Strike +

I've had this yak for about 6 or 7 years now, and can't say enough great things about it. It's an all around multi-use boat.

For surfing, this thing is amazing. The length allows you the speed and ability to catch almost any size wave, and the fin and edge make for easy turns and carving. Simply shift your hips and dip a paddle and it goes exactly where you aim it. I've had it on swell ranging in size from knee high to 8-9 ft and always have a blast. Just note that on larger waves that you need to start out already angled down the face of the wave, because if it's steep she'll definitely pearl. Also, invest in the knee straps and a decent paddle leash. Both have been a lifesaver for me in heavier surf.

I also use her for day trips on the local rivers and lakes and she keeps up with my Necky 16' fairly well. With a couple of dry bags and the bungees I'm just as comfortable as a sit-in .. maybe even more so since I can dip my toes in any time I want ;)

At the beach I always have people come up to me after a session and ask about the boat, as these aren't easy to find around here. Most are impressed that I can ride everything that breaks (and lots of waves that don't) and usually am getting 3-4x the amount of rides as the other surfers out there - esp those on short boards holding out for larger surf.

I would say the only problem I've had with the ReVision is the eye grommets. The one's that came with it were a soft plastic that tended to stretch out over time in the hot sun - and eventually snap in 1/2. I ended up replacing them all with metal grommets and used silicone to seal up the holes and keep water out longer.

Other than that .. awesome boat. One that I'll most likely never get rid of.

Danny Broadhurst designed this super sitdown surf machine with large, experienced watermen in mind. As an ocean lifeguard on LI with over 30 years experience playing and working in the surf, I was eager to test out Danny's keen idea as soon as it came out. At 260 lbs, my large ex-linebacker's body was way too large for all the other sit down surf machines floating around out there (strike,5-0,frenzy,riot,kaos,custom,etc,etc). So, I'd been making due in the surf since serious arthritis forced me to abandon stand up board surfing about 10 years ago with a Necky Dolphin which I eventually learned how to force cutbacks in after much trial and error. (In my opinion, if you can't crank cutbacks, you really aren't surfing in the modern sense.) My initial impressions of the Revision were that it paddled almost as fast as the slightly longer Dolphin. Then once I got into a few waves, well, it felt like I was almost standing up all over again. Turns can be initiated with or without lean, with or without brace - even hip twists make it turn effortlessly. And if you catch a real steep face, then lean is all you need to hold and drive an edge, or dig your paddle in deep and cut out, up and over the wave - your choice. Cutbacks can be slow and lazy or hard and mean with spray - also your choice. Want more speed down the line to beat out a little close-out section just up ahead or maybe you want to jump across a slow section to a better reform you see down the line - well, just lean forward a little bit or skooch forward in the seat and take a few gorilla strokes and you'll nearly jump out of the water with speed. I'm still working on popping off the lip aerial re-enties so I can consistently land them with enough reprojected forward speed to blast ahead of the chasing white water. The angling seems a little different, and it absolutely requires the installation of the optional skeg to fight off the Revision's natural tendency to sidesurf in soup. Danny deplored my installation of the skeg, saying it shouldn't be necessary for a "truly skilled paddler" with proper edging and wave selection abilities. Of course, I apologized for my technical shortcomings and invited the legend back out onto the water for a designer demonstration. Of course, in the meantime, I'll be keeping the skeg in place whenever I'm riding waves. I've also used it on slow moving rivers, lakes, inlets and bays, without the skeg and it works fine in those situations as a speedy recreational cruiser and as a shallow draft fishing platform. All in all, this Revision is one dam fine sit on surfing machine and a fairly decent paddling kayak to boot.