@DrowningDave said:
That should make it pretty easy. The market in my area is poor but not quite that bad. Ask the seller if you can demo it. And get it before your wife says no.
Too late for that. But, she didn’t say no, she just said “wait a bit”, which I agree with actually. The price of that boat is not that much less than new which I can pick up anytime from a dealer in Toronto.
Just another reason why there are so many Canadians in Florida during the winter.
Growing up in Florida we called them snow birds.
@DrowningDave said:
Growing up in Florida we called them snow birds.
Pretty sure we call those people that too.
It seems to be a universal term as that’s what they’re called here in northern Michigan. They flee before the first snowfall and don’t return until the big melt is over.
Our traffic became a living heck and yours got better. For us the name “snow birds” is not a term of endearment.
@DrowningDave said:
Our traffic became a living heck and yours got better. For us the name “snow birds” is not a term of endearment.
Traffic in Toronto NEVER gets better. Only worse.
In Florida the term at the places that cater to that group call them “seasonals”.
@DrowningDave said:
Our traffic became a living heck and yours got better. For us the name “snow birds” is not a term of endearment.
Lull in the traffic is fleeting. Once the snow starts, the parade of skiers and snowmobilers begins.
I’ll be paddling the ICW tomorrow (my monthly around Cumberland), and am sure I’ll be seeing many ‘migrating’ south.
After Thanksgiving (home for family) is when you see the bulk of the south going vessels.
Surfski remount, especially on a stable ski is 1000 X easier to learn than a bombproof roll from both sides on a kayak. Other advantages include having to carry and rely on far less safety equipment and gear and generally having a safer craft. There’s a reason you see surfski paddlers go way out in nutbag conditions with nothing but a pfd, leash and a smile.
I’ve found the whole experience too be preferable. Because of the simplicity, I get on the water, way faster than I used to on my sea kayak. The boat glide is a thing of beauty, The confidence I have going out in bigger conditions has just opened up a whole new experience and the fitness benefit from the ability to use your entire body in the stroke is amazing.
I still have my sea kayak, but it’s reserved for a once or twice a year camping expedition where I stay pretty close to the shore.
I strongly recommend going with the ski. I know very few people who have regretted it. Most move on, never to return to their Yaks.
@Blitzemall
Thanks, nice to hear from someone from the ski camp.
You mentioned getting on the water faster. It’s certainly a consideration for me. I go out for a few hours once a week and all the packing and gearing up takes almost as much time as paddling. A lot of small things that end up taking a suprising amount of time.
@SpaceSputnik said:
@Blitzemall
Thanks, nice to hear from someone from the ski camp.
You mentioned getting on the water faster. It’s certainly a consideration for me. I go out for a few hours once a week and all the packing and gearing up takes almost as much time as paddling. A lot of small things that end up taking a suprising amount of time.
I’m on the water faster than the SUP folks. Good luck on your path. Would love to hear an update down the road.
@Blitzemall said:
Good luck on your path. Would love to hear an update down the road.
Thanks. You will hear from me for sure 
@raisins said:
“water” snowbirdsI’ll be paddling the ICW tomorrow (my monthly around Cumberland), and am sure I’ll be seeing many ‘migrating’ south.
After Thanksgiving (home for family) is when you see the bulk of the south going vessels.
Good weather day for it.
back to topic -
one of the reasons I bought a ski (V10) was to use it on the Cumberland paddle (to get around faster). (the main reason was for my daily paddle).
I haven’t used it yet for a ‘long’ paddle, considerations being - storage for extra gear required, safety (if seas come up, for me a kayak is much safer in heavy seas than the ski), extra skin protection (legs requiring sunscreen), comfort.
The V7 wasn’t out when I got the V10, but might have considered (especially if that hatch is accessible while at sea).
I’m not sure I am following your intentions correctly. If you want to mostly surf, then neither a seakayak or a surfski is the way to go. On great lakes with choppy short period waves a surf ski is not going to be doing a lot of surfing. They were developed where the waves come from large long period ground swell. If you don’t want to roll I would check out looking at a waveski for surfing, for great lakes type conditions I would probaby stick with a 9’6" infinity or longboard from Island wave skis. Learning to roll is made much more difficult than it really is, there are two easy rolls on a wave ski you can learn to do in an afternoon, and if you don’t want to roll, you just pull the safety belt realease, and climb back on. Your real issue may be you don’t like cold water. The water is going to be cold no matter what you decide to surf. Search on youtube for waveskis and learning to waveski to get a better idea of what they are.
