My first paddling experience with my Evo was a 37 mile circumnavigation of Aquidneck Island with my partner in crime, Tim Dwyer. I had purchased the glass Evo the previous day and was excited to try out my latest acquisition. Tim paddled my Huki S1R. So, in comparable boats, we got underway. Two hours into the paddle around Ocean Drive, the conditions deteriorated to a 20 mph head wind with the tide against us, and 4-5 foot extremely confused seas.

Wesley & Tim on Sakonnet River

We both had made the correct selection of boats for that day. The Evo performed confidently in these conditions. It absorbed most of the bumps and has excellent secondary stability. The bow rarely gets buried. That day I was a little sloppy in the seat, sliding around a bit more than I would have liked. Given that I essentially took it ‘off the rack’ and threw it into the sea, I hadn’t the time to fit it out to my liking. Since then, I have slightly padded out my newer Kevlar version in the bucket and where my calves are. This makes for even a better fit, and thus, improved boat control.

My Kevlar Evo that I share with my wife is very light, only a few pounds off the glass version. Both versions are light enough to race and are durable enough not to worry too much about wear and tear on them. The fit and finish is excellent-all the Thinks have a seamlessly smooth design and handsome color choices that make them visible on the water. Daryl Remmler, Think owner/designer, has chosen to use a thin gel coat basecoat painted over with enamel, giving the boats a clean and crisp look. Nice touches abound: the Evo has a built in paddle leash attachment, forward hatch to store car keys, etc., and recessed rear bungees.

The ergonomic cockpit, like its bigger brother the Legend, promotes comfort while urging you to push harder using leg drive. The bucket is not as deep as the Legend, yet still ranks as one of the most comfortable cockpits out there. Using a micro adjusting footplate allows for pinpoint leg positioning. (Just remember to mark the position of the footplate so you don’t waste time counting the grooves over and over again when someone wants to demo it.) The foredeck is sleek and narrow, enabling a tight catch close to the boat.

While the secondary stability is excellent, the initial stability feels a little twitchy until you adjust to it. Remounting is easy and on a par with the other skis in this class. I have clocked some great times in my Evo on my 6.4 mile GPS measured course and others. The 6 inch rudder can get overwhelmed in bigger following seas; new, longer rudders are due out this spring for both the Evo and the Legend. If you have the horses you can move the Evo, not unlike the other skis in this class.

Overall, the Evo is a super comfortable ski that promotes excellent leg drive, while offering easy remounting, micro adjustments for leg length and comparable speed with the others in this class of stable surfskis. The Evos are readily accessible at most of the larger kayak shops. ~Wesley

Perhaps the best testament to the speed and stability of this ski came when a group of us uncorked a friendly little ‘race’ back to the beach at the Oscar Chalupsky clinic in RI. Much to our surprise, the seas had picked up a bit from the initial glassy calm going out, and we had some confused chop to make it interesting, and some nice little 2’ rides to surf on. I watched Wesley astride the Evo powering into the distance-it was clear that he was supremely stable and comfortable in that boat, and was able to put every ounce of power to the water, leaving the pack to fight over the scraps. Upon arriving back at the beach, the big man himself, Oscar, commented in his South African accent: “Your friend Wesley was rilly going well,” a huge compliment from this icon of surfski paddling. Wesley’s choice of boat that day certainly complemented his fitness and skills – Mark