Excel

The Omni Excel is an older (now out of production) surfski. It's 20 ft LOA by 19 inches beam. The cockpit is set forward a bit, and the fore deck has a "spray rail" molded in so as to reduce the amount of water coming in over the bow into the cockpit, the foredeck is also peaked to help shed water as well. The bow is deep and this helps keep the nose up when surfing swell and chop. The seat is very well shaped and comfortable for long periods of time. The footwells and seat are deeply set into the hull, and because of this the boat has a surprising amount of stability for so narrow a beam. The foot pedals adjust, fore and aft, and the wires on the pedals which control the rudder adjust as well. The rudder is a very deep spade type, set over the stern. While the rudder kicks-up, it is always held down with a small bungee cord. The rudder is a simple flat plate. The hull has a mild amount of rocker, a very round hull form (no chines at all) and the keel is very straight. The tracking of this boat is exceptionally good, and the boat is very fast as well. A very good boat for a beginner surfskier, but capable of decent results in racing. The hull surfs well, but the stern-hung rudder does come out of the water a bit when the waves get steep and/or choppy. An outstanding value if you can find one (used), very fast to paddle and surf and a great tool to build your skills on.