Mako XT and a paddle
Right - have gone for the Mako XT or at least will do once the final quote comes through.
Next question:
A good wing paddle to go with the XT.
Anyone in favour of the Fenn 1 ?
Is that a good forgiving paddle for a beginner to progress with ?
Also I noticed paddles on Brians Kayak site but not much info on them - I guess they are local South African made paddles : http://www.kayaks.co.za/paddles.htm (Not the more expensive Epic ones…the other ones).
Split or not split ? (adjustable)
Fibreglass ?
Carbon ?
Carbon Kevlar ?
So many choices…
Cheers if you can help.
Ed
Epic Mid Wing here
Fantastic paddle. All carbon and very durable. One of your few chances in life to own perhaps the very best. Since you are new- get the length lock so you can shorten it. You will eventually want it shorter than you think you do now. I use a 215cm and am 5’11". I could go shorter.
I’m sure the Fenn paddles are very nice too. Stick with a shorter length (say somewhere in the 214-218 cm range).
af
Ouch…
Well finally got the shipping costs on the Mako XT…
erm, double the price of the ski.
Can anyone recommend something like it that I can get delivered to me for less ?!
How hard are skis to make ? (I have basic glassing skills already and am pretty handy but wouldn’t know how to make a mould or even know if an amateur could make a Mako type ski…)
This is all sooooo frustrating.
Shipping cost from where?
Didn’t you say you could buy from France? Is that source where you got the shipping quote? Can’t you go through the Chunnel and pick it up? A lot of us in the US have to drive several hours to get our boats. I’ve gone 8 hours each way just to demo - and 4 hours to pick up a used kayaks (twice).
Or was the quote direct from SA? I priced a SA made sea kayak a while back and cost to ship SA to Florida was not that bad. 1/2 to 1/3 the boat price if I recall - and requires picking up at a major (shipping) terminal.
You might also check into air freight. People do fly these things around (on commercial airliners). Ask on the yahoo surf ski group. Several paddlers in many countries have experience getting skis to far flung destinations such as Hawaii for the Molokai race, etc.
Got to be a way…
finding locally
i can’t believe that there is not a single dealer in the uk, france, belgium or the netherlands who couldn’t get you a ski or a very nice boat of some other sort.
Shipping
Yes - the quote was about £750 shipping direct from SA for an XT (about £460 for the ski - obviously I got excited about the ski price !).
So that would be about £1200 door to door.
Fenn France can get me one… for July … and I would have to collect from France.
I live on an island near France - there is no Chunnel, that goes from England to France.
The only way is to take a car by ferry to France for the weekend - that costs about £250.
So the cost would be about £1050 and also i don’t drive so would have to persuade someone.
Like you mention - I guess I will have to look into other European places and just spend time chasing down a decent ski…
Bit of a shame as I was hoping that the shipping would be about £200 to £300 which would make the ski more reasonable.
Oh well… guess it is just down to more emailing and calling people.
Ed
Another option
Take the train to France and paddle back! 
xs
Mate, I live on an island !
No trains … no link except boat to anywhere !
Not a bad idea though… but I would still have to wait until July - that is the earliest they would have one.