#1 in Surfski News and Reviews2025-12-31T20:30:22-05:00

  • On Downwinding: You’re Not Surfing

    Most paddlers learn to think about downwind paddling in terms of waves.  You catch a wave, you ride the wave, and you look for the next wave.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  That model works well enough [...]

  • On Training: Stress and Adaptation

    Nothing in training happens without stress.  In the absence of a stressor, our system remains exactly as it is.  But stress alone is not improvement, and in an ocean environment, misunderstanding that difference is one [...]

  • On Racing: Starting Right

    Most races are decided long before the first buoy or the first run.  They begin in the final minutes before the start, when paddlers are already spending physical, mental, and emotional energy, whether they realize [...]

  • Blackburn Challenge to host 2026 National Championships

    The American Canoe Association has selected the Cape Ann Rowing Club's Blackburn Challenge as the host venue for the 2026 USA Canoe Ocean Racing National Championships, placing one of America’s most iconic open-water races at [...]

  • USA Surfski Paddlers @ 2025 ICF COR World Championships

    The 2025 ICF Canoe Ocean Racing (COR) World Championships were held in Durban, South Africa this past October.  Worlds is the pinnacle international competition for surfski paddlers all over the world, in addition to World Cups [...]

Latest News

Clean Open Access Race 6 miles

Clean Ocean Access Sup, Surfski, Kayak 3/6 mile Race was held at the Newport Shipyard.  Timothy P. Dwyer and John Redos, Sam Duffield took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively in the 6-mile race. 98 participants that included 80+ Sups, then a mix of kayaks, surf skis, and Oc's. Flat ocean [...]

2022 Blackburn Challenge Summary

Article Reposted with Permission from New England Surfski(NESS) This year’s Blackburn Challenge in Gloucester, MA featured one of the great head-to-head battles in the storied 35-year history of this great race. Twenty-one single HPKs (all skis but one) and four double skis participated in this classic 19.5-mile race around Cape Ann. [...]

Sakonnet River Race 2022

Reposted with permission from New England Surfski(NESS) Twenty-one paddlers gathered at Island Park Beach in Rhode Island on Saturday for the 15th running of Wesley Echol’s Sakonnet Surfski Race. The 9.4-mile out-and-back course had competitors starting just off the beach, heading south 4.7 miles to a red can, and then returning [...]

Ride The Bull 2022

Reprinted with permission from New England Surfski Competitors at this year’s Ride the Bull Race didn’t have to contend with conditions as daunting as in some former years, but still had to negotiate a course with vexing tidal currents and confused waves from varied directions. Sixteen paddlers traveled to Jamestown, Rhode [...]

Jamestown Double Beaver Race 2022

Reposted with Permission from New England Surfski Area paddlers met in Rhode Island for the 14th Jamestown Double Beaver on a stunning day. With competition from the Toms River Race in New Jersey the day after, participation was lower than usual. The field consisted of 7 surfskis and 3 SUPs. As [...]

Sakonnet River Race 2022

We had another good turnout for the 13th Sakonnet River Race including three doubles made up of two mixed teams(Robin, Igor), (Chris, Patty), and one all-male team(Bill and Kirk).  Dave Thomas of Stellar also made the trip down from Northfield.  Conditions were very flat with cooler temps making the flat [...]

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Surfski Reviews

Looking for an ocean ski? Check out the surfski comparison chart!

2014 Surf Ski Reviews and Comparison Chart by Wesley Echols, SurfskiRacing.com

This is a comparison and review chart based on 12 years of paddling surf skis with GPS recorded time trials with all the 25 skis listed on the chart over the same four courses since 2002 as explained below. I added 10 new skis to the comparison chart since last time [...]

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