Table of Contents

Plastic Surfskis

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Epic V7

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Plastic (typically polyethylene) surfskis are considerably heavier than their fiber based (fiberglass, carbon, Kevlar) siblings, but they do have a very significant advantage over their lighter counterparts in terms of durability and capacity to absorb collisions and abrasions. If you are anticipating rough care and/or negligent storage habits for a surfski OR you want to use a surfski for rivers or shore breaks where bumps and scrapes are likely, then a plastic surfski might very well be a worthwhile investment. They are less expensive than their fiber construction equivalents. Plastic surfskis can also be handy for rescue drills where you do not want to worry about banging surfskis together. Some plastic surfskis also have flip up rudder options (sea kayak style) that can be quite useful if you will be doing a lot of shallow water paddling.

Discussion/Construction

  • Surfski.info
  • Some, like the Finn and Spirit plastic surfskis, are reportedly relatively fast but not necessarily quite as robust as plastic alternatives from other major manufacturers.
  • Zack Handler: “Keep in mind too that the plastic skis use a different construction (Ed. - all plastic skis?) than most plastic sea kayaks and recreational kayaks. Rather than solid plastic they are a sort of sandwich construction with aerated plastic “foam” in the middle between solid plastic walls. They are stiffer than solid plastic (Ed. - which should make for better speed), but the trade off is they are a bit more brittle and prone to damage from sharp impacts.”
  • Various construction methods: rotomolded PE vs. rotomolded skin/foam PE vs. thermoformed ABS vs. Vajda's Styrolight
  • Care

Options

Many of these models are no longer being manufactured, but due to their durability they can still come up for sale (used) from time to time on used equipment webpages and auction websites. Or if you advertise that you are looking for one, you may spark some owner's recollection of the one sitting in their back yard that they no longer ever paddle. But pay attention to UV damage/sag if the boat has been basking in the sun for a long time. Sag can sometimes be corrected by flipping the boat for a period in the sun. Ultimately these boats should probably be stored sideways?

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