Re: ski speed

I'm surprised with the general view that a K1 is tippier than a ski. The K1 has a significantly higher socondary stability due to the triangular shape behind the seat which helps in bracin whereas on a ski you don't have any secondary stability. Also, paddling 7mph on a K1 is hard word whereas the same speed on a ski is easier given the more efficient shape. Anyone agree?

For me personally, I have found a speed advantage of ~0.3 MPH in using my improperly sized K1 compared with the Surfski. However, the only K1s that I have owned/borrowed are the older design boats (eg. orion). I am faster in the Surfskis than I am in these K1s, but this may not be the same for someone who is substantially lighter (I weigh ~195 lbs). I have briefly tried out some of the newer K1 designs and the seem a lot faster than the K1s I have used. I think that heavier people tend to benefit more from the larger volume surfski designs, whereas lighter paddlers might not find such a big advantage for the surfskis. Given the right K1, most people (who can handle the tippiness) should be as fast or faster in the K1, compared with a Surfski.

Regarding stability, I have found the Huki S1X to be significantly more stable (both initial and final stability) compared to any K1s that I have ever paddled. The Mako 6 does not have a great deal of initial stability, but it is still more stable than the K1s--especially with regard to final stability. New K1s do not have "wings" any longer, but even on the older boats, the wings do not provide all that much stability. I would be very surprised if you could find an example of a non-trainer K1 that is more stable than the S1-X, V10, or Mako6.

.... the age factor....
I too am trying to figure what kind of surfski to buy. The more stable ones make sense- but the long skinny carbon boats sure are beautiful!

I'm pretty sure I've got socks that are older than most of the people posting here.

Having said that.... I recently took delivery on my third ski: a Huki S1-R.

Balance-wise: it's the most stable ski I've ever paddled except for one, which I'd say was *too* stable (i.e. it was a log....)

Beauty-wise: I've had three people come up to me already to say how pretty this thing is. Never had that with either of the two previous skis. In fact my son-in-law (who could care less about boats, surf skis, kayaks, or the water in general) went on about how beautiful this thing looked for at least fifteen minutes.... It was borderline-embarrasing.

Here's what I'm talking about - pretty much exactly, since Jude did a second layup to the same spec in order to get me a few more inches of leg room: tinyurl.com/4lrjre Scroll down to the yellow one "HUKI S1-R Log hopping Ultra Light Construction SOLD".