The design of the Pinnacle fishing ski has taken years to Perfect, with optimum strength, stability, hydro-dynamics & practically being the focus.

The designer of the Pinnacle is involved daily in component design, engineering and has a huge respect for the sea. He fishes at every opportunity, and has hundreds of hours fishing experience, on all makes of skis. Designed using the latest CAD and cut using CNC technology for precision, it is THE ULTIMATE FISHING SKI. By using the optimum length, width and volume it ensures the fishing ski angler can tackle most sea and weather conditions. As you are only capable of fishing on one craft at a time, you need to be confident that your craft is the safest and we can vouch for ours having returned many a fisherman safely back to shore, in the worst conditions. Pinnacle is able to offer unique practical features that are setting the standard of fishing skis…

It has two back hatches, insulated, to ensure that bait remains firm and preserved during a fishing trip. Why two? This enables you to keep tackle, bait or food etc. separate. One can also be used as a live bait hatch. The reason for developing new style hatches is that the old screw on type caused much frustration when fishing, as it is far more difficult to loosen and tighten lids behind your back, than clips .

The Pinnacle boasts the largest fish hatch of other ski’s, of same length, on the market, and allows for fishing rods up to 2.1m to be stored inside during launching and beaching. The main hatch is also exceptionally deep & wide to accommodate big fish.

The deeper seat provides more back support and ensures for a far more comfortable ride. Being deep it lowers your centre of gravity improving stability, allowing you to punch threw bigger surf, without fear of being washed off the back of the ski.

The Pinnacle’s foot pedals are set at the paddler’s exact length, making rudder operation easier and more natural. These pedals are adjustable.

The unique ‘V’ shaped hull makes launching and beaching easier, as the boat drives threw waves. Riding waves in is far more pleasant, and even fun. The design of the hull provides additional strength and dispersing of chop, in rough conditions instead of a pounding effect, giving the boat better glide properties.

Our team has developed a fishing ski that is practical, comfortable and effortless, so that you’re main focus is on fishing, the craft will take care of the rest.

The following Pinnacle Fishing Ski product review appeared in the Go Fish Magazine Dec09/Jan10 edition. It was written by Gary Hubach and Kirk Newton

THE PINNACLE SKI THE SKI THAT DEMANDS RESPECT FROM ALL WHO TRY TO BREAK IT…

This ski my friends, is none other than the Pinnacle Fishing Ski. Now if any of you are a fan of the great, indestructible, unbeatable roundhouse kick King, Mr Chuck Norris, then maybe you have been sitting on one of the many wind stricken days we have been blessed with over the last few months and just after another action packed episode of Walker Texas Ranger, you sat, thinking to yourself, I wonder… If Chuck Norris ever had to take up ski fishing, what ski would he choose???

Well, the answer would be, the Pinnacle ski. Ok, I know by now you probably think that the cheese has totally slipped off my cracker, but it’s true. The Pinnacle is by far the strongest fiberglass on the market at the moment. This boytjie is totally indestructible. Sure it might be 2 or 3 kgs heavier, but when it comes to fishing ski’s these days, they all generally weigh the same and if you can get great wave riding, increased hatch space and a ski that is harder than Schalk Burger after his morning snack of a teaspoon of cement, then the Pinnacle is your answer. You know what, don’t take my word for it, let’s speak to someone who actually owns one, so you can get a first hand experience from someone who’s experienced the ski first hand… 

“So I will point out some facts about the Pinnacle that I have gleaned from experience & naturally some factual specs. So lets start at the beginning (i.e: a “prospectful” new ski fisherman) as we all were at some stage. First thing I would suggest is talk to the manufacturer & people that have them & find out about the craft you have an interest in. Is it correct for what you want & if you are a beginner, stability is a major concern. Although most fishing skis are pretty stable, some are none the less, less stable. General rule of thumb is the less stable the faster the ski, but then there are major influencing factors. You have to launch through & return through the surf & let’s not forget the wind effect. All this must be considered.

Speaking to Cliff from Pinnacle Fishing Ski’s was a pleasure. He listened to a few small modifications I wanted to make to the ski & the color combination I wanted to suite me & also offered some good advice. He even gave me a ski to test out as he was sure once I tried it I’d be sold. Now these crafts aren’t small change, so it pays to do your homework. Sure it would be great to be in the fortunate position to be able to afford a ski for every varying condition or target species you are after but most of us can’t & this is where the Pinnacle stands out! I’ve heard the argument about the Eskimo’s, “ They have been around for a long time, and surely they know what’s what.” But hey, they are often snow bound so a flat bottom makes sense to haul over the snow & of course it’s easier to make. So here comes the Pinnacle, with a more pronounced “V” hull. The advantage being Firstly it adds considerable strength to the hull & mainly that it tracks through the water much more efficiently than a flat rounded bottom & this saves energy. Plus the “V” in combination with the rocker in the nose makes the water spray outwards in choppy conditions instead of up & all over you. With the rounded bottom the ski tends to snake from side to side as you paddle your stroke. That added up means less distance & less speed & if the wind is up & at an angle to you, well you would be wishing for that “V”. I’ve got to know Cliff relatively well over the last few months as far as fishing goes, but before I knew him & bought  one of his ski’s. I spoke to some paddlers that had them to get their feeling of the ski. One thing I found out was that ski fishing is a passion of Cliff’s & that it first started with him designing a ski to suite our conditions for himself after he had tried several skis that were on the market at the time & one thing led to another & we have the current Pinnacle ski of today & he still looks at ways of improving it constantly. I’m not a computer boff, but I know that he was one of the first to design it on computer, AutoCAD & also to have it CNC cut which equates to precision. Now that to me says a lot. He could have gone out & bought a ski but he wanted something better! Ok so now we know about Cliff but here is what it’s all about!

I mentioned the “V” hull. Now don’t be fooled & think it has sacrificed stability. It’s very stable, I’ve stood on mine out at sea trying to spot my nephew. As for turning ability, I’ve never compared it. I would think logically it might turn ever so slightly a little slower but that also depends on how you go about it. As for trawling lures you don’t want to be doing sharp turns. No good for the lures in tow & anyway no fishing ski can really turn very sharp unless you apply some varying paddle techniques. The seating position is far enough forward to allow for good efficient trim on flat water & with the rocker in the nose & the all important “V”, it keeps the ski from nose diving on a sizeable wave where others would have become “U” boats.” Near the end of Daga season I came back from the Barge with a 32kg Daga only to find the tide had dropped & the surf had got huge, sucking up brown sandy waves on the sand bar. I was convinced I was in for a long swim. I managed to time it over the sand bar but was still a long way from the beach when a sizeable wave hauled me in, started to pick me up & then I had the inevitable drop down the face with my added 32kg’s  in the fish hatch. I laid back, the nose sprayed water as I reached the bottom. Amazed I was still in control I paddled like hell to keep it that way & made it to the beach without falling off

Gary Hubach's 32 kg Daga

The other thing I like is that the seating is quite deep which eliminates the need for a back rest if you feel you require that extra support & because you sit deeper it means you won’t get washed off the back when punching through waves & it adds greatly to your stability. Then there is the fish hatch. Largest of all the ski’s on the market in its size & it holds a 7ft rod comfortably. You also have a small dry well between your legs which can serve many purposes from keeping your cell phone (still keep it in a water tight bag though), car keys, sinkers, lures, pliers whatever. It comes standard with two rod holders. You can have more added. Then there are two smaller hatches which are insulated which, I mentioned in another article, are great for either keeping your bait or beverages cold & because there are two, you can still keep them both cold without your beverages smelling of bait. I keep emergency gear & water in one & depending on what I’m targeting, lures or bait etc in the other. Now they do have lids that are held in place by webbing straps & clips, so they do tend to let in some water in rough seas but just for the ease of being able to open & close them out on the water its worth it & besides, if you want your lures to last you, put them in a Tupperware container of sorts. Having said that, the round screw type hatch covers work well if kept clean (no sea sand) on the threads but they leak just as much, unless you nip them shut & if you do that they can be quite troublesome to undo & put back without cross threading them when they are behind your back. The other advantage of the flip type lids is that they can be nearly as large as the hatch itself, allowing for easy access & the ability to split it into the two hatches. Where as the round hatch generally has to have quite a large lid to allow decent access but this in turn limits you to only one easily accessible hatch. Then further back there is a recess in the deck of the Pinnacle for an anchor that can be strapped down. On the deck on the front of the ski you have bungee cords to secure items & on the nose you have two bungs. One for the main hull & one for the fish hatch. The advantage of it being up front is one of safety, as you should notice it pretty quickly if you forgot to put them in. On purchasing a Pinnacle you receive a certificate to certify that it meets with the buoyancy requirements which is a requirement of most insurance companies, if you are thinking of going that route. The ski measures in at 4300mm long by 680mm wide & weighs around 30kg’s. It will float 150kg’s (that would be you, your equipment & fish.) There is also a fair amount of accessories available for the ski fisherman. Do yourself a favour & visit their web site, www.pinnacleski.co.za

So all in all, it’s pretty much of a muchness, all the skis on the market have similar features. Some better than others in certain departments & how I would sum it up, is to say that the Pinnacle is the “S.U.V.” of skis & has come up with a craft that captures a bit of most of those departments to produce an all round nearly unbreakable ski that, for the purpose of fishing, is the most user friendly, practical ski the market has to offer, suited to beginner & experienced. Last but not least, they are tops in the pricing department with exceptional back up!" ...Tight Lines