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
- Usually paddled by
- Confident ocean paddlers
- New price
- A$3,990
Layup weights
On-water profile
Modelled from this hull's traced beam and depth at its design weight. Medium confidence. Speed is our rating. Both are given at the hull's own design weight.
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
Speed is also checked against the traced hull. Measured from this boat's side and plan photos, the shape alone rates 9, and the score shown is moved 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
Think rates this hull for paddlers from 55 kg to 105 kg.
The maker’s published range. How this is worked out.
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.
Pros and cons
Pros
- 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
Cons
- 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:
AUD (Expedition Kayaks): Performance 15kg $3,990, Elite 12.5kg $4,990.
Similar craft
Closest in stability, speed and paddler weight.
These prices haven't been checked for more than three months and may be out of date. Check with a dealer before relying on one.
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