Hi all. Jim, good to hear the 'shout out,' and that you've been having fun out there on the water, in all manner of craft. Yes, the article that our webmaster extraordinaire, Chris Chappell, posted, was at Zach Handler's request. Zach was one of the group of friends that went out the day of that horrific tragedy. Among others, Nick's response focused the lens on what should always be considered for when we venture out. I know also that hindsight is exactly that, having been in a situation or three where I thought I was prepared, only to discover that some completely unexpected wildcard reared out of left field, or the reality of conditions and what can very quickly go wrong were beyond the assessment of myself or others in the group. Unfortunately, gaining experience in bigger conditions is not always as easy as building up to a certain level gradually. Sometimes all seems manageable...until it's not. My condolences go out to Todd's friends and family. I've struggled to write some sort of response to the article for the site, but find each time my words are too small.

Boats... I too, worked my way up the ranks and continue to, starting with a plastic Perception America, then an Eclipse, and NDK Explorer, QCC 700, Epic 18, Westside EFT, etc., into the skis. Trust me, I'm no expert, but have chosen to progress far enough along the learning curve of surfskis to make this my primary boat of choice. As the good Mr. Grainger noted, there are advantages and disadvantages to both skis and SINKs. What I enjoy most about a ski, I believe, is its simplicity. This can also be its Achilles' heel, as cargo capacity is minimal, at best. They are sheer speed and responsiveness, as long as you 'think like the shark' and keep moving. Due to greater rocker and narrow beam, they are not the most stable of craft at rest. Hence the learning curve. The means of contact with the boat is primarily three point: butt, hips, and feet. The legs together, higher knee position allows for efficient biomechanics and rotation that, when couple with a wing paddle, translate to forward speed. The understern rudder and footwell mounted pedals afford greater efficiency in a following sea, riding a wave, etc., where energies may best be focused on forward motion, versus bracing or turning strokes. It's definitely different, and first time users and new converts quickly discover that core strength is necessary to remaining upright. A fondness for swimming is not a necessity, but is certainly an attribute in gaining the requisite skills and building strength. The first time a new ski paddler catches a run though, is generally when they are hooked. I liken it to skiing a downhill on cross country skis: it's scary and thrilling at the same time, and if you fall off, you climb back on, no rolling, dumping or pumping required.

Coming from closed FSKs (fast sea kayaks), I didn't like the wide open feel of a ski very much at all at the onset. I felt too...exposed. Give me the security of a cockpit I can brace my knees against when calling for one's mommy is required, I insisted. What eventually sold me were two points, for the fast paddling and racing I was doing in more open waters: ease of remount, and the understern rudder system. I too, worked on my roll in the closed boats, but when I moved to my EFT (as many of the preferred FSKs), I discovered that unless you're prepared and know you're going over, you'll fall right out of that large, open cockpit before you have a chance to hook your knees under the coaming, even if you have a 'bombproof' roll (Always smile at that one, as really, be honest, how many of us do? Throw in some wholly unexpected crapola out there in the swells, or a moment's inattention struggling with hydration or an energy bar, and 'Ploop!' you're in.) Aforementioned large, open cockpits can hold a whole lot of water also, and make designing a stiff spray skirt that won't get blown in by a dumping wave, a real challenge. On a ski, you need to practice your remounts also, especially in conditions. Climbing back on is not as fast as rolling back up, but but it's a far easier skill to master. Secondly, overstern rudders, even the best ones, will eventually ventilate out of the water when the stern is lifted clear as waves pass beneath you. It's almost comical at times, an ineffective little arm flailing helplessly for purchase on the water. An understern experiences this to a far lesser degree. My EFT has both, that I might switch to overstern for flatter water/river races for less drag and weedy conditions, and run the understern when out in more open waters. Even so, my EFT rests on its saddles, taken out for only one race a year. It's a great boat; I just like my skis more.

Surfskis are wet rides. That said, dressing for immersion becomes paramount; you're pretty much immersed the whole time. Your feet are always wet, and thus, winter paddling becomes a great study in the relative effectiveness of warm clothing. You stay warmer in a closed boat-no ands, ifs, or buts about it. Sealed into your cockpit, you stay relatively dry, too. I have a full on Kokatat drysuit, and honestly, except when the temps dip below the 15 degree mark, don't find it much of an issue. Honestly, also, I don't know why ski manufacturers don't design a hatch into their boats. For the amount of relative loss of structural stability (?) traded, you can carry a few items of necessity. My Huki has a small 6", and it's really sufficient for most everything, plus I can place my water reservoir down low in the hull for added stability, and run the drinking tube through the hatch cover.

All this said, coming full circle, I guess I don't see the advantage of a fitness kayak vs. a ski, IF the intended purpose is to go fast in a relatively straight line in a mixture of conditions, IF cold weather paddling is not a deterrent, and IF cargo capacity is not a primary concern. The extra decking adds weight and really does little for stability as most fitness boats go to a wide open cockpit for fast paddling ergonomics anyway. At least in race circles, it's hard to find many of the closed boats left. With the advent of very stable skis like the Stellar SR and the Epic V-8, the lines become even more blurred. I think you'd be surprised at how much more stable this new breed is, compared to the V10S you were in, which is now billed as an Intermediate boat. It always was, I think, just nothing else existed on the stability scale to compare.

If you're looking for a new ride, good luck in your quest. 'Hope to see you out on the water again!

Cheers,

Mark

: Good perspectives all - hope to get a chance to try one or more of
: these boats. I sat in the Valley Rapier once, had a good feel.
: Never paddled any of these fitness/racing kayaks though.

: On the surf ski thing - seems falling off them can be a hazard so
: you've got to be tethered in (to the boat and paddle) and as in
: sea kayaks paddle in a group (perhaps even more important to not
: go solo).

: Wesley Echols and Mark Ceconi have a surf ski website focused on
: the CT/NE area. They posted this recently - about an ankle
: tether that came off a surf ski on a Lake in MN resulting in a
: fatality:

:
: http://surfskiracing.org/2011/10/todd-ellison-dies-in-tragic-surfski-accident-by-zach-handler/