surfski.ch

What is a Surfski?

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A Sufrski is a lightweight, by muscle force with double-bladed paddle, often used with highly contoured wing blades

for extra efficiency (Wingpaddel) powered kayak, with a sit in cockpit.

This form of Kayak is often longer and narrower as the usual Sea Kayak and has a dimension of

L: 5.2m ñ 6.5m und B: 56cm-42cm, whilst taking into consideration, 

the build in lightweight form. The outer design and fabrication is made of vacumated baked fiberglas, kevlar and-/or carbon. Where as, the indicated weight range liaise between 9 and 16kg.

The Surfski has a remarkable and effective steering oar with a foot navigation control.   

The break of waves which caputres water in the interior of the boat is being discharged by a Bailer (drain valve)

on the bottom of the boat which draines out the water from below.

The term Ski comes from the ability to glide. Through the dynamic measurement, control and lightweight,

the Surfski was originally built for riding the waves.

In the meanwhile, the Surfski has a fairly wide range of use e.g. surfing, for comeptiting,

for leisurely trips by flat water conditions and on wide rivers.

Surfski has a worldwide and versatile utilization and mostley in warmer coast regions such as

Australia, California, Hawaii, New Zealand and South Africa. In Europe,

the Surfski is increasing its popularity and according to the observation a growing number in coast areas,

lakes and rivers as well.

The Surfski competitions are being set up to a distance of 80km, mostley carried out in warmer regions.

There also competitions set in Europe (Italy, France-Bretagne, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Bodensee...).

The Surfski also has a lot of health benefits. 

As paddling is a Full-Body Training with main focus on the torso. The boat and motion must be held stabil,

while the hull has to work strongly along side, to hold the core position.

The legwork make about approx. 10% of the whole training. Depending on the distance and intensity the training area liaise between conditioning and cardio-vascular.

Thus, the sport is considered ideal balance to other sports and prevents common ailments. 

Since it is a water sport is swimming is an essential must. Therefore aversion to water should not exist.

Major health problems should be carried with caution, please consult your doctore of physician before

attending this sport which is default and vital. As a rescue e.g. reanimation in or on open water is very difficult to manage and because the water can be unpredictable and drop down to very low temperature    

in the winter, capsizing could be a serious a problem. Adequate equipment and experienced entry level skills are a must.

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The overall benefits...

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The Surfski to me has plenty of positive attributes, this is where kayaking gets interesting:

-very large area of ??application such as: Ocean, sea, lake, from smooth paddling up to competition on flat or ocean (downwind) racing.

-through dynamic form of the lightweight from up tp 9kg which creates a particularly high cruise velocity. With some training a velocity up to up to 10 km/h for longdistances are possible.

-through versatile variaties of boat types and widths (approx. 56cm-42cm) anyone from beginner to professional is able to find he's best suitable boat.

Also beginners without any experience may start paddling with the wider and stabler boats.

-the remarkable and effective steering oar results into high control and navigation. The paddle stroke is therefore only applied for progressive forward movement.

-the lightweight makes it easier for transportation.

-high security through high sit in cockpit. The reentrance by flat or wavey conditions is possible to learn with a little training.

-There are hardley any downsides to this boat type. The tricky point is the rudder. This fixed system has no tolerance by ground contact. Must be carried out with care at the transpose in shallow waters.

In the meanwhile, there are also enforceable rudder systems in which a ground contact is not so severe.

Because the whole body isen't protected, one must carry a neoprene suit or dry suit by cold temperatures.

For longer tours accommodations of equipments depending on type of surfski might be difficult. By most surfkis the equipment must be mounted on deck,

because they have no sense luggage lucke. Due to this factor the equipments are limited. Shorter models have an interior lucke.