to paddle and i still think the S18s is the most fun of the lot. Fastest?… no (in its class maybe). Safest, most forgiving, most fun to surf, most versatile ski i own, you bet. There is really very little not to like about the boat.

First picture is my life story. It's a nice picture of Jasper and me the headless S18s paddler.
The other is in the same place, the "Viento" put in cove with building wind. Look at that rocker!

Hmm... Oddly my photo of Jasper has my head cropped out but not when uploaded here!?
Not sure why I posted it but it did make me laugh when it was headless.. I was clearly not the object of intent in the photo.... Still the same I guess.