Reviews for S1-A Kayak by Huki

Rated: 10/10 Based On: 3 Reviews

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10-24-2008
Submitted by: Darcy - Rating: 10 of 10

For my first surfski I chose a Huki S1-A mainly because I'm small at 5'4" and 120#. I read a few reviews of the ski from smaller paddlers and thought I'd give it a try.

I'm really very happy with the boat. I thought it would be difficult to stay upright since I have read it's an advanced boat and I'm a beginner, but that was not the case. I think because it fit so well and the weight is correctly distributed that it stays upright with minimal effort. When I do tip over it's usually because I've dug the paddle into the water at the wrong angle and not because of the boat. I'm still in very flat water so I can't comment on surfing yet but so far the boat has been perfect for me. I look forward to many years in this ski.

Highly recommend for smaller paddlers.

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02-13-2006
Submitted by: Susanita - Rating: 10 of 10
It (S1-A) arrived on Monday and I took it out for a paddle yesterday. I love it! I'm 5'1" and about 110 lbs. It fits me perfectly. And even though it is listed as an "expert" boat I had absolutely no problems with stability. As a grrrl ... most of my weight mass is below my hips. I think that makes all the difference. I found it very stable and easy to maneuver. It's so stable that when I stop paddling I don't have to hang my legs over the side for stability ... at least in calm water. Having a boat that fits right makes all the difference ... to me at least. I've tried other people surfskis but I always felt like I was fighting to stay upright. With the S1-A the cockpit fits me like a glove which makes me feel like the ski is just an extension of my body. I also paddle a whitewater Dagger Blast which was designed for small people and I get the same kind of feel out of that boat as well .. for a different purpose.

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07-28-2004
Submitted by: --- - Rating: 10 of 10
Huki surfskis (S1-A and S1-X) have taken the California paddling world by storm since the summer of 2003. I graduated from a Necky Looksha II to a Huki S1-A in November 2003, and am very happy with the boat. It is amazingly light (< 20 lbs in my carbon/kevlar layout), makes the Looksha II feel like a bathtub in flat water - and like a slab of concrete when surfing downwind! At 16" overall beam, the boat is very tippy - it will take a few months of practice to be able to handle choppy conditions - but for the athletic paddler under 5'11" and 160lbs, it's the boat to get. Not for larger paddlers or those with wider hips ... my girlfriend, with slightly wider hips than mine, finds it hard to rotate fully while paddling the ski ... bigger paddlers should consider the S1-X.

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