Plans for surf kayak?

Hi

Im looking for plans too build my on surf kayak is it posible?

Are surf paddles shorter and wider?

Sorry for the bad spelling.



Propel

Plans
Two possible SINK surf crafts:



http://www.surfyak.com



http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/Building/Guillemot/DrawingBoard/Drawing.html



Two for building waveski:



http://www.harborside.com/~dchurch/woodyski.htm



http://members.aol.com/waveskis/shaping.html



Yes. Surf paddles are shorter. You need to be able to accelerate fast to catch a wave and to get through the break zone. Once on a wave, the paddle is used to stern rudder. Too long, it just gets in the way and/or creates more drag to slow you down. I use a 180-185 cm. I am 5’3". Several more advanced surf kayakers I know use 165-170 cm (special order) and they are taller than me at 5-10"-6’. However, my paddles are also use for white water where too short negatively impacts strokes for directional control.



sing

sing

wood surf yak?
Sing,

have you actually built or used one of these? I had heard that it was almost impossible to build a good, strong wood surf yack. Is there any where I can go to try something similar? Thanks.



WarriorJ

My Sense Is That
the Shrade design is more forgiving than the Surfyak design. I seen the Shrade up close but didn’t ride it. It looks good too me. I also know several people who did the surfyak and were happy with it. One local guy also did one. But, I think he deviated a bit from the suggested lines. For one, his bow rocker was way too much and had no volume. It plowed the water rather than ride on top and through. He calls it the “Pig.”



To be truthful, I think the woodyski would perform well or better given its lines. But, the downside of the ski is that rolling is tough (as with all waveski). And depending on how high the seat is above waterline (as opposed sitting below the waterline with a surf kayak), the woody ski will be tippy. But, once you master rolling it, it becomes more enjoyable to play it to the limits. The tippiness while sitting still or paddling, translates to awesome carving once you up to planing speed on a wave.



sing

Hej Propel
Hvordan går det? I’ve seen pictures of the Guillimot boat and it looked really good, but I’m not sure he ever got the plans finalized. The woody ski from Dave Church looks like the best performing wood surf craft that there are firm plans for. He has a video clip of him surfing it that is pretty cool. Dave posts on Boatertalk.com surfzone forum from time to time and he is very helpful if you have questions. Also the wood surfyak I know some folks who have built and surfed them, I’m not sure how well they would work.

Thanks for the feed back
Here in Denmark we dont get the big waves but its fun too surf any way.

regards

Propel

Stitch & Glue Construction…
is as strong as composite production. Fact is that wood panels are sandwiched between layers of glass and epoxy. Thus, S&G is really a composite boat, but with a wood core. Dings can be repaired just like would repair a composite boat. The “beauty” of surfing is that you will “ding” your boat. You will learn to fix it, or make a connection with a local repair person who can. I am firm believer in DIY, even if the repair may not look as smooth as a professional’s. :slight_smile:



sing

You could go SOF
Morris’ book has a little surf boat. It’s not a serious “surf” kayak but it’s a blast and can be built very cheap. It weighs only about #15.



http://www.topdogtrainers.com/surf.jpg

That is cool looking
any idea how much weight it will handle, how fragile is it?

I’ve had #180+ paddlers in it and the
aft deck was just about under water. But the build can be adjusted to fit you and your weight perfectly. That one is 9’x23". I’m 5’8" and #165. I adjusted depth, length, and beam to get it just where I wanted.



It’s built of Sitka Spruce and oak and it’s quite tough. But until it breaks I’ll never know how much it can take, but I suspect as long as it’s not full of water it will hold up to anything I get into. Sitka Spruce is the wood used in early aircraft.



Paddling out is real nice as it seams to get me out faster than my Looksha Sport (14.5’ x 23)



It’s a good surfer.

Looks nice
What are the name of the book you are talking about?

I have to make it a bit bigger im almost 100kg, sorry i dont know the pund scale.

This last summer i buoildt my first SOF, this on looks like fun.

Propel

Pics of my SOF
http://community.webshots.com/user/kajakkaj

Propel

The “Issue” With The “Retrieval” SOF

– Last Updated: Nov-06-05 6:24 AM EST –

is that there is no way to install fins that would take the beating, or be water proof outless somehow outside of the skin.

I can't say enough what a difference fins make in the performance of surf craft, especially on steep waves.

If you going to spend time building and REALLY want to surf in the "classical" manner as in being able to carve and trim up and down a wave, I would strongly suggest putting the energy into building a hard shell craft which will allow installation of fins.

Again, if it were my money and time, I would strongly favor the woodyski which has really, really good looking lines for surfing. Or even the Shrade boat, if you can get him to produce the plan for you.

sing

PS. At this point, I admit to strong biase about what I want in a surf craft, having spend time surfing with long boats, white water boats and now surf boats and waveskis. Surfing in non surf specific crafts simply doesn't provide the same amount of control or the quality of the ride. It is the difference between being able to be "ONE" with the wave (surf craft) or being "controlled" by the wave (most other crafts).

Surfing in messy stuff

– Last Updated: Nov-06-05 11:27 AM EST –

Hi Propel, I used to live in Norway and have been to Denmark on some brief trips, I spent about a week one summer on the North West Coast, so I don't know a whole lot about the surf there but it looked like the biggest waves come with strong winds, and have pretty short periods. Almost all the spots I saw were beach breaks, where the waves tend to close out abrubtly. I know you get glassy well formed waves once in a while. The woody ski would be fun for surfing when you have good conditions but I would expect most of the time you would want a more traditional kayak like the Schrade design like Sing says, but you are also going to need a very sturdy boat, like a used whitewater boat. I also know these don't exist in Denmark. On boatertalk.com on the surfzone forum there are a few guys from
the Netherlands who surf a lot they might give you an idea of what will work in the North Sea.

Nice job.
You must’ve used Cunningham’s book, huh? I think you’ll find Morris’ surf boat extremely easy and quick to build compared to the Greenland kayak.



The Retreival kayak is in "Building Skin-on-Frame Boats by Robert Morris.



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0881791911/104-7256114-8070313?v=glance

As long as you have a chine
or something solid framed inside the kayak you can put a fin/skeg there. On me G-SOF I installed a removable skeg using epoxied threaded rod into the keel and then made a skeg that would mount. It’s slightly crude, the nuts are made large so whomever I was paddling with could remove the skeg for me while on the water. The skeg is made of a nylon material and will bend if impacted - it has been tested over and over and has not damaged the keel in any way.



This was kind of a test and I’m sure I could build something a bit sleeker, but this has proved to work well.



http://www.topdogtrainers.com/skeg.jpg



I’ll probably get Keith Wikle to help design one for my surf boat.

Switch And Compare Notes…
have Keith surf your SOF and you surf his Boogie. I would love to have a report back on your notes.



sing

I just do it for fun
I don’t need to get too technical. If I can surf something I built myself, that’s good enough for me.



Good surf just doesn’t happen enough for me to get caught up in any “this is best or that is better”. If it works I’m on it!



As a matter of fact I’ve had much more fun in my Necky Looksha Sport than any other kayak. I couldn’t care less about tricks or even getting any good at it. If I get down into the power pocket a few times that’s good enough for me. I can do that in my Necky or the SOF. I just want to get out there, have some rides, and call it a good day.



That little Morris boat is great for me. And yes like I stated before it’s not a serious “surf” kayak.

Agree With This.

– Last Updated: Nov-06-05 4:29 PM EST –

"I don't need to get too technical. If I can surf something I built myself, that's good enough for me."

but if you gonna build something with the intention of surfing, why not build one that will surf better... Same time, same money practically. I like SOF building but I don't believe it's the better approach for a surf craft compared to the S&G option. Indeed, I suspect the S&G woodyski could probably be built faster, cheaper and stronger than a SOF.

If you're enjoying it, then it's good. I'm just providing a perspective for someone who said he wanted a surf craft plan, as opposed to a something that can be somewhat adapted to surfing. Of course, ultimately, it's his choice how he wants to go about it.

sing

PS. I may come across as a die hard, dogmatic surf kayaker. In fact, I am more ecclectic. I believe in using the best equipment I can for the particular venue. That's why I do have surf boats, white water boats, long boats (SOF, glass, S&G and plastic). I don't quite believe in trying to make something that was best intended for one venue to fit into all other venues as some seen prone to just be somehow "pure" in their pursuit (by this I am not referring to you specifically but from what I have read from others on the "other forum").

I weighed my options before I built
and I came to the conclusion that the SOF was what I wanted.



I beleive the Morris kayak to be an option for propel, you may not believe it’s his best option but that’s up to him. I just put it on the table.