Latest News
On Training: Efficiency and Friction
During any long session or race, most of each stroke converts cleanly into forward motion. A small fraction gets diverted into correction, stabilization, and adjustment. Some of that cost comes from outside: the ocean pushes, the boat responds, and effort goes toward holding a line and keeping the hull settled underneath [...]
On Racing: Finishing Strong
Finishing well has little to do with who is most tired. Everyone is tired. What separates paddlers at the end of a race is not how much they have left, but how clearly they can still act with what remains. The finish is rarely a single effort. It is a sequence [...]
Stability in the Boat-Do you need more?
By Wesley Echols I have paddled a wide range of skis over the years from advanced to beginner in all types of conditions. Below are some helpful hints on becoming more stable in your ski. Boat Choice: think about the conditions that you will be paddling in the 75% of the [...]
On Racing: Expecting the Unexpected
The forecast you checked the night before is completely different when you wake up. The wind has increased, the swell period has changed, and there's a conversation happening near the water's edge about which direction the gusts are going to come from and when. Of course, nobody really knows, at least [...]
On Downwinding: Reading Lines
The line appears before the decision to take it is fully formed. A shift in the water texture, maybe forty meters ahead, something about the way a long roller is organizing at an angle to the dominant swell, and the bow is already moving in that direction. A few strokes in [...]
On Training: Chain of Fools
The stroke catches and the boat runs. There is a feeling to it, a brief firmness in the water that holds long enough for the body to push through, and the boat moves with more economy than it did on the stroke before. Paddlers sometimes describe a boat as "running" on [...]
Surfski Reviews
Looking for an ocean ski? Check out the surfski comparison chart!
Ted Van Dusen’s Mohican, My Thoughts
Ted and Graeme. Credit Donna Lind Ted Van Dusen, famous Olympic Kayak and Rowing Shell designer living in Concord, Massachusetts, wanted a flat water boat that was comfortable, safe, stable and fast to suit his paddling needs. Ted came up with the Mohican in 2006 that fit the [...]
2017 Think Ion 3G Elite Surfski Review
I have a long history with Think surfskis dating back to 2007 when I purchased my first Evo 1G. Since then I have owned numerous Thinks in all layups including Evo 1G/2G's, Uno 1G/2G, Legends, Uno Max 2G, Ion 2g/3g, Big Eze. There has been a Think in my garage [...]
Huki S1XL Surfski Review by Wesley Echols
History with Huki My history with Huki dates back to 2004 when I got my first Huki S1X(orange in pic below) with a fix leg length. That was my second surf ski after a 3 month stint with my first surf ski, a Mako XT. As I have told the [...]
Think Evo II Surfski Review by Wesley Echols
Over the years with so many different boats paddled, the Evo and now the Evo 2 are on my favorite ski list so lets get that out of the way first. They have not gotten as much press or photo time as my other skis since I rarely race intermediate [...]
Stellar SES Review – by Wesley Echols
Disclaimer Unlike my other reviews where I had no formal industry ties; this review is unique in that I am the Northeast Sales Representative for Stellar and based on my experience of paddling and reviewing surfskis have provided Stellar with feedback both during the prototype testing of the larger Stellar [...]