Splash

It is impossible to quantify stability in a relevant way. Even the stability curves and figures published here and there is just a play with numbers since there is no consensus on how to define and measure that elusive quality. A kayak that for one paddler would be a challenge might for another be boringly stable.

I would say that Splash is 'sea kayak stable' and I would personally hesitate to use it for fishing. Jack 14, on the other hand, has a stability curve that lends itself nicely to fishing, hunting, photography, outdoor painting, etc.

But I have paddling friends, that would consider Splash excellent for fishing – enough initial stability and the added bonus that comes with less width: easier and more predictable movements in waves ;-)

Yes, that may be so. But when your fishing needs are fulfilled, one way or another, and if you are still tempted by surfskis, you should probably take a bolder step than Splash and focus on Spray, which can deliver much more of the surfski experience (speed and surfing potential), while still just a small step up from a standard sea kayak.

Thank you, Ian.

My kayaks are more or less round-hulled, are intended for strip building, and cannot be built using panels without remodeling.

Hard-chine versions are available for a few of my kayaks, and then only from Petruskajak: Frej, Panthera, Nanoq (named Alleq), Njord, and Black Pearl. These are supplied as;

1. kits containing CNC-cut hull and deck panels plus inner and outer station molds, and other parts as needed: epoxy, fiberglass, carbon cockpit rim and seat, carbon trays for hatches, skeg system, etc.

2. building classes at Petruskajak in Sweden, 8 days "all-inclusive ;-)"

3. finished kayaks.

For details, contact Petrus.

This is the tricky part of an otherwise very easily constructed craft.

There are several ways to create a functional cockpit pod:

Fill the volume with lightweight foam, (vertical foam sheets precut to the lines on the drawings), fine-tune it to fit, and use it as it is – or laminated with fiberglass (or carbon) and epoxy,

or laminate a separate fiberglass/carbon/epoxy pod on the foam pod from the previous step and glue/laminate it to the deck,

or build the pod in wood strip, the same way the hull and deck are constructed,

or use an existing commercial surfski pod as a mold for a new lamination...

Some have used gypsum to create a mold. At least one builder covered wet cement in plastic and sat down in it to make a stable mold ;-)

The sky is the limit...

On the plans are the lines for a suggested generic pod, that can be used as a starting point for a pod that suits you.

Take a look at the photos of Spray and Spindrift. There are some nice interpretations of different ideas.

Searching for Spray and Spindrift on the site (upper right corner) renders posts on the launchings of these surfskis, sometimes with links to building logs, covering this in some detail.