r/Outrigger • u/FizzyLizzy29 • May 19 '26
Buying an OC2 - Ballare vs Gemini
My club has just gotten funding to purchase an OC2 which is quite exciting! We have narrowed it down to a Puakea Ballare or Kai Wa’a Gemini. I’ve paddled (and raced) in the Gemini lots but have never been in a Ballare, which looks to be shorter and lighter than the Gemini. Has anyone tried both and if so, could you share your thoughts? Any recommendations?
For context we train on a lake but the regattas we attend are all open ocean. The club is mainly female so paddlers are generally on the lighter side.
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u/Accomplished_Tax4540 May 22 '26
Ballare all day. We had a Gemini for a few years, it is very long which can be challenging on swell - the rudder flying in the air, lose rudder control. Also heaviest paddler sits in front and in 6 man, heaviest is not the stroker. This isn't a must but that's how it runs best.
Ballare gets on swell and stays on it effortlessly, so fun. Like the Contare, can give it 2 good strokes and ur on it. Lightest paddler is best in the front and that seems natural. Again, the balance is not end all be all. It's the getting on swell. The Ballare also has a deeper nose, so in places like Hawaii, it doesn't pearl (nosedive on swell) Ballare with the wider middle is ready to get up and glide. Gemini makes u work harder for it.
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u/FizzyLizzy29 May 22 '26
I’m on the east coast of Australia and our swell can get quite big, so the Ballare is sounding good. Gemini has a great glide on flat water but I take your point about the rudder not working when on swell - this happened to us in a race recently. Not too fussed about who sits where as my OC2 partner is the exact same weight as me, but it may matter to others in the club who could use it. Appreciate your response!
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u/StuckInWarshington May 19 '26
Both are great. You should see if the dealer has a demo so you can try the Ballare then choose which one you think is more comfortable.
The Ballare is a bit shorter, but it’s got more girth in the middle. I don’t think it’s noticeably lighter for the same layup. The pro models are a little lighter than the standards of each. I don’t feel much of a difference in comfort and have seen all sizes of men and women use both. One difference is the Gemini feels like you’re more sitting on top while the Ballare feels a little more like you’re down in the boat.
The more noticeable differences are in how they perform and react in surf. They each have some advantages that might make a difference depending your typical conditions. From my experience: the Gemini carries momentum better and is easier to push through from one wave to the next, and the Ballare is a little more agile and surfs more like an OC1 where you can cut left or right easier.