Epic’s Weedless Surfski Rudder

The weedless rudder for Epic’s surfski line is in stock and available for sale. This important accessory has been in high demand, and is a valuable asset for paddlers who regularly encounter seaweed or other debris in their waters.

The shorter length and sharper angle of the rudder’s forward edge gives it a much lower profile than the standard surfski rudder. This helps to avoid getting your rudder hung up on floating weeds/obstructions, and also aids in shedding the obstructions if you can’t avoid them.

In order to get the full benefit of using the Weedless Rudder, it must be used in conjunction with Epic’s carbon weed guard, which is placed in front of the rudder on the hull. The weed guard helps push debris down and away from the forward edge of the rudder, particularly the portion in front of the rudder post. This ensures nothing can slip in any gap between the rudder and the hull.

The weed guard comes with adhesive on the underside of its base. Simply peel back the sticker material and place firmly on the hull, holding in place for a couple minutes to ensure good adhesion. This self-adhesive provides a strong connection for the guard in normal use. However, if you’re looking for a bullet proof and more permanent fixture, epoxy resin should be applied to the base of the guard before placing on the hull.

The weedless Rudder has one design purpose: shedding debris. While it provides good traction and steering in flat water and mild chop, it is not going to be efficient in bigger seas. When paddling in big seas and big wind, we recommend switching out the Weedless Rudder for our Surf Rudder. The Weedless and Surf rudders will be the ideal two rudder “quiver” for most paddlers. Making the transition between these two rudders even smoother is their “one size fits all” weed guard, which is designed to fit both of them without any repositioning.

From left to right: Surf Rudder, Weedless Rudder, Universal Rudder.

The third option is our Universal Rudder, which was the first rudder available with Epic surfskis. The Universal Rudder is well suited for “all around” use, and for those paddlers who only want one rudder. The Universal Rudder has its own weed guard, and while not highly efficient in shedding weeds, does an acceptable job of avoiding debris while still giving adequate traction and steering in all water conditions.

Click here to see the rudder and weed guard options listed with prices