Think · Surfski
Think Ion
Long (642cm), narrow (44cm) hull with a redesigned moderate rocker profile, V-shaped bow and high-volume nose that resists nosediving on steep drops; dry ride with a fine narrow catch. Buoyant and dynamic, sitting just below true elite skis in outright stability and speed.
- Length
- 6.42 m
- Beam
- 44 cm
- Deck
- 33.5 cm
- Lightest
- 12.5 kg
Specifications
- Length
- 6.42 m
- Beam
- 44 cm
- Deck height
- 33.5 cm (est.)
- Category
- Surfski
- Skill level
- advanced
- New price
- A$3,990
Layup weights
On-water profile
Both scores are rated at the hull's own design weight. How these are derived.
Speed here also has a traced hull behind it: measured off this boat's own side and plan photographs, the shape alone rates it 8.5, and the published score moves a third of the way toward that. What that means.
Suits: Downwind runs and big water — one of the best wave-catching, best-turning skis on the market; copes with flat water and moderate chop once the paddler adapts to its initial tippy feel. Not a first surfski for a total beginner.
Paddler weight
This hull is built around a paddler of about 89 kg. It stays workable from 78 kg to 94 kg, and sits at its best between 82 kg and 90 kg.
Derived from published hull dimensions and calibrated against manufacturer paddler limits, not taken from a marketing range. The method, in full.
Generations
Original Ion launched 2015 to fill the gap between the Evo 2 and Uno Max; had excessive rocker causing too much roll, with a stability profile too close to the twitchy Uno Max.
Complete redesign late 2016: reduced rocker, new hull, seat/footwell borrowed from the well-regarded Evo 2, low-profile deck. Marketed as 'almost as stable as the Evo, as fast as the Uno Max'. Current listing reflects this 3G.
What works, and what it costs you
What works
- Best-turning ski in its class — gains multiple boat-lengths per turn per reviewers
- Superb wave-catching downwind and in beach surf; high-volume nose resists nosediving
- Very dry ride, among the driest of any surfski tested
- Excellent Evo-2-derived cockpit and precise steering
- Feels progressively more stable at speed, relaxing on long downwind runs
Trade-offs
- Tippy/twitchy at rest and on flat water until the paddler adapts — not beginner-friendly despite Think's positioning
- Steep learning curve; one reviewer recommends 2x weekly ocean practice
- Some flat-water speed sacrificed to rocker versus a pure elite hull
- Earlier 1G/2G versions had excessive rocker/rolliness — confirm you're getting the 3G (2017+)
What paddlers say
"It has quite a roll on it... but once you get used to it, it is actually very forgiving... at speed downwind it feels VERY stable, much more so than the [Fenn] Elite" — Orman, surfski.info.Reported experience
"Down wind it feels like a rocket ship, it will catch the smallest of runs... the perfect compromise between hull speed and stability" — Orman, surfski.info.Reported experience
"When still, it's like sitting on a ball trying to hold your feet in the air... Stability improves quite a bit when moving at a good clip" — Fath2o, surfski.info.Reported experience
Gallery
Where to buy
Dealers in the markets we have mapped:
AUD (Expedition Kayaks): Performance 15kg $3,990, Elite 12.5kg $4,990.
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