THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SURFKAYAK S
When you decide to learn surfing it can be confusing trying to find the right kayak that will best suit you. You may end up getting the wrong kayak that may be too advanced for your needs.

Let's face it even the Wave wheeling legend, “Big Air Basson” had to start somewhere and if you admit you're a beginner and get in appropriate kayak the learning curve is going to be a lot easier (meaning quicker) and you will be surfing better faster.

Once you have mastered the basics and have the ability to surf on the clean face of the wave, your kayak selection can take on a whole new dimension. Here are some tips to help you select a kayak that will work for you.

If you can only afford one kayak you will have to choose one that will work in all wave conditions (from 2' to 6' on average), but once your ability increases you will find you will want a different kayak for different waves: a 'fish' for smaller waves and a 'gun' for larger waves. With a selection of different kayaks your confidence will keep you in the water all year round.

HIGH PERFORMANCE KAYAKS
It goes without saying that high performance kayaks are suited to experienced surfers. These surfers understand the type of waves they surf in their local area and that knowledge helps them to get their kayaks right. Mega performance Kayaks combine both their own surfing ability and also getting feedback from their team riders to produce kayaks that can take you to new levels every time you surf.

We hope you begin to understand what will work for you and can think of the subtle changes to increase your chances of finding "THE ONE". You will know "THE ONE" when you surf it, it will do everything you ask of it and you will surf better than you ever have before...it will make you want to give up working and just surf...and the longer you surf in your life the longer you are really living.

If you are unsure as to what kind of kayak will suit you on your enquiry or order, please detail your ability. If you order a kayak that does not suit your ability you will only find that you will not be able to balance or paddle the kayak. With over 15 years of shaping experience MEGA shape a kayak to suit you.

'YOUR' KAYAK SHAPE EXPLAINED FOR 'YOU'!

Rocker
The rocker is the curve of the surfkayak looking at it side-on with the fins on the ground. Low rocker is "flatter" and is faster but less manoeuvrable. A kayak with high rocker is characterised by a nose that is "kicked up" and is sometimes described as a banana shape.
We can further break this down to four different levels of rocker and how they work.

Flatter rocker (F)
Flatter rocker kayaks are faster and have more stability, as there is more area of surfkayak in the water. This can help beginners or more competent surfers by using wave positioning to extract drive and flow to get maximum speed from the wave.

More rocker (M)
More rocker is more manoeuvrable and suits a "rail to rail" style. This means surfing with less speed but with more radical turning ability. This surfing is done more in the pocket of the wave (nearest the broken section), as this is where a more "banana-ry" kayak fits in to the wave curve best.
If you are surfing slow or fat waves a kayak with higher rocker will not perform very well.

Big wave rockers (B)
Big wave rockers are a specialty art and the bigger the waves the less you have to generate speed. Increased tail kick helps maintain control and stability on bigger waves.

Tail Shape.

Pin (P)
Pintail are best suited for big wave kayaks; they are the fastest tail shape and are the recognised answer to big wave surfing. They are suited to carving turns and holding ability with no hang-ups in awkward situations.

Round (R)
Most people would call it a rounded pin, it is also suited to flowing turns and has more tail area than the pintail. Because of more area it is more forgiving and gives a good rail to rail feel.

Squash (SQ)
Squash tail is the all rounder of the tail shapes. This shape has a more abrupt end to the kayak. It is more pivotal with less drag than the longer pintails. It is more manoeuvrable and definitely one of the most requested tail shapes. It has good drive and clean outlines that makes for a great all-rounder.

Round square (RS)
Another requested tail for all round conditions. Subtle change from the squash with a bit more tail area and less rounded than the squash. It makes for more release and more critical turning ability.

Swallow (SW)
The Swallowtail or "Fish" has the most tail area of all designs. It has good leverage for sharper turns and is a great small wave radical combination. It is great for beach breaks and snapping in the pocket.

Power Pocket (PP)
Basicaly a hump behind the seat Waveski style. High Performance! It helps to generate speed and push from the wave face and keeps the tail high in the water for dynamic turns.

Rails
The sides of the surfkayak that run in the water when carving or following the wave face.

Low (L)
When you have low rails in hollow, sucky surf you get a lot of responsiveness. Sucky waves are its forte. You can draw cleaner lines and snap harder in the pocket and it holds cutbacks just a little bit longer on rail. Turns really tight in the bowl where a kayak with boxy rails would struggle.

Mid (M)
this is the most requested rail. Forgiving and suited to all surfing abilities, doesn't sit too high or too low in the water so you don't float too much and don't tend to catch rails.
This rail will work in both beaches and points and give good speed and turning ability, the perfect all-rounder.

High (or boxy) (H)
Depending on the thickness this can be a rail used for surfers who are very experienced or by beginners. By decreasing the thickness of the kayak while adding volume to the outer rails. This rail will feel great in the water because of their extreme responsiveness and edge.
But with a thicker kayak the rail is stable, doesn't catch edges much and also suitable for beginners.

Hull detail.

Convex
Convex is a great combination with few hang-ups. It means a vee that is forward on the kayak that leads the kayak into smooth turns and supplies great rail-to-rail surfing. It suits people who surf on from the front and gives them easier direction changes.

Vee (V)
The Vee refers to the back half of the kayak and is quite an understated dimension. It is best suited for big waves in combination with a pintail. It is a dimension that modern shapers are playing around with a lot. It is very loose and creates a pivot point in the centre of the kayak.

Concave (CC)
Great for creating lift and speed from take off, will suck down onto the wave and carve tight - best combined with a Vee or flat section to maintain speed.

Flat (F)
Flat bottoms are the simplest answer that gives speed in all situations. It gives a smooth ride in choppy waves. It is a good beginners kayak and good for floaters and climbing white water.

FINS EXPLAINED

When considering the way fins work there are many variables that account for differences in performance.

The majority of the following description is based on surfboard law but the theory is pretty much generic. There are basically four things to think about...

1. Base length of the Fins : In general larger fins provide more stable forward drive. This is especially true for the base length, where the fin attaches to the kayak.

2. Flex : For beginner/intermediates, going for more flex fins will provide forgiving turns. More rigid ones tend to give quicker turns.

3. Height or Depth : Fin makers measure the fin using the length perpendicular to the bottom of the kayak. The longer the fins, the more contact they make with the water under more conditions, but you trade that in by needing to work harder to make turns.

4. The placement : Where the fins go, has a lot to do with the idea of finding the 'sweet spot', like on a tennis racquet. There will be a spot where you place your back foot that gives you the best turning responses. A big spot is best because you don't have to be in the perfect spot to get the responsiveness you want to have.

Which Fin?
If you weigh 80kgs or more, you would want to go a notch higher in the fin size. Conversely, smaller people do not need to have bigger fins. Also if you are attacking larger waves then you want to maximize the fin contact and that's when you tend to choose longer fins.

Kayaks have traditionally been finless, but many modern Surf Kayaks have tri-fin setups.

When buying a kayak, the most versatile setup is two boxes for the side fins and a box in the set further back and middle. This way you can switch around, if the fancy takes you, to a smaller or larger middle fin with or without side fins.

A long fin helps keep the kayak from spinning out or side slipping, but it will also effect the looseness during turns. 8-10" will probably do fine for a single fin and tri-fin can go from 3-8" centre fins with 2-4" side fins. A lot of fin area will stabilize the kayak, but it will limit the looseness of the turns.

Cutaway fins are relatively narrow at the base compared to the tip of the fin and are far looser than full fins. The shorter the fin, the less drag in turns, as well but at some point you risk.

High turns on a steep wave will cause the fin to pop out of the water resulting in a spin out.

Subtle changes (1/4") in fin position can make a big difference. Moving the middle fin forward in the box will help with trim speed and help loosen up the kayak. Unless you put it so far forward that you must do more rail turns (on the softer part of the rail) than fin turns and the kayak may also spin out more often. Moving the fin back will increase.

Most single fins are placed a little farther back than the middle fin on a tri-fin setup.

On three finned kayaks, the more you move the middle fin towards the side fins, the looser the kayak will be (for small waves), towards the back the more it will hold in and draw out your turn (for bigger waves).

Using a big retro fin with side fins may be counter productive, as you would have too much total fin area, more than you need, and thus causing needless drag. The bigger and farther back in the box your centre fin is, the more it will anchor the tail of your kayak in the curl of the wave.