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Honcho · Surfski · Beginner · 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.

Honcho Guru, photograph
Photo: Surfski Index
Stability band7–9/10Dimension estimate · low confidence
Speed4/10Our rating at design weight
Maker range50–120kgHoncho's published range
StatusOut of productionSecond-hand only
Where to buy
How we rate this

Modelled from published beam, length and deck height. Low confidence. Speed is our rating. Both are given at the hull's own design weight.

These ratings are Surfski Index estimates, worked out from published dimensions, traced hull shapes where we have them, and reviews. They are not supplied by the maker or timed on the water. How a ski feels depends on your weight, skill, set-up and the conditions, so use them to shortlist skis and paddle one before you buy. How we rate.

Stability here means how steady the ski feels sitting still on flat water. Where two craft have overlapping ranges, we can't say which is more stable. Downwind handling is a separate thing, covered in the evidence note.

Evidence note. This band is estimated from published dimensions. Qualitative context includes 2 paddler reports and 3 linked sources.

How the ratings work

Paddler weight

Your weight 85 kg
85 kg
405060708090100110120130
Honcho's range 50–120 kg

Honcho rates this hull for paddlers from 50 kg to 120 kg.

The maker’s published range. How this is worked out.

Who it suits

First sessions, club racing and easy touring; workable downwind once it is up to speed.

Good

  • 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

Specifications

Length
5.8 m
Beam
50 cm
Deck height
33.5 cm est.
Skill level
Beginner new paddlers
Status
Out of production

About the hull. 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.

What paddlers say

2 reports from owners, makers and reviewers
  • 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".
  • 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.

Where to buy

The Guru is out of production. You can only buy it second-hand.

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.

Out of production, and the company is gone. Second-hand only, mostly in South Africa.

Honcho is no longer made, so second-hand is the only option.

Prices checked October 2026. We don't sell boats or take commission.

Generations

2008–2010s

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.

BetaRatings are estimatesRatings are estimates. How we get the numbers. Prices checked October 2026, may be out of date.