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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Latest Forum Topics

Rob Mousley

ICF Ocean Racing World Champs: What you need to know

Friday, 17 November 2017 15:17 |

Here are some basic facts that’ll help you to visualise what’s going down on Saturday and Sunday in Hong Kong, when the women’s and men’s ICF Ocean Racing World Championships take place.

Safety Notes – Two Failures of Safety Gear

Friday, 13 October 2017 09:50 |

“We have multiple reports of a surfski washing ashore without the paddler,” said NSRI Simon’s Town Station Commander Darren Zimmerman. “We’re activating.  Can you please try to find out who it might be?”

Revo Foil - Disrupting the Surfski World...

Wednesday, 11 October 2017 17:12 |

“Think outside the box?” laughs Revo Kayaks CEO Greg de Beyer…  “What box?  For us there is no box!” 

The brief interview I’d read on surfskinews.com (not to mention the plethora of comments on Facebook, not all of them positive) left me with lots of questions… 

Where can I rent a surfski?

Tuesday, 12 September 2017 08:12 |

A frequent question on the surfski.info forum is:  "I'm going on holiday to x country, where can I hire a surfski?!"  Jonas Hollander from Sweden had a brilliant idea a few days ago...  Create a google map with the locations of every place you can buy, hire or borrow a surfski - around the world.  At the time of writing, the map has over 90 locations and the number is growing every day.  

Molokai! Registrations open for the 2017 Event

Saturday, 18 February 2017 11:02 |

If you've never done the Molokai Challenge...  C'mon, you've got to get your backside over to Hawaii - it's still the holy grail of Surfski paddling.  AND this year, the following weekend sees US$50K on offer at the Maui Jim Ocean Shootout...  Here are the details - Register now for the Maui Jim Molokai Challenge 2017!

Hartley and McGregor Dominate - again!

Sunday, 12 February 2017 09:18 |

Durban - Hundreds of paddlers turned out on Addington Beach once again at the Borland Surfski Challenge, presented by Marriot. Race 6 of the 2017 FNB Surfski Series with all the participants revelling in the fine conditions and warm surf that the event has become known for.

FNB Series - Now for Bouman and Nixon!

Saturday, 21 January 2017 18:18 |

Durban, South Africa - Having played runners-up in the opening two encounters of the series, Matt Bouman and Hayley Nixon shrugged off the bridesmaids tag to take their first wins respectively at the Daikin Surfski Challenge, Race Three of the 2017 FNB Surfski Series at Marine Surf Lifesaving Club on Friday evening.

Hank McGregor and Hayley Nixon Favorites for Durban Series

Thursday, 05 January 2017 14:58 |

Durban, South Africa – The Durban surfski fraternity will once again be treated to a spectacle when the country’s best surfski stars battle it out over the 10-leg FNB Surfski Series as world leaders and beginners alike take to the warm Indian Ocean waters from this Friday until March in one of the most popular series on the East Coast.

McGregor & Furby win 2-day Downwind in Durban

Sunday, 21 August 2016 18:27 |

Zinkwazi Beach – With a tough overnight deficit to overturn the pair of Hank McGregor and Lee Furby paddled like men possessed as they stormed to overall victory on the second stage of the Gara Dolphin Coast Challenge from Salt Rock to Zinkwazi on Sunday.The opening stage took paddlers 42kms from Suncoast Pirates Surf Lifesaving Club to Salt Rock and the mild conditions gave the pair of Matt Bouman and Wade Krieger the edge as they pipped Euro Steel/Epic Kayak’s McGregor and partner Furby to the opening day honours.

Brother, Brother, Brother, Brother

Wednesday, 20 July 2016 15:38 |

Older brother, younger brother; younger brother, older brother – if you weren’t a sibling you weren’t on the podium!  The South African brothers dominated in Canada this weekend – too bad Teneale Hatton, winner of the women’s race, didn't  have a sister there…