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263craft

Opium · Surfski

Opium DW

6.45m x 45cm hull named for the job: DW is downwind. Widest of Opium's three long racers, which is the sensible order: the boat you run in big following seas is the one you can still sit on when it is broaching.

Length
6.45 m
Beam
45 cm
Deck
33.5 cm
Side view unavailable
Top view unavailable
Opium DW, Outline drawn to scale from published length and deck height
Outline drawn to scale from published length and deck height · Surfski Index

Specifications

Length
6.45 m
Beam
45 cm
Deck height
33.5 cm (est.)
Category
Surfski
Usually paddled by
Confident ocean paddlers
New price
Not listed new

On-water profile

Stability
5–7
Dimension estimateLow confidence
Speed
8

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 below.

Evidence note

This band is estimated from published dimensions. Qualitative context includes 1 paddler report and 3 linked sources.

Suits: Downwind runs and rough open water.

Paddler weight

The estimated sweet spot is 82–95 kg, with a broader estimated guide of 67–99 kg. This estimate is a guide, not a limit. Seat fit, conditions and paddling style matter. Lighter paddlers can still enjoy a larger hull, especially downwind. A test paddle is the best check.

Estimated from hull dimensions using a formula fitted to makers’ own paddler limits. It does not establish the designer’s intended paddler weight. How this is worked out.

Generations

current

Opium Caiaques is a Brazilian builder with the widest ski range in South America: seven surfskis from an elite 6.45m racer down to a 5.25m beginner hull, alongside OC1, OC2 and OC6 outriggers. Opium publishes an overall hull height for each boat; that figure is not the deck height this index uses for weight bands, so it is not carried across.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Full race length with intermediate-leaning beam
  • Purpose-built for swell
  • Local support in Brazil

Cons

  • No published weight or layup table
  • No price published anywhere
  • Effectively unavailable outside South America

What paddlers say

No independent owner review located as of August 2026.Reported experience

Where to buy

We don't have a dealer listed for Opium yet. All makers and dealers.

Opium sells in Brazil in reais and publishes no list price. Specs here come from the maker's catalogue and Brazilian dealer listings.

Sources

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