One of the many revelations when I first changed over from paddling skis to kayaks was that kayaks came in different volumes (sizes). One size does not fit all.

This means that there were slight variations on models of boats from the same manufacturer.

The most common rule of thumb, and please remember that this is referring to paddling in the early 80's, was that light weight's paddled a Tiger, mid-rangers paddled Cleavers, and us of a heavier build paddled the Cleaver-X. Boat selection was simple!

One of my 'learned the hard way' episodes in my paddling career was when I attempted to paddle a Tiger in the Blackwood Marathon. My first mistake was training in the Tiger in salty rivers, as when I put it into fresh water it sat down very (and I mean VERY) deep in the water. My second mistake was letting some water get in the boat during the race, making the boat sit even lower. I finished all but under water & felt as though I'd been paddling the most sluggish boat in the world!

Obviously, there are lots of kayaks on the market now & all are suited to a particular weight paddler. A boat that is too small may seem very tippy (want to pop out from under you) & a boat that is too big may get pushed around by the water (not go where you want it to). Neither case will end out with the boat going as fast as you may expect. If you had to make a choice, I'd go with a boat that was slightly too big. That's probably because most of my paddling was done at Swan Canoe Club where things can get a little rough, and a small K1 can be un-manageable.

Surf Skis should, in theory, have the same range of boats, except for one major difference. They are built with a huge excess volume so as to be able to cater for water on the deck (waves, white caps etc.). Some manufacturers have built different volume boats (still with a big excess), and this has to be a good thing. Please take this into account when you're selecting a ski. The other 'size issue' with skis is the shape of the seat, and it was to the point with me that I simply could not sit in some seats for more than a few moments (big bones...). Test a wide range of skis for both these factors & over time you will find a boat that both fits you well & runs properly in the water.

Cheers,

WP.