Ocean Racing consists of long distance surfski, sea kayak and sea touring races. A surfski is the fastest boat over long distances on ocean swells. The challenges canoe ocean racing can face include large waves driven by the wind, hurricane generated ground swells and paddling in wind speeds of more than 20 knots.
Modern Surfskis are sit on top kayaks can be made from composite layers of epoxy or polyester resin-bonded cloth such as fibreglass, Kevlar, carbon fibre or a mixture. They are usually five to six-and-a-half metres long and 40 to 50 centimetres wide.
Unlike K1 kayaks, a key difference with a surf ski is that the hull is sealed so a paddler can remount in deep water which makes them a popular and versatile boat on flatwater and ocean.
