Surfski Knowledge Base

• Repair Page - Rudder Related Fixes

The steel cable in the photo above had been recently inspected and seemed okay, but it was 5 years old. Maybe time to go with dyneema. As a precaution some folks move their dyneema lines a bit each year to change where it may be rubbing on the line in their boats….

• Emergency Temporary Fix
• Off the Water Cable Replacement
  • Hope this is unnecessary to say, but if you are doing this yourself, you DO want to get it right…
  • Oscar Chalupsky Video - Changing Cables
  • Oscar Chalupsky Video Using Vacuum Cleaner to feed rudder line
  • Epic V10 Cable (dyneema) Replacement
  • Whatcom Paddler Discussions
    • 2011 - crimping, swage tools, 1/16 stainless, Huki
    • 2013 - focus again on stainless steel cable, Huki, Fenn
    • 2014 - Stainless replacement, again
    • 2016 - OC4 Rudder Stress and Line Choices
    • 2017 - Stainless vs Dyneema, Q-Power kite line, etc.
    • 2020 - Spectra Q-Power line Cable Replacement for Huki
    • 2023 HowNOT2 video comparison of Dyneema with cheaper knock-offs “Chineema”
  • Replacing Rudder, Cable, Cable Housing (Old rescue) Fenn Mako XT (5 part video series)
    1. Replacing Rudder​​​​​​
    2. Replacing Rudder Sleeve
    3. Replacing Cable Housing Tubes
    4. Replacing Rudder Cover Plate
    5. Putting It All Together
  • Cable Housing
    1. Kan Waranon Discussion (Surfski Kayak facebook group)
       1. Epic Kayak Housing Deterioration
       2. More discussion about housing tube material
  • …