S1-A paddler here
I’m one of kayakcyndi’s two friends that has a Huki S1-A and am a smaller male paddler at 5’9" and 130-135 #'s. Onno Patrick and others are right that this hull needs a lot of seat time to start to be comfortable in the rough stuff. On flat water the S1-A is fast and its low weight (mine is sub 20) accelerates into the sixes and beyond in just a few strokes. This is nice if you are looking to catch waves.
I paddled Cyndi’s Nemo after one of our longer training sessions and it too wanted to go fast and was ridiculously stable. On my short paddle I quickly hit six plus despite being tired. The sea kayak lines disguise a very capable boat for the smaller paddler. The compromises that are part of so many boat making decisions seem to be absent in the Nemo.
I’m definitely still in the learning curve and as the conditions get more challenging for my skill level I notice a drop off in my speed as I get tentative. I’ve only had a couple of month’s paddle time in the boat before water temps dropped but each week I felt more capable.
I use an Onno wing paddle (sub 20oz) which is a perfect compliment to the US made Huki. Both are works of high craftsmanship. The Nemo is very well made and finished with a lot of very nice features.
The S1-A being so tippy is also a bit of a challenge to remount, specially in the sorts of conditions you are likely to capsize in. Cyndi gave me an assisted rescue at the Wye Island race in super windy conditions with high chop after I failed to remount after several attempts. (Big thanks!) That’ll reduce your average speed quite a lot! Cyndi and the Nemo were loving life in those entertaining waters until her rudder cable gave way.
All said, can’t wait to get the Huki back on the water next spring and gain the skill to make the most out of the challenging ride. Bring on the glassy water and the textured stuff, hopefully I’ll be able to master the S1-A in multiple conditions.
The Nemo would be a great choice from what I’ve seen and is state of the art for it’s part in the paddling spectrum.
Stephen
hard decision
I have narrowed it down to the Huki S1-A or the Think FIT. This is going to be a hard decision since it looks like I am going to be unable to test paddle either one. I realize I will need lots of practice with the surf ski to gain stability. I do like the Nemo, too but I just feel I have something similar in my QCC 10X. It is going to be difficult to decide. I want something that will allow me to do ocean races, lake races and river races and marathons so it needs to be versatile. I do a lot of multisport stuff too. I’d love input from any paddlers of the S1-A or Think FIT.