Honcho · Surfski · Out of production
Honcho Guru
5.8m x 50cm beginner ski with an optional 20-litre dry hatch in front of the cockpit, which made it the closest thing to a touring ski on the market in 2009. Rounded hull forward, flat bottom behind the seat, and a single large scupper drain. Honcho reworked the cockpit after early boats were criticised for being too wide.
- Length
- 5.8 m
- Beam
- 50 cm
- Deck
- 33.5 cm
Specifications
- Length
- 5.8 m
- Beam
- 50 cm
- Deck height
- 33.5 cm (est.)
- Category
- Surfski
- Skill level
- beginner
- New price
- Not listed new
On-water profile
Both scores are rated at the hull's own design weight. How these are derived.
Suits: First sessions, club racing and easy touring; workable downwind once it is up to speed.
Paddler weight
This hull is built around a paddler of about 93 kg. It stays workable from 82 kg to 98 kg, and sits at its best between 86 kg and 95 kg.
Derived from published hull dimensions and calibrated against manufacturer paddler limits, not taken from a marketing range. The method, in full.
Generations
Honcho skis were designed and built in Cape Town by Andrew Fyfe, who came to boats from a long career in fibreglass manufacture. The range ran from the Oceans Pro race hull down to the Guru, one of the first purpose-built beginner skis on the market.
What works, and what it costs you
What works
- Optional 20-litre dry hatch, unusual on a ski
- Reviewed as extremely stable
- Footplate adjusts in seconds
Trade-offs
- Standard rudder was reviewed as too small to bite downwind
- Brand is gone: no parts, no warranty, no dealer
- Hard work to accelerate onto a run
What paddlers say
Rob Mousley reviewed the Guru for surfski.info in November 2009 and wrote that "this ski is extremely stable", noting that a group of older paddlers at the club asked to try it and "none of them came close to falling out".Reported experience
The same review found the rudder ineffective — "I found it quite hard work to accelerate the ski onto the runs but it behaved well once it was up to speed" — and recommended fitting the larger rudder Honcho offered. Andrew Fyfe confirmed the small rudder was deliberate, to cut the roll a beginner feels when turning.Reported experience
Where to buy
The Guru is out of production. It turns up on the second-hand market; there is no new-boat channel for it.
Maker closed Honcho is no longer trading. Honcho stopped building. There is no live site and no dealer support; forum threads are paddlers hunting parts.
Nobody sells Honcho new. The second-hand market is the only channel.
Out of production, and the company is gone. Second-hand only, mostly in South Africa.
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