Sing I would like your opinion on a DYI Waveski

Paddlers' Place
#1

I have been looking at this design Water Rat Printed Plans (duckworks.com) as a possible boat to tow behind my sailboat.

As I was looking at it just now, I was wondering if it would make a waveski with the addition of skeg, thigh straps or belt, and foot straps. Perhaps reduce the cockpit volume too. Just idle day dreaming, but what do you think?

Here is a video of a stich and glue waveski being built and surfed.
(3) Making a Waveski - The WoodySki - YouTube

Here are plans for another one.
Russki - The Plywood Waveski - Sit on Paddleboard Plan - Storer Boat Plans in Wood and Plywood

#2

Early sign of winter closing in.

#3

I get to paddle and sail year-round, but I also daydream year-round. I’m headed to bed now. We race sailboats tomorrow.

P.S. I had a couple of good days flyfishing on the Chattooga River with a good friend last week. Used a Parachute Adams with a Blue-winged Olive Nymph dropper.

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#4

So, of the three S&G waveski designs, the Woody ski is the “proven” design. It was talked about in BoaterTalk’s Surfzone. Several folks in the PNW had built and surfed it. (I almost did when I was converting from surf kayak to waveski, but then found a good used Islander waveski instead.). The “Russki” has a very point hull (like a kayak) and not a full upturn hull like the Woody. I think it will paddle okay but will likely dive and plunge into the wave trough on a drop down a steep waveface, leading to inadvertent endos. Don’t like the looks of the Water Rat design. It’s got a weird shape, unlike the Woodski’s more “traditional” planing hull bottom. If I were to make a change with the Woody, I would use tradition 3 fin layout, or even a singe center fin. I have been riding a single center fin 3.5-6" and leaving the side bite fins out. I like the “looseness” (less aggressive) on cutbacks.

Another DIY option is Nick Schade’s S&G surf kayak, the Matunuck. Like all of Schade’s designs, he has tested and iterated until ready for release: 20-Pound Matunuck Surf Kayak from Nick Schade: Build from a Kit or Plans!

sing

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#5

I read this again. No, it probably would not be good for the surf zone. The craft is too wide and would likely impede your ability to control. Also, rolling waveskis are bit challenging already. The width of that design would add even more challenge.

sing

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#6

I got to try out a Woody; it was surprisingly decent, but still not as good as the worst waveski I have owned, and I also couldn’t roll it .

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#7

The Woody’s high inward sloping gunwales make it hard. Don’t know about your Strike but my ReVision has those inward slope sides around the cockpit area. Have to work hard to get over that initial resistance to a roll.

Have to guess that the Water Rat craft, with the 34" beam, will make that so much harder to edge on a wave, never mind roll when capsized, compared to the ReVision’s 26.5" beam.

sing

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#8

Thanks for your input. I built an Eric Schade merganser 17 from a kit. Nick, Eric’s brother, is also known for his strip-built kayaks.

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