V10s vs Honcho Guevarra

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12 years 8 months ago #7416 by zachhandler
I'm looking to pick up a beginner/intermediate boat to help introduce friends to the sport. Im considering the v10s and the guevarra. The honcho is quite a bit cheaper to purchase. Anybody out there able to compare the two boats for me, or comment on the honcho (few reviews out their on that ski).

Thanks!

Current Skis: Epic v10 g3, NK 670 double, NK exrcize, Kai Wa’a Vega, Carbonology Feather, Think Jet, Knysna Sonic X
Former Skis: Epic V12 g2, Epic V12 g1, Epic v10 double, Nelo 550 g2, Fenn Elite S, Custom Kayaks Synergy

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12 years 8 months ago #7418 by mckengmsurfski
I have owned both skis and would consider myself an intermediate ocean paddler. For reference, I currently own and paddle on a regular basis an Epic V12 Ultra, an Epic V10 Sport Ultra, and a Nelo Ocean Vintage Ski. Past skis include a Honcho Guevara, a Custom Kayaks Synergy Hybrid, and a Red7 Surf70 Pro in glass.
When I bought my Honcho Guevara, I bought it for basically the same reasons that you are considering it. I wanted a more stable ski to introduce friends to the sport, and hopefully to get my wife out for a few paddles. Plus it was cheap... Turns out there's a reason for that. What I found was that I wound up really liking the ski myself. It surfs well and overall is fun to paddle. The negatives for me were that its not particularly fast, its not particularly light, it takes a bit of time (and a screwdriver) to change the footplate length, and the finish is not particularly good. But the real issue was that all of the novice paddlers that paddled it hated it. I had one friend who found himself much more comfortable in my Synergy, said there was no comparison. Another teetered around for 30 minutes and has never asked to go paddling again. Afterward, he tried my V12 and didn't look any less stable. My wife, a complete novice, paddled it one time and would not go back out. She has since paddled the V10 Sport I replaced the Honcho with and is now very interested in paddling. A friend, who normally paddles a V10 Sport tried it out, and was not impressed. He couldn't wait to get out of it.
The bottom line is that the Honcho is an odd bird. Its an intermediate ski that is fun to paddle but is not particularly fast. And because its not particularly fast, you'd expect it to be more stable, but its not. It feels like a barge to me, but to most beginners its got too much roll in its primary to ever get comfortable.
To me, the V10 Sport is the hands down choice. Its more stable, its faster, its lighter, it has a better finish, its easier to adjust, it will fit a broader range of paddler sizes, it is more likely to garner your friends' interest in the sport, and if you decide to sell it down the road, it will sell. The Honcho, well...

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12 years 8 months ago #7423 by zachhandler
Thank you very much for your answer! That's really the type of input I was looking for.

Current Skis: Epic v10 g3, NK 670 double, NK exrcize, Kai Wa’a Vega, Carbonology Feather, Think Jet, Knysna Sonic X
Former Skis: Epic V12 g2, Epic V12 g1, Epic v10 double, Nelo 550 g2, Fenn Elite S, Custom Kayaks Synergy

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12 years 8 months ago #7436 by garykroukamp
The Guru is the Honcho beginner's boat. The Guevara I believe was meant for smaller intermediate paddlers.

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