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263craft

Opium · Surfski

Opium Pono

5.5m x 56cm recreational ski, the widest hull Opium builds and the most forgiving. At 56cm this is a platform to sit on rather than a boat to race, which is what the published 14kg weight and short waterline both say.

Length
5.5 m
Beam
56 cm
Deck
33.5 cm
Lightest
14 kg
Side view unavailable
Top view unavailable
Opium Pono, Outline drawn to scale from published length and deck height
Outline drawn to scale from published length and deck height · Surfski Index

Specifications

Length
5.5 m
Beam
56 cm
Deck height
33.5 cm (est.)
Category
Surfski
Usually paddled by
New paddlers
New price
Not listed new

Layup weights

Composite14 kg

On-water profile

Stability
9–10
Dimension estimateLow confidence
Speed
4

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: Learning, recreational paddling and sheltered water.

Paddler weight

The estimated sweet spot is 85–99 kg, with a broader estimated guide of 69–103 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

  • Very high primary stability
  • Published 14kg weight
  • Easy to handle solo

Cons

  • 56cm beam is slow by any standard
  • 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.