Surfski Knowledge Base

As some of you know I finally got my hands on a new Vega Flex surfski from Kai Wa’a. As a primary surfski paddler I've always admired the OC1s from both construction and design perspectives and often wondered if Kai designed a surfski what would it look like and how would it perform. The Vega series is the amalgamation of that effort.

I'm 165lbs (74.8 Kg) at 5ft 10. I have been paddling surfskis since 2014 and whitewater and sea kayaks since 1988. I currently paddle a Huki S1R double carbon ski. I have paddled various Epic, Think and Fenn intermediate skis in downwind conditions here in the Gorge. I consider my skills in the upper intermediate/advanced range in the beginner to elite skill set spectrum.

At 20.5 feet x 18.25 inches wide (20.2 m x 46.3 cm) the Vega is a beautiful ski. It comes in around 21 lbs. This is their standard layup. The lines are a blend of seamless geometry of form and function. There are no hard angles. The bulk of the volume is distributed in front of the cockpit and tapers off to the tail. More noticeably in this ski than others I have paddled. It has lower rails than the original Vega, which I my opinion were pretty high. It also has a low hump that facilitates a good leg drive. Venting is on the back deck using a cork and tube system, similar to OC1 designs.

It has a single large scupper drain that comes with a plug on a tether. I took mine out since I like a clean cockpit. The scupper also has a small piece left over from the original Vega that held the spring mechanism in the retractable drain system. I took mine out to avoid any obstructions in the drain. Overall the large scupper drain works great. On the few times I swamped the bucket it emptied quickly, comparable to other double scupper drains I have seen.

The footplate system is a simple design allowing the paddler a wide range of adjustments. The footplate is locked in place using a cam lever system. Pedals are adjusted using a micro-cleat tie off system. The rudder is spring loaded and always returns to the center. This is a nice feature. Heavy leg drivers need to make sure these cam locks are tight. If you don't want to worry about it or don't adjust the footplate often simply get two 10 mm stainless nuts, replace the plastic washers with stainless flat washers and lock the footplate in place. You can remove the cam locks or use them to lock the nuts in place. For anyone that may be using a foot strap leash, where the foot strap is the anchor point, I would not recommend it. Due to the footplate design you could possibly pull the whole foot plate off in a high wind broach situation. Use the molded in leash attachment in the hump.

The Vega Flex comes with an 8 inch dagger rudder. Rudders are a personal preference. For my weight and Gorge conditions I prefer a 7-1/2“ 25° DK rudder on this ski. The ski is already highly responsive and this rudder helps to slow things down a bit. Plus it sheds weeds and provides a small bit of roll stability with it's wide chord.

After paddling both this ski and my flatwater racer, a 2nd Gen Epic V10 carbon Elite, the V10 is actually faster. No surprise here. The Vega Flex has a substantial amount of rocker (much more than the V10) and is primarily designed for downwind surfing. The Vega is still very fast though in the flats compared to other comparable downwind skis.

This is where the Flex shines. I paddle in the Gorge and Spring conditions on the Columbia often have erratic gusty wind, high water, strong currents, and messy waves, which is the perfect conditions to test a surfski. The last paddle session was at 350,000 CFS. High but typical for the Spring.

Running through Swell and the Hatch with gusts bumping in the high 20s the Vega felt very stable, especially in the mosh pit of diagonal waves that collide here this time of year. This ski is also super responsive. I can't emphasize this enough. Quick changes in direction can be done with one paddle stroke, especially on the top of a wave. High water conditions and strong driving current often make catching waves through this section difficult, but not on this ski. It accelerates extremely fast in relation to the power applied. I was chasing and catching waves that normally I would just let go. I have been in these conditions plenty and this ski is a game changer! Keeping the run rate up on this ski, due to its light weight and hull design, was easy to do, increasing the number of waves in a row that I could catch.

I was not able to pearl this ski. If you are going to pearl, Swell and the Hatch is where you will find it since waves can be steep and close together. I looked for waves to test this on and even leaned forward in the ones I found and I could not get the nose to dive. This is due to the excellent volume distribution. The webbing in front of the cockpit helps break up the water. Wave deflectors are a personal preference and I like them in the Gorge, but so far I see no reason to use one on this ski. We’ll see on bigger runs if this still holds true.

Initial and secondary stability were good. To me this ski does not feel “twitchy”. It doesn’t feel like it wants to lean to one side or the other. It has a low cockpit that puts you close to the water, which helps with initial stability but you really do have to pay attention to it due to its responsiveness.

I did not find turning this ski upwind to be too difficult. I did have to stay on top of it more though. I feel it didn't get pushed around in the wind chop. It also did really well in the sloppy small mash potato waves we often get here in the spring. Remounting wasn't different than other skis I have paddled. The cockpit is roomy, even with my wide hip bones and is relatively a “dry ride” compared to other skis I have paddled. The higher rails also enable more connection points on your leg increasing stability and maneuverability on a wave. The foot well is narrow. I have wide feet and although a bit snug with booties, my feet were comfortable.

One thing I did note, and most likely due to the very stiff carbon hull, is that for my weight any body movement, whether it's adjusting your balance or applying power is instantly translated to the hull. Elite paddlers will not have an issue with this and will make this ski fly. Paddlers looking to advance their skills will immediately notice this.

Overall this ski is well designed and thought out. The only thing I would recommend would be on the footplate cam lever locking system. While it’s really easy to adjust and has a wide range of adjustability, I think an improved robust footplate locking system would be highly beneficial.

(Ed. See Flex Footplate Bolt Failure Discussion April 2024 )

This ski was a definite step up in performance for me. I'm really looking forward to racing it in the Gorge!