Carbonology Sport Cruze from $3300

Description

True to this genre of ski, it’s flat and wide,  measuring 56cm behind the seatwell. The finish is brilliant, as we have come to expect from Carbonology Sport. It has a broad seatwell but the footwell is comfortably narrow. Adding to this thinking is a higher than average hump under the knees which contributes to minimising the area that can take on water and removed via the bailers. The bailers are a pair of the super-efficient bullet bailers which is now the industry standard.

Add to this light, strong and direct full carbon pedals on a fully adjustable vertical pin rack, a watertight hatch ahead of the pedals and below the breathable rubber bung plug, carbon rudder and carbon steering assembly hatch – the outfitting is excellent.

The handles are also top notch – rigid plasticised handles at the nose and tail and two soft-cover handles at the knees and at the exact midpoint of the boat weight-wise, make it a breeze to carry single-handedly.

On the water it is extremely stable and it has just enough rocker to make it lithe under pedal steering. As it’s a broad boat it takes some effort to get her up to high speeds, but this is somewhat offset by the light weight, so it’s not a major hurdle.

There is obviously an advantage to having a wider, high volume deck, front and back, when punching out through surf. The Cruze lives on top of the white water making it very manageable. The large wetted surface area behind the seatwell make picking up swell and runs easy, but cleverly the design includes a sharp V instead of a flat spoon tail shape. This really helps the boat track in surf swells and on runs.

The bottom line is that this is a fantastic recreational ski and an ideal ski to get started in as well as being a versatile ski that has serious potential as a multisport craft, especially for those who are not hot paddlers and battle when conditions (wind and swell) are against them.

“It handles like a dream, turns well, pops waves well, pulls out of waves well, does not nose dive, and is super stable,”   – Hein van Rooyen, CEO of Carbonology Sport.

Boat Dimensions:

Boat Length: 5.5m

Boat Width: 56.0cm

Boat Height: 33.0cm

Seat Width: 44.0cm

Seat Depth: 19.0cm

Weight Class: 50-120kg

Stability:  5/5