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Master

 
5.0 (1)
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Master - boats_1416-1
Master - boats_1416-2
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Short Facts

Brand
RPF

Portugal

Phone: +351 233 42 81 64

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Model Year
Usage

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EQUIPMENT INCLUDED
•- Fins in fiber RPF (3x)
•- Finca-knees RPF
•- Handles ergonomic
•- Valve drainage

EXTRAS
•- Support lateral and lumbar
•- Personalization of the support of feet
•- Custom Painting
•- Use custom in fiber

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User reviews

1 reviews

Overall rating 
 
5.0
Design 
 
5.0  (1)
Perfomance 
 
5.0  (1)
Quality 
 
5.0  (1)
Value / Money 
 
5.0  (1)
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Overall rating 
 
5.0
Design 
 
5.0
Perfomance 
 
5.0
Quality 
 
5.0
Value / Money 
 
5.0

I got the most basic model (standard construction), I’m sure there a further advantages in weight and agility offered by the HighTech or FullCarbon versions although I’ve not tried them. There is only a very small learning curve (relative to plastic surf-specific SOT) but the rewards are huge. I’ve also noticed that you get a high ride ‘rate’. Even when the surf is small, the lightweight nature of this kayak allows you get that fix. It’s such a beautiful looking kayak too, they say “if it LOOKS right, it IS right”, and I just can’t stop looking at it. The fittings are good quality too, especially the thigh braces, they are perfect, it bails well too. Finally, the company are a delight to deal with, gave me exactly what I wanted design-wise, and found me a very reasonable courier for international shipping from Portugal to UK. In summary, this kayaker was looking to break away from using heavy plastic SOT surf kayaks and was looking for the next level of performance in a SOT format. The Master more than adequately fulfils this requirement, and provides good stability combined with agility for a kayaker of greater stature. After 5 months of riding the Master, I took out my old plastic SOT surf kayak just to see how they compared. Paddling the old plastic boat was like paddling a log. It was laughable. Frankly, I’ve moved on.

Review

Affiliated
No
About Me
I’ve had 5 years of experience on 2 very well-known plastic sit on top (SOT) surf kayaks in the surf beaches around the UK (North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Devon). My Weight is 100Kg, Height 5ft 11 inches, I'm 'well-built'. I needed a kayak that was lighter to carry and much more agile to develop skills as I had reached a plateau with the plastic boats. Having previously tried to make the transition to waveskis rather unsuccessfully, I finally came across a series of SOT surf kayaks (Shark, Maori, Master) from RPF kayaks. Based upon my weight/size (5ft 11 inches, 100Kg) I chose the RPF Master. There appears to be a gap in the market for those looking for high-performance surf kayaks in a SOT format and I think RPF have done an excellent job in filling that niche with these 3 models.
Pros / The Good
There is so much more speed on the wave on this kayak compared to plastic SOTs, it holds the wave face nicely (tri-fins) and is very responsive to movements of the body and paddle when working the wave face. This kayak will allow you to pull MUCH more agile moves than other SOT surf kayaks. It is just awesome on glassy groundswells. It works well in any conditions though. Carrying to/from the beach and general handling from the vehicle are easy due to the light weight and more manageable size of this kayak, I have carried it on the shoulder (with the straps) for three quaters of a mile on several occasions. It is so much easier to manage in heavy conditions, especially when entering the water....much less buffeting/dragging/arm wrenching in incoming broken white waves. At the end of a ride it breaks easily out of the broken surf to get back out faster. Previously, all high performance surf kayaks were sit-in type/decked and not all of us are that confident in that type of kayak especially in the surf. Trying a kayak for the 1st time is always a poignant moment but the Master was easy to handle from the outset. The foundation for this is the good stability of the kayak that allows confidence in the surf. Punching out through the surf is easy, the kayak has good rocker and easily rides over all wave sizes, either unbroken or white water. I’ve noticed that when waiting out back for a wave for extended periods of time, just putting a single foot in the water (borrowing from waveskiers) makes it extremely comfortable and even more stable; I could sit like that all day. Turning is straight-forward and catching waves and finding the best wave sections after take off is noticeably easier than on plastic SOT kayaks due to faster acceleration.
Cons / The Bad
None after 6 months in a range of conditions
Recommend
Yes
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