What is surfski all about?

This article written by Luke.

So what is a surfski? and what is all the fuss about?

First up I need to confess that I am biased, I love surfski and have 2. I first got to try one in 2013 whilst on honeymoon! Hey where should we go on our honeymoon? I know, how about somewhere we could hire a kayak? Really? Anyway we did and both enjoyed paddling out to Kerrera from Oban in a sea kayak and a surfski. Who says I'm not romantic.......

A Carbonology Sport Boost.

So what is a surfski?

A surfski is an open cockpit kayak, steered with a rudder, built for the ocean environment. They are fast, light and great fun.

Surfski's evolved from craft that lifeguards use to rescue swimmers with, in South Africa, the craft had to be able to punch out through large surf, needed to be fast in the water and fast to deploy. The lifeguards, all wanting to test themselves, race these craft and championships still run, those craft are generally known as 'spec skis'. Surfski's were designed to go out and play/race in more offshore environments, out in big ocean swell and wind driven waves. They are at their best going downwind. They are built lighter than normal sea kayaks, an average weight might be about 12-14kg and a super light carbon honeycomb ski might be near 8-9kg, they are not as durable as sea kayaks which normally weigh in around 25kg. Surfski's are graded into beginner, intermediate and advanced categories, basically by how tippy they are. The higher the rating the faster they are if you can keep them upright, so balance is one of the key skills in a ski. An advanced ski will easily average 12kph, with a strong paddler maybe average 14kph and surf much faster, in my beginners boat above I can average just under 10kph for an hour or so on flat water. A typical sea kayak will average about 6kph. My boat above is about as stable as a 21" wide sea kayak, it handles very differently, especially with the rudder, you have to be moving forward for it to turn well. You don't roll ski's, there is a coiled leash that attaches you to the boat and you can quite easily remount in deep water should you end up in the water. The cockpit is self draining and is designed to clear itself of water, ski's are wet boats, you are much less cocooned than in a sea kayak and to transition from the water to onboard is easier.

A Revo R3.

So what's all the fuss about?

Well you will have to try one to see if you like it, they are different from sea kayaks and have pros and cons depending on what you want to do. Probably the main attraction for myself is the simplicity and quickness, not as much gear faff as with sea kayaking, easy and light to carry to the beach, the new skills and experiences that they open up are vast. Getting out into some good big wind driven waves and going for a run downwind is great fun, there is energy in every wave and the ski's will surf on waves that sea kayaks can't look at, because they are too heavy in the water. Learning to read the sea around you and link waves together, to get good long runs is an involved process, it's a great sport to allow you to put everything else aside and just live in the moment. Its a humbling sport, it sounds easy but there is a lot to learn. Surfski is probably more like being a surfer, always looking for those perfect waves, flow states, mixed with the tactics of sailing. They work well as fitness craft, trying to push a sea kayak fast is very hard work and is more about brute strength than technique, you can push a ski hard, if you want, and they won't hurt you as much. They are the craft of choice now for ocean racing and becoming very popular around the UK, the ethos of those getting together at race events is open, friendly and inclusive. Everyone no matter what age, how fast or how skilled is welcome and you get to try to better yourself, or just paddle for fun, it can be as competitive as you like. One of the magic things about being on the water is how grateful it can make us feel, time in a ski is full of moments that can add a bit of joy to our lives, like a lot of sports.

Oban Sea Kayak race 2019, my Cruze no 98.

What are skis made from? They are made in plastic, in fiberglass, in carbon fibre and in hybrid mixes. All comes down to how much you want to spend and how light you want the ski to be.

Can you fish from a ski or take photos? Yes, especially a beginners ski, the Cruze is more stable than a lot of sea kayaks.

Can you carry much gear? You can but not very easily, I've seen trip reports of people touring with a ski but I don't think they are ideal for that. There is room on the back deck and footwell for drybags. Some skis have a back deck hatch, others you would need to strap gear onto the deck.

So would a surfski be a good choice as your only boat? Absolutely, depends on what you want from a boat though.

Do you get cold in the winter? I don't but when out in a ski I am normally actively paddling rather than sitting about. I normally dress differently from being out in a sea kayak, you still dress for immersion but a dry suit I find is pretty useless in a ski, way too hot if you have dressed for immersion with a fleece under suit in the winter, if you use a drysuit with only thin layers underneath then you are not really suitably insulated to be in cold water. I find dry suits to be too hot to paddle in or too cold to be in the water in. I prefer to paddle with neoprene and careful layering. You tend to be more active in a ski and stay hot that way, neoprene isn't too hot to paddle in, its not bulky and is insulated enough in the water. Maybe in below freezing air temperatures and very cold seas I would wear a drysuit, with insulation under.

What about safety gear? I think most ski paddlers carry less safety gear than sea kayakers would, you don't see spare paddles, pumps, tow lines or drybags full of 1st aids and other bits. The boat is your main safety and you are tethered to it, being parted from the boat is bad news, just as it would be from a sea kayak. I carry a VHF and a PLB, sometimes a mobile and/or a strobe along with neoprene head cover and gloves if its dark soon or cold. I always leave a route plan with someone if I'm out alone. I train often to be able to remount in rough conditions. I always like to ask if true safety is in the gear you carry and ability to micromanage situations or is it in our overall approach and understanding of our limitations and the reality of the environments we go to? I think training to raise our competence and awareness, along with our fitness to be in the sea environment are key to safety. But the unexpected can and does happen so dressing suitably for immersion and carrying a means of calling in distress is critical.

How can I get to try one? You could ask me, or demo one from a supplier. I got mine from Alan Hunter who runs Carbonology Sport UK, he has demo boats, he is based in North Berwick where there is an active group of surfski paddlers. There are suppliers of Epic, Think and other makes in Scotland.

Does the club have surfski's? No it doesn't, maybe in the future.

Do you use a wing paddle? Yes definitely. Wing paddles and surfski's go together well, the ergonomics of a ski allow for good technique, lots of leg drive and rotation, mix that with a wing paddle and you have an efficient and fun set up. Wings like to be working hard and spinning fast, they work well in fast boats. Wings get a strong grip in the water and in waves this adds a lot of stability, with a good paddle technique you push down into the water rather than pull the blade backwards, wings give a lot of support when used like this. In a ski you are generally either paddling forward or using the back of the paddle as a trailing brace in waves, especially when surfing. Wing paddles do both really well, they are the 'right tool for the job'.