Stellar SEI – A new Intermediate surfski

by admin
in Highlights · News · Reviews · Surfski
— 23 May, 2013

Stellar Kayaks are set to launch a brand new intermediate surfski, their SEI model, on the global market over the next couple of days.

This new model adds another exciting surfski product to their already broad range of surfskis and broadens their product range available to paddlers of all levels even further.

“This is a completely new craft in the Stellar Kayaks surfski range, specifically designed for the intermediate paddler market, and will sit comfortably between the SR and the SEL for the larger paddlers, and for the lighter paddlers between the SR and SES models in the Stellar range“, said Gordon Clubb of Stellar Kayaks.

Key benefits the SEI offers include:

Stability
Speed
Manoeuvrability

For any paddler these are three of the key things sought after at any level, particularly at the intermediate range, and clearly it was with that in mind that the Stellar Kayaks SEI design was tailor made to pitch it against the other leading brands in the recreational and racing surfski paddlers market.

Gordon Club of Stellar Kayaks said “The Stellar Kayaks SEI is aimed at the market segment currently being filled by the likes of the Fenn Swordfish and the Epic V10 Sport“. He went on to say “Our expectations are that this ski will fit a wider range of paddlers offering greater speed and stability than the Swordfish“.

In comparison to the Epic V10 Sport, independent testing done in the USA is reported to have found that the Stellar Kayaks SEI can offer intermediate paddlers with a craft capable of being faster than it’s peers like the Fenn Swordfish and Epic V10 Sport, with similar stability.

Gordon told us “The potential for the average paddler to gain better boat speed from this new design should see it gain a lot of interest from paddlers moving up from Kayaks or the Cross-over surfski segment the likes of the Stellar Kayaks S18, Fenn Mako XT or Epic V8“.

A number of base refinements have been made to the trademark Stellar Kayaks design with this craft.

Some of these include design enhancements such as lower volume in the cockpit around and behind the foot-brace, the transition on the bow deck has been moved further back to the stern to keep more water out.

We asked Gordon Clubb about the design of the hull and he reported that “the SEI’s hull ( deck ) has been narrowed in the catch area for tighter entry, although not as extreme as some skis on the market. Our designers wanted to maintain the hulls construction integrity“.

Gordon went on to say “Another key design point is that there is a slight rounding on the top of the seat back to increase paddler comfort when leaning back on waves or when paddling in down wind conditions, something many paddlers find to be an issue on older designs from other manufacturers“.

According to the Stellar Kayaks designers, the new router seat shape also allows greater hip rotation making it easier for paddlers to improve on their technique, something we all aspire to.

The official product brochure for the Stellar Kayaks SEI lists the following ten key points as key differentiators for this craft.

Curved cockpit transition designed for strength
Narrow catch for tighter strokes
3 point locking foot-brace for powerful strokes
Anchor point for paddle and leg leash
Wider bucket with curved back for comfortable fit
Contoured stern deck designed for strength
Under stern rudder (3 sizes available)
Flared gunwale for good secondary stability
Venturi/Bullet system to quickly drain cockpit
Peaked bow deck to effectively shed water

Another first for Stellar Kayaks with their new SEI, is that this new model will enjoy a global launch throughout the world wide network of Stellar distributors and resellers.

We asked Gordon Clubb what this would mean for supply volumes in the first couple of weeks or months, and he said “understandably initially stock supply will be tight. We recommend you register your interest early to make sure you don’t miss out if you want to get any of the early batches shipped“.

We’ve learned that as with all Stellar Kayaks surfskis the SEI will come in multiple grades of construction.

Gordon Clubb told us “In Australia the Stellar Kayaks SEI will is going to be offered in the four (4) standard grades of construction offered across all existing surfski models from Stellar Kayaks which are ( from lightest to heaviest ) Ultra, Excel, Advantage and Sport“.

Here’s an outline of what each of the four grades of construction the Stellar Kayaks SEI will be available in are made up of:

Ultra ( 10.9 kg )

Clear finished Carbon fiber sandwich construction with Nomex honeycomb core. Epoxy resin laminate heat cured in the mold.

Excel ( 11.5 kg )

Gelcoat finished Kevlar and Carbon fiber sandwich construction with Nomex honeycomb core. Epoxy resin laminate heat cured in the mold.

Advantage ( 14.6 kg )

Gelcoat finished Fiberglass infused sandwich construction with Soric core- mat. Epoxy resin laminate heat cured in the mold.

Sport ( 15 kg )

Gelcoat finished Fiberglass single skin construction with reinforced stress points. Polyester resin laminate heat cured in the mold.

The key “size” stats for the Stellar Kayaks SEI are:

Length: 6.1 m
Beam: 46 cm
Depth: 35 cm

We asked if all models would be available in stock, and Gordon Clubb stated “For those looking to get onto the top end Carbon models, Ultra Grade, you will need to be pre-order as is the case with most leading manufacturers, the top end Ultra construction in the SEI range are built to order and shipped on demand“.

When talking to Gordon Clubb from Stellar Kayaks we asked when the Stellar SEI would be available, and he said “at this stage, we’re planning for this new ski will be available world wide in about 5 to 6 weeks“.

We shall look forward to seeing this new model and to the opportunity to paddling it and offering our initial thoughts and a combination of a follow up articles including:

Paddlers Impressions
Technical Review
Race Review

After having paddled it for a while to get a feel for it, shoot some photos to post in a gallery for you, we’ll be sending one or more of the team to their nearest Blast Paddlers time trial, to put the new Stellar Kayaks SEI through it’s paces in race conditions under the clock, and posting an official computer timed result over 10km for all to see.

For more information or to book a demo paddle, or pre-order, you can contact the team at Stellar Kayaks or your nearest distributor or reseller / agent – contact details below:

Stellar Kayaks Australia: