surfski novice

Pasco County Bluesway Program & Salt Springs Alliance Trips:  Paddling Pasco - Bluesway Program Do you own a canoe, kayak, K-1 or surfski? Have a really inexpensive composite kayak, a high-end sea kayak, SUP, outrigger or racing surfski? No matter what you're paddling, the Pasco County Bluesway Program has a slow pace fun tour of the local shoreline, islands, mangroves, local Pasco inlets and rivers. If you like the fellowship of traveling in a pack of 20-40 boats then join us every other month as we paddle.  The paddle is usually free or minimal parks department fee and free shuttle. We generally drive our cars to the end point then take the shuttle van back to the start point.  This one-way trip is much more enjoyable and easy for paddlers with little to no experience. The water is shallow 3-10 feet on most trips but please bring a life jacket to keep on board to be within the requirements of the la...

Races 2012 Florida West Coast Championships Gulf of Mexico Clearwater FL USA Sunday March 3rd and 4th (cancelled due to high winds) Chasco Fiesta Kayak Race April (cancelled) Shark Bite Challenge Gulf of Mexico Honeymoon Island Dunedin FL USA Sunday April 15th  (WPA Race) very challenging winds & chop with a trendy shark theme. River City Challenge St Johns River Jacksonville FL USA Sunday May 5th (NEW 1st year) Salt Springs Classic Gulf & Pithlachascotee River New Port Richey FL Saturday  May 12th Watermans Paddle Deerfield Beach June Cotte Man Triathalon August Beyond the Breakers Paddle Challenge October 6th Jacksonville during Florida Surfing Championships (NEW) Epic Kayaks Clinic with 12x Open Ocean World Surfski Champion Oscar Chalupsky October 11th  sponsored by East Coast Outfitters.  cost $100 Alafia Challenge October (cancelled this year) Treasure Island classic 9 miles circling the island or Interocoastal 7 mile course...

There are several types of paddles: 1) Flat recreational (inexpensive recreational paddles) 2) Spooned recreational (touring paddles) 3) Wing paddles (sprinting and racing) I suggest the mid wing paddle as the very best for all types of paddling and increased stability.  It is a must for anyone who paddles a Surfski or K-1.  Below are my reviews of some of the best quality wing paddles: Epic Mid Wing - Made by Epic Kayaks Australia. It's a great all around endurance race paddle. It is approximately $500, carbon fiber blades, carbon fiber shaft, two piece adjustable and very light. I liked this paddle alot. It is a great paddle for long distances. The blades are beautiful showing off the carbon fiber weave and feel very thick and strong. The adjustable shaft will adjust to a consistent angle with clearly marked levels. The oval shaft is distinctly different than the usual rounded one other companies make. Many paddlers prefer it.  This paddle comes with...

I moved into a smaller house with a garage that is not big enough to store a 22' surfski. Here is how I properly stored my ski outdoors without sun or moisture damage in sunny high humidity Florida. I looked online and all the covers seem so expensive. I thought about it alot & finally got the perfect solution.  I picked up an industrial thickness white vinyl tarp cover.  Don't use the cheaper home depot variety.  Get the high quality thick industrial stuff in white.  I cut it in strips so that I could cover several boats.  I also found a silver/gray elasticized gray boat cover which someone got rid of (likely for a 20 foot boat) which I lay over the white vinyl.  Two layers of protection.  How fortunate!  Its elastic ends fit perfectly over my surfski. I use 4 straps to keep the cover firmly in place in high winds.  I store it in the shade of the trees and pool screen to keep it cool.  Finall...

2012 Treasure Island Classic This year's race even more fun.  We raced during Hurricane Sandy which was heading up the eastern seaboard.  The waves on the gulf side of the island were really kicked up with 3-4 foot breakers in John's Pass.  The race organizer decided on race day to offer 2 options to paddlers.  Instead of circumnavigating the island as in previous years, we were offered 2 courses.  One would take the usual route around the island and the other would race back and forth between bridges in the intercoastal side.  The participation was far less this year.  Kyle Reid, the record holder, split his surfski in half the day before on the east coast so he was absent.  Many paddlers decided it was still too rough.  Some test paddled the course and packed it up.  Only a handful of paddlers attempted the courses.  Rob and Karen paddled the outside course and the rest of us paddled the intercoastal route.  I...

Why are surfski drying stands $90 each?!!! Spend money on a good surfski and paddle but look for more economical options for things like stands. Here are some suggestions I used that work just as well for alot less: 1) DIY Storage Stand: (folds for travel) My first kayak drying stand was a DIY made of 2" PVC, leftover nylon straps, two bolts with nuts and stainless steel screws. It cost me $15 total to make 2 and I still use them today. The funny thing is the local kayak shops all use this same type stand in their store. It's so strong that a curious teen actually sat in my surfski on the stand before I realized and told him to get off. My suggestion is use 2 nylon straps top and two bottom. I would place the screws as far out to the side as possible to avoid scratching your ski. I didn't remember to do that when building mine so I plasti-dip coated the screws to be safe. 2) DIY Travel Stand: (folds into thin carry size) Just like the expensive stands use 4 poles. You can ...

I transport my ski on a standard size 4-door coupe which is roughly 16 feet long but the ski is 21.5 ft long. Technically it must be hanging over 6 feet behind my vehicle to require a safety flag; however, I choose to place a flag on the end to avoid accidental damage. The ski is white so joggers, bicyclists, cars, etc may not see it and cause damage. Standard kayak transport flags won't do because they all tie off some attachment point on the end. Many skis do not have any attachment points past the rudder. Shopping for a tail flag took hours of research. First of all what do I call it, "surfski transport flag", "kayak flag"etc? The correct name is "surfski rudder flag". Unbelievably, it seems that only a few places in the world make rudder flags designed to fit the unique shape of a surfski. Here are my top choices: 1) ocean paddle sports makes a great orange flag with black netting that securely attaches with a tail sock and adjustable parachute cor...