Yeah, right…
...You really don't have to be elite. Its just a question of where you spend your time...
I spent an hour or so this summer playing on a surf ski at a local lake and spent most of my time swimming!
Made my T-165 feel like a raft!
Holmes
Hey Kudzu
I did try it, the thing is with my weight I am border line with that boat.That’s why I was asking info for the 170.Other question is wich
of the Currituck and tempest 170 have more rocker? If anyone know the answer please reply
Thanks!
Dan
OK, so the instant gratification factor
isn’t there, but the balance comes pretty fast, and all paddling a ski really is is balance, forward stroke, and the occasional brace. If you compare the learning curve for a ski to how long it took to be reasonably competent in your T-165–not just able to paddle across a pond, but maneuvering, exits and re-entries, etc.–I really don’t think the ski would look so bad. It’s just another kind of dayboat.
You said it. (90 minutes)
If only 90 minutes is your expected time needed to master a SurfSki, (or any serious paddle craft)... what can I said? you said all.
Took me a couples of months to feel comfortable on choppy waters and wind waves on my Sky, a Mako Millennium; and just now, I am starting to paddle in as rough condition as I used to paddle with my former boat on the ocean, which in fact, it is way tender than most Sea Kayaks.
However, I don't look back. There is nothing like paddling a performance paddle craft. It makes us way way better paddlers.
Regards,
Iceman
not sure but…
I’ve paddled both kayaks and although I thought both were excellent kayaks which were both very seaworthy, I found the Currituck to be a touch faster with the Tempest being a bit more responsive. I wasn’t using a GPS so I can’t give you exact speeds but that was just my initial impression. Of course the slight speed difference was only apparent when sprinting as hard as I could. At a cruising speed, there was no real perceivable difference.
Yep…
and I imagine I’ll be in the market for one these strange critters before another season passes.
I’d really like to have a ‘hotrod’ boat but don’t want simply a fast touring boat.
The boat I tried was an older model that had been completely refinished - not sure what it was. Owned by an out-of-stater that I happened to bump into at the lake.
The water was pretty choppy as the afternoon wind was in but I really expected to do better than I did!
Ya know, a cedar strip ski would be pretty cool and I can’t imagine it would be a tough build if plans are available.
Hmmm…
Holmes
Humour was the intent - no serious
expectations of any kind! Bumped into a travelling paddler who hppened to have a funny lookin’ boat that I wanted to try.
He made it look so easy!
I did pretty well at moderate speeds but when I poured on the coals my stroke shortcomings became apparent. Too much upper body sway and keeping the blade in the water too long. And then I’d catch some wake reflectives off the canyon walls and in I’d go!
Should never have climbed aboard that damned thing… I see a used ski in my springtime future 
Did I mention how wonderful Kokatat MsTour vests are for frequent swimmers??!
Pleasant waters to ya.
Holmes
Two Comments
1. Where’s the pfd on the guy paddling the v-10 (in the pictures). Guess the conditions were too benign???
2. The gal who ran away from her husband in the thunderstorm - does he “light” up your life?
that’s oscar chalupsky
he’s the best surfski paddler in the world, and probably ever. i doubt he owns one. very, very few people paddle surfskis with pfd’s.
af
Some Experience
I have owned a 170 and traded it for a 165. As far as speed is concerned, I don’t think there’s any significant difference between the boats on a calm day. I am a day tripper. Don’t carry a lot of gear. An unloaded 170 is way too much volume for a 165 pounder like me in a stiff cross wind. In short, on a windy day, my 165 will beat a 170… all other factors being equal. The 165 requires a lot less correction because less of the boat is out of the water catching wind.
Surfski safety
I do wear a waist-pack inflatable PFD most of the time when I’m solo on open water, but have never had occasion to inflate it on the water. But the really imporant piece of safety equipment is not a PFD but a leash. Mine has saved me numerous times from what would have been daunting swims. I can generally grab the boat as I go over on the initial capsize, but a missed re-entry frequently leaves me needing to reel it in by the leash.
Kudzu is gettin it
Wow, interseting how attitudes cahange as skill increases. Now get in a real fun boat like a Pintail… I almost guarantee that as you develop as a skilled paddler you will gravitate away from Wallmart and toward core products… Keep after it.
Spray…
you’re sooo transparent.
steve
I used to argue
that every paddler should wear a PFD, always. But since owning a surfski for the past year, I appreciate the fact that when capsizing it is completely different from capsizing a decked kayak–your hair doesn’t get wet. In warm Hawaiian waters with a support boat nearby (or the warm, flat summertime Charles River in Boston), I don’t see how a PFD enhances safety much, and I’ve actually (gasp!) gone without one a few times. On the other hand, I’d never paddle in a cold lake or ocean without a PFD and all its attached safety gear.
Sanjay