It’s always great to see more online resources about surfski paddling as our sport continues to grow.    In 2012 Nick Murray started TC Surfski to spread his passion for the sport throughout the Midwest USA.  The site has continued to expand:  An online store, “Fastest Mile” competition, local race support, an active blog, equipment reviews and tips, and a monthly news letter.  If you have not checked it out yet, definitely worth the effort!!

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I’ve been intrigued by a new paddle wear company out of Australia, Vaikobi, and was excited to hear TC Surfski recently became the first US Distributor.   You may recognize the name from team paddlers Tim Jacobs and Murray Stewart.   I just ordered a pair of the V Cold pants from TC Surfski after getting a chance to see them in person a couple of weeks ago.  Definitely a innovate design…can’t wait to try them out this fall in both my ICF and Surfski!   Check out Nick’s review!! ~ Chris 

Vaikobi Gear Review by TC Surfski

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In early August I caught wind of a new start-up named Vaikobi, based out of Australia and dedicated to building top quality clothing specifically designed for surfski paddling.  While I have been very pleased with both NRS and Kokatat,  they each have their specialties, and I’m always curious to see what else is on the market and how it can complement my current lines.

I quickly reached out to Pat Langley at Vaikobi who was super excited at the opportunity to work with TC Surfski as his first distributor in the US.    Pat wasted no time in  shipping over a sample pack that represented a majority of their line-up in both the V Cold and V Heat pieces.    I received them in mid August, so had the opportunity to put the V Heat to the test on some 90 degree days.

First Package Arrives 

When the package arrived and I started trying on all the different pieces, my wife Kim’s face lit up for the first time ever in the context of  paddle clothing.   Historically, she has always just sort of “looked the other way”  whenever she sees me heading out the door decked out in my paddle gear and has always been reluctant to join me in paddling whenever they may be public on lookers present.    Now all of a sudden she was actually quite interested in what I was putting on.   Kim’s first words were,  “I’ve never seen such stylish paddle clothing, it reminds me of Lululemon.”    Bingo!   I’m far from a style guru, but to hear those words from Kim, I knew immediately Vaikobi was on to something.  I had a women’s piece that Kim tried on and immediately claimed for her own.   There is a long story on this, but net/net,  it was actually the envy of all the women who laid eyes on it and in the end Kim had to give it up until my next shipment arrived.  

First time Out

I was 100% confident Vaikobi looked amazing and felt great while it was on, but the big question was, how would it perform.    On my first chance to try the gear it was a hot day, so I went with the V Heat Shorts and the V Heat Short Sleeve Top.    I immediately loved both of them.   The shorts are thin enough that they don’t feel bulky or impede your movement in the boat.  Additionally they have a nice thin airprene piece in the seat that adds just the right amount of padding to really make a difference in taking the edge off in a long paddle.  My 3rd time out in the shorts I did a 16 mile paddle in my V12 after not paddling that boat for over 6 weeks, and having only paddled that distance once the entire summer.   I wasn’t a bit sore.   I have accumulated several different pairs of shorts over the years and these quickly rose to the top as my go to pair for warm weather paddling.

The top felt equally comfortable.   It is loose fitting by design, with great articulation around the arms to support an unrestricted paddle motion.   I didn’t have any chafing at all and it  kept me cool throughout the paddle…. continued

Click to the read the full Vaikobi Gear Review at TC Surfski!!