Ocean Racing Surf Skis (non-spec skis)
Ocean racing surf skis developed from surf life saving surf skis. The surf life saving skis had restrictions placed on them to make the racing a more level playing field. This still doesn't stop the creative process and within these design rules there are many sleek and tippy craft and some more stable ones. However as ocean races became more common, they allowed skis of any size and manufacturers tried to design the best and fastest craft for that purpose. Many of the surf life saving ski manufacturers are also making these unrestricted surf skis that don't comply with Surf Life Saving specification rules.
There are many different makes and models of racing surf skis.
Most of the manufacturers have two types of skis. The narrower and potentially faster skis such at the Epic V10 and V12, the Fenn Mako 6 and Mako Elite and Think Uno and Legend.
The other type are for the less experienced paddlers or those who want a more stable craft. They are the Epic V10 Sport, the Fenn XT and Think Evo. Paddling a stable craft will end up being faster than struggling on a craft that is too tippy for you. It is faster paddling a craft that you can comfortably stay on than one where you are falling off regularly and wasting lots of energy.
Once you have decided on the make and model that suits you best then it is a matter of which construction you want (or can afford). Basically the lighter the ski the more it costs. Most skis start at approximately $3000 for a fibreglass model at roughly 17kg. The other end of the scale are the carbon fibre models at 10kg and less for $5000-$8000 (Australian dollars).
For people just getting into ski racing, it would be a good move to buy a second hand entry level ski until you possibly move to one of the faster models. No matter what you buy it is crucial that you test one of that model. If the seat and general sitting position on the ski isn't comfortable you will not enjoy the paddling. You should try as many different craft as possible.
These skis are great for open water paddling, but if you intend using the ski for multisport races you should be aware that many races are in shallow water or whitewater rivers. A ski with a trailing rudder or a multisport kayak such as the Grafton Paddle Sports - Time Traveller or Time Bandit will be ideal because you don't want to snap off the underneath rudder when you scrape your craft on the bottom. The underneath rudder is perfect for catching and steering on big, following swells but not good when you are paddling down a whitewater river with rocks all around you.