Designed and shaped in early 2005 by Jerry Montgomery with computer aided techniques developed here at HUKI, the HUKI S1-R went into production in April of the same year. I wanted to develop a ski with a great deal more stability than our other two surf skis. I wanted a big bump boat that wouldn't toss me off in a messy sea. Something that would surf and maneuver well. Jerry and I went back to our S1-X for the successful shapes that produced the best performing surf ski in the world. We made her a little beamier and a foot shorter and we gave her a little more volume. The result is the new HUKI S1-R that has been tested in some BIG 4-6 foot windchop, mixed slop and current, by very experienced paddlers and novices alike.

The HUKI S1-R has the same styling and cockpit as the S1-X with all the same options and more. Additional options are transom mounted kickup rudder, that is interchangeable with thru hull rudder in about a minute. More storage options for multi day endurance race/touring and river running. She has a higher stem and stern than the S1-X and the gunwales are slightly higher. The HUKI S1-R is way more stable than the S1-X with as little loss in flat water speed as could be calculated into it. The increased stability will come in handy for those advanced paddlers who want more confidence in the big mixed waves, especially while training alone. Also for entry level paddlers who want to reach a high competence level quickly. The S1-R makes it an easy cross-over from Outriggers and Touring/Recreational kayaks to a high performance Surf Ski. This IS the ski of choice for big days crossing the Kaiwi Channel and for those paddlers like myself who seem to loose a lot of balance skills once they're exhausted in the last mile or two of a very long, very rough race.

She carves face very nicely and perhaps a bit better than the S1-X, allowing you to surf a diagonal so well you'll giggle as you skim along. Straight down faces, you'll notice she doesn't pearl easily and the rudder stays in the water, even in the super steep-stacked stuff. In tall-nasty-slop, THIS IS THE SKI YOU WANT TO BE IN. She'll go to weather faster than her competition and will track better as you rock over crests. She isn't as fast as our S1-X in flats, but she's not as slow as her competition.

The kick up rudder is a fantastic addition to the S1-R. It will mount onto the transom with a pull pin, and extension cables will join to the standard cables with the clevis pins that come off the thru-hull rudder's yoke. Conversion from one rudder to the other will take about a minute, and can only be done on shore. You have so many thru hull rudders to choose from, that you'll ask me to choose for you. The cost for the rudder and installation is $250.00.

Her foot well system is unique. We offer individual foot wells and can attach the steering cables to the pedals from the divider or from the gunwales, it's up to you. We can place a stow hatch with fat-bag just behind the divider, under you knees. We also have an adjustable foot well system so that people of different heights can use the same boat.

She has a standard size seat well that fits most people's hips and she is available with a "Wide Seat" option that fits everyone else. The standard sized seat fit's most men with waist sizes up to 34 inches and women with small hips. The "optional" Wide Seat fits Men and Women with waist sizes 35 inches and up. Many people over 6 feet 1 inch have larger hips than most smaller people. The optional Wide Seat is three-quarters of an inch wider without being longer or deeper.

On the S1-R, you can wear most sandals & booties, and we can install self bailing foot well drains. We can install bungees on the fore deck and aft deck, in the cockpit or where ever you want them, and can place stow hatches at both ends of the cockpit as well as under your knees where you can place your water system or other items for easy access while paddling. For those paddlers who need storage, we can install much larger hatches than those offered on our other surf skis. She has the HUKI adjustable response rudder system and can be rigged with a kelp guard and a variety of several rudders. We can install a variety of custom items like; anchor blocks for things like foot straps, handles and hook loops, a sealed hole through the footwell divider for locking the surf ski, eye holes at bow and stern, etc.