surfski novice

 I own an Epicv10L gen 1 surfski. Nobody makes a sock or outdoor case for this extra long surfski so I made one myself for $0.  A guy nearby purchased an RV cover he never used. He was tossing out this new cover so I repurposed it. I cut the white waterproof, sunproof, snowproof center out. It is all stitched and seamed so no stitching necessary. This cover is nearly 4 layers thick I wrap the ski in rubber bungee. These last longer than cam straps or elastic bungee. I replace them every 3-4 years.  

   This is a really good article that clearly defines the issues... https://www.gosurfski.com/post/five-myths-about-stable-surfskis?fbclid=IwAR0eLjtjoX3YU9NBfIU_3YZz4Uvx5SartsRIdVWZaUNKKjCt_pRBVvDuD3E I started in a Futura sport but within a few months bought a second boat an Epic v10L gen 1 for speed.  I understand the argument probably more than most.  In some of my first gulf races, hydrodynamically slower boats were doing better than me.  A good Epic butt pad and back wedge fixed my stability issues.  The Epic seat is too sloped and promotes slumping and sliding.  After I added these, I didn't have issues.  The problem I have experienced is buckets that are made for much wider guys than me yet the boat is perfect for me.  Check out this article.

 An amazing 54-year-old woman kayaks 5834 miles, 130 days offshore circumnavigating around New Zealand.  August 21, 2020 article from the New Zealand Herald:   https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11775183&fbclid=IwAR1yuCRS0hJ1CjupyzqI5CbO7VYIqhyl3UVeirB9HuqYpu-x79MDgMNMdns

I raced and surfed this boat for at least 5 years.  It's very tough.  I originally picked this up from a guy in Orlando.  I was looking for a retro Magnum P.I. type surfski.  I didn't know about the high-tech carbon fiber models at the time.  I later used it as a trainer for newbies.  My brother-in-law now owns it.  The stripes, handles, and seat padding I added to it.  It had metal rudder cables, aluminum kick-up rudder, and aluminum rudder pedals. Very durable to own for many years.  I'm glad to have owned a classic boat as well as the modern ones.  There are rivers I was able to race in this one that I wouldn't have considered bringing a more expensive lighter boat.

Steve Hunter on the mouth of the Chassahowitzka River high adrenaline short drone video with amazing nature footage Feature commercial for Nature Coast Magazine Use this link to view:   https://youtu.be/nLEqiCVd1mU

Paddle guru is a great place to find and register for all levels of paddling races You'll find some of the more professionally organized races (most are 4-8 miles in length) Some are for pros but also offer fun paddles https://paddleguru.com/races For the top competitors who like to push the endurance distance a little farther, water tribe offers some aggressive distance races for paddlers https://www.watertribe.com/ If you like SUP, this is a great site for races https://www.supconnect.com/events