PRS or Racing Ski - which is better in the ocean?

I'd appreciate some advice here...

I have a Spirit Racing Ski with a trailing rudder. It's fine of flat water but I'm learning how to deal with it in the swell.

I've come to the conclusion that 95% of my paddling is going to be either on the big rivers or the ocean.

I rang Go Paddle and they said I can't put a surf rudder into my Racing Ski (the surf rudder has to be fitted during the manufacturing stage). So here's my choices...

I want something that's going to give me the BEST chance in NOT falling out - speed is secondary.

1. Sell my Racing Ski with the trailing rudder and buy a another one with a surf rudder... or,

2. Buy a PRS (I heard it's more stable??) with a surf rudder... or,

3. The whole surf rudder/PRS stability thing isn't that big a deal and stay with what I have (falling in is great character building anyway)?

Does the pointy nose on the PRS negate it's stability advantage if it digs in more than the Racing Ski?

Thanks,
Pete

PS. anyone ever fitted a 5.67m long PRS on top of a Hyundai Getz!

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I got a PRS

I just got myself a (2nd hand) PRS! It's partly SG's fault... she makes it all seem so 'normal' to go out and upgrade every 6 months!

Specs...
PRS 570 (dunno what the 570 means?)

Venturi (got it sussed now)

Dual rudder (handy)

Aluminium pedals

Done the Avon twice (including 2010)... that's gotta count for something

Looking forward to trying it out (I feel a sickie coming on).

My PRS - learning all over again

I took my PRS out from the Bicton Baths this arvo... It's much like going from from CTR to my Racing Ski.

1. It's faster than my Racing Ski
2. It's more comfy to sit in - it doesn't rub on my lower back like the Racing Ski
3. It's tippier in some respects (the water wasn't that cold after my 6th dip)... my feet are closer together too
4. It slices through waves very nicely
5. Being right handed I find it much easier to get back in via the right side
6. I found I didn't need the venturi as I've got some foam taking up the space behind the pedals and the other bit of water sort of helps as extra ballast/stability?
7. The metal runners for adjusting the pedals are a bit of a hazard, might buy some boots (are they cool or uncool on a PRS?)
8. It can catch river waves much easier, even outruns them!
9. handles going across small waves better as it cuts through better and doesn't get push sideways as much
10. I'm in for a wet series this year! but it should be fun learning how to handle/wrestle the PRS on waves... I'll be great at remounts by the end.
11. Ohh... the surf rudder is way more responsive/truer than the trailing rudder

Any tips of staying upright on a PRS gratefully welcomed... especially on those little river waves!

12. It's much longer! especially on my Getz.

Rookie's picture

Sickies and boats

Yea good one pjeaje ... I have a PRS 570 too (570cm or 5.7m). They are good fun, I don't think you will be disappointed.

As for sickies ... I'm sure other paddlers will agree that at least one sickie, or probably more, is appropriate for a new boat purchase (including second hand of course).

What colour?

good work pj!!

Congrats pj, next season you'll be in a composite ski for sure. 'Tis a long slippery slope this ski acquisition. :-)

The 570 refers to the length, it's 570cm long (someone feel free to correct me on this but I'm 99% sure!). Dual rudder, good - venturi - good.

Any boat that survived this year's Avon will have some 'character' about it. Hopefully in a good sense, and not the large-gash-in-the-bottom sense. :-) See you out there mate!!!

Rookie's picture

Go the PRS dual rudder

I went for a PRS with dual rudders. The main thing is the underslung rudder, it gives you much more control in the surf. Then a 2 min change over to have a trailing rudder for the rivers, or shallows.

The Spirit Racing ski is good in the surf too (not so downwinders). Wave deflector on bow is quite effective, though spray hits you square in the face! I still have one, but the trailing rudder is not as good in the surf, and it looks hard to retro-fit an underslung rudder to it.

which is better in the ocean?

Thanks for that...

Which is more stable overall in the swell/ocean/surf, the PRS or the Racing Ski (assuming both have a surf rudder)?

"... it looks hard to retro-fit an underslung rudder to it"
It's impossible apparently.

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plastics in the ocean

Hi pj-

It will be hard for anyone who paddles composite ocean racing skis to judge which plastic is more stable in the ocean, cos they will all feel stable to us. You would have to try them, I know people who swear the racing ski is more stable, and others who are just as sure that the PRS is more stable.

You're not a 90kg muscle-bound behemoth so to be honest you will have a hard time accelerating either of those boats onto waves as they are 22kg. So if you want to start catching waves on downwinds, you will have to spend up and get a composite ski. :-)

However if you can only have one boat for ocean and river, the PRS with interchangeable rudder sounds like the go, as long as you feel stable in it.

Oh and I know a guy who had his 6.4m Fenn Elite on a Barina. Looked ridiculous tho . . . .

Good luck!!

stability is the main thing

stability is the main thing for me and i'll have to sort that out myself as far as trying both... But if the pointy PRS nose is going to dive into the sand too easily then i'll keep with the Racing Ski... Soooooo in someone's experience does the pointy PRS nose make it worthwhile to keep the racing ski with it's wave deflector?

P.s. SG after sliding off the back of nearly every wave in the Mandurah classic last year anything would be better than that... I swear i paddled twice as much as all you fibre glass behemoths :)... Oh and my friends all ready laugh at my Racing Ski on my Getz so an extra foot here or there aint gonna make me look much worse.

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peterpav's picture

Nose in the sand

Personally I feel the PRS is more stable in the surf, and it cuts through big swell pretty well.
If you're going to be catching waves close to the beach however the racing ski or Endorfinn is a better way to go. In the 2009 Capel Descent there were a couple of PRS' that went nose first into the sand and came up with the front 20-40cm of their boat literally at right angles. Not Pretty
www.capeldescent.com
Dual rudder PRS would still allow you to do the Avon, middle Murray, Blackwood and Capel River, but the composite boats are a LOT faster on the ocean.
I'll load the 2009 photos back on to the capel descent website so you can see that the surf wasn't huge. The nose is fairly easy to straighten apparently... I haven't had to do it myself yet (touch wood)

PRS Vs Racing Ski in the ocean

Thanks for that... I'm a bit confused, you say the Racing Ski would be better in catching waves closer to the beach... why? I only ask as you say earlier that you feel the PRS is more stable in the surf???

It looks like i'll be going for a dual rudder the big question is PRS or Racing Ski. If the pointy nose of the PRS is going to negate the stability benefits in the ocean swell (I'm not gonna do any big surfing by ANY means just the Mandurah classic/Bay to Beach etc.) then is the wave deflector on a Racing Ski better?

Thanks bare with me here :)

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peterpav's picture

Stable in the surf

This is a personal preference only. The PRS seems to be less affected by choppy conditions. The nose cuts through wind and waves much easier and without affecting the pitching (nose up and down) of the craft.
If you get a craft with the surf rudder, the control is much better as it is never lifted clear of the water. Most paddlers realise the nose coming out of the water as they can see it but often forget that the same is happening behind them. This is particularly noticable when catching waves as any ski with a trailing rudder will lose it's steering as the rudder is a foot clear of the water.
The preferred way to catch waves (but way less fun) with any of the moloki shaped skiis is to let the wave beat you in the break and you paddle hard on it's back rather than riding it, especially if it's getting over 4 foot high.
With the Endorfinn and Spirit racing ski a flared nose is incorporated in the mould which do a fantastic job of stopping the nose from slicing into the water. While this is slower and uses more energy when paddling into wind chop or out through a break, it is the only thing that is going to save you from nose diving into the sand and a HUGE stack if you manage to catch a sizeable wave.
When I had an Endorfinn I'd always go for a paddle when a huge NW was blowing as the waves would be over 2m+ high and it was awesome fun catching these monsters as the down wave speed on a ski was unbelievably quick. I didn't enjoy it as much on my spirit racing ski as the stability wasn't as good as the endorfinn.
On my PRS i've tried it a few times and have regretted it every time as the nose goes to the bottom of the wave, keeps going straight down and I end up doing an end over end somersault which tends to hurt. If the waves are breaking on to sand it's just a matter of time before you bend the nose!
I now have an old Spirit cross trainer that I use for having fun on the waves when the swell is up. For all other ocean paddling I use a PRS and this includes going out into some really crappy seas. The stability really is that good once you get used to it. Awesome fun going in and out river breaks (Capel and Augusta) when the swell and chop are a bit nasty.
As much as I'd love an Epic 10 or Fenn mako, I don't see too many out on the ocean once the chop starts to pick up. (will concede this might come down to paddlers rather than the skiis. It might also be the fear of breaking or losing a $6000 carbon ski)

Hope this helps and apologies for being long winded
Peter

P.S. The ability of the PRS to cut through the waves makes grade 2 and 3 rapids (majority of our rivers) unbelievably effortless. Awesome boat!!!

Looks like a PRS for me?

OK by the sounds of this, and all things being equal that can be equal the PRS is generally more stable in the ocean... yes? By Ocean I mean competing in a typical Bay to Beach or Mandurah Classic. I'm not in this for speed, I'm in this to stay on my boat as much as I can and simply finish.

The BIG issue for me is simply whether the pointy nose of the PRS is going to be a disadvantage should I catch a wave. I did the Mandurah Classic and Bay to beach last year in my CTR and the adon wave deflector saved me digging in quite a few times.

Does anyone have a PRS (surf rudder) I may try for a week or so?

Does anyone have a PRS (with the surf rudder) I may try for a week or so? I'd be happy to lend/swap you my Racing Ski (trailing rudder) if you like too :)

I want to try one out before I commit to buying one.

Thanks heaps, I'll look after it very well!

Pete
9459 9085
pjeaje@gmail.com

princess's picture

boats on cars

We have a photo somewhere (I must get the oracle to find it) of one of the Bunbury guys who carries a Mirage 580 on a motorbike side car....