The Xplora 18 is not the traditional fiberglass layup found in most fishing skis, but instead is made from a sandwich core construction of Carbon and Kevlar with Basalt Innegra reinforcement in key areas . This gives a strong and stiff layup, with a reduction in weight for a ski of this size, allowing us to give you more freeboard, storage and volume, while keeping the ski weight in line with other offerings on the market. Our skis are built with quality Allnex gelcoats, Scott Bader Crystic infusion resins and we source reinforcement cloths from Colan Australia. There is no wood, XPS (polystyrene), or open-cell pouring foams any where in the Xplora 18; we want to offer you a quality product, so we start our process with quality materials.

The Xplora 18 is the first composite ski on the market to offer you a dedicated solution other than shooting thru-hull for installing a fish finder transducer on your fishing ski without the need to drill holes. This also makes the install of Side Scan and Totalscan transducers on a composite ski a breeze, we can even supply a specific Scanport cover to suit your sounder meaning you won't need any power tools or DIY experience to get the job done!  

The Xplora 18 range come with a semi-elliptical under stern rudder that gives plenty of surface area for good grip in sloppy seas and under sail, while the square bottom edge allows you to run your ski in shallower water before bottoming out. The solid stainless shaft is robust and tough, while the foam core provides stiffness and strength without the unnecessary weight of a full glass layup.

The underside of the ski is slightly recessed to house the rudder blade to help prevent fishing lines and weed from getting caught in a pinch-point between the top of the rudder and the underside of the hull.

Just in front of the fish hatch lid we have added a recessed area to hold small metal tackle items that can often make their way overboard. We've also installed rare earth magnets in the tackle tray too to help you hold onto your jig heads and live bait needles. Let's be honest no one wants sharp things rolling around in their seat bucket while trying to concentrate on fighting a fish!

The sounder market is ever evolving and with increases in competition, there is great value to be had in modern fish finder units. This has led to an increase in the head unit size being used by anglers on kayaks, which in turn increases the weight and subsequent slamming on the front deck from forward opening fish hatches. As a result we have opted to make our fish hatch side opening allowing you to keep it in your hand as it drops open avoiding the impacts on your head unit. The hinge system can be set up for left or right opening as you prefer. These units come with both the industry proven lever lock hatch straps as well as a quick release strap as standard.

We wanted to maximise the space in the rear storage hatch to allow room to pack all the essentials for your fishing trip, as well as helping to accomodate all of the gear you might need for an island hopping adventure or a multi-night trip. We've managed to allow for 100L of gear in the back, which coupled with the fish hatch and the central hatch will swallow all the gear for your next adventure! As with the fish hatch, the construction of our rear storage hatch gives full access to the underside of the deck making installs a breeze. 

The Xplora fish hatch is open to the main hull of the ski meaning you have plenty of room for camping gear or even better some solid slabs of tuna! The lack of fish hatch walls means greater ease of access when installing items on the deck or foot well areas of the ski. It also allows you to see the inner construction of the ski with Kevlar cloth inside and a carbon Kevlar join tape leading to a carbon fiber front rod ramp to keep your rod tip up out of harms way. Rod butts sit on the front wall of the live well and are secured to the hatch sides using wide Velcro padded bands. 

Our pedal system is designed for easy adjustment out on the water. If someone else wants to jump in and try your ski or you get to to the launch and realise you have forgotten your dive boots, the perfect fit is just a click away. Our foot wells and foot pedal system are also fitted out with EVA foam padding for those that prefer to roll barefoot when they fish!

Kayak hatches vary widely across the industry, and their design will always be a trade off between ease of use and water-tightness. Depending on where you paddle and what you want to store in your ski, hatch preference will vary from person to person. To this effect, we offer two different hatch types for the Xplora models. Once you know where you want to fish, we can fit out your ski to suit your needs!

The Trade Wind 100 is the kayak sail for fishing skis and the big expedition double sea kayaks, designed for maximum drive & power. You can choose to upgrade your Xplora with a TW100 sail and all fittings & fixtures required to fit it as well as a reinforced deck. You don't need any extra hardware or modifications to get up and running. The extra surface area in our rudder design was included with kayak sailing in mind, this coupled with the vee hull towards the front of the craft will help with tracking under sail, reducing side slip and keeping you pointing where you want to go! Those wanting to be able to sail further windward can also look at our SC model retractable front centreboard.

This centreboard blade is operated with dyneema rope via a control box recessed into the fish hatch side wall. The dyneema rope is a simple, light, friction and corrosion free coupling that does not kink. The Blade has unique rope adjuster to re-adjust the rope length if necessary. The blade also has easy snap-in connection which makes it easy to install and remove. The blade is equipped with a corrosion free spring which allows free movement upwards when hitting an obstacle to prevent damage.