From V10L to V8 in three weeks

I have been lucky enough to have been paddling on Maui for the last three weeks. Initially rented a beautiful new V10L Ultra and did a few downwind runs on the south Kihei side of the island. I'm 68kg, 5'8" 55yo and was thinking about buying this boat for home in Melbourne Oz so it was a great opportunity to extensively try it out. Rented a gen 2 V10 last year.

Found the V10L tippier than the new V10 despite being in the target weight, but really very manageable, first downwinder, no spills. Second run scored some really lumpy confused chop and came out three times, super easy to remount but highlighted that this boat would take some getting used to. I paddle a club spec old style V10S at home so this was quite a jump and I hadn't even been in a ski for a couple of months so was pushing it a bit. Next run in bigger but cleaner conditions stayed dry, the V10L goes upwind astonishingly easily and the lightness, comfort and compact manoeuvrable feel is superb.

Wanted to do some north shore Maliko runs and knew the V10L would be too much for me so I swapped it for a Black tip first gen V8. This thing weighed a ton, way more than my old Blue tip V10S at home (what is that about??). Set it up and headed out to Maliko, strange initial instability but huge secondary, didn't fall, didn't even look like falling no matter what! But the weight and relative slowness meant I couldn't pull myself into any swell I wanted like I could in the V10L, so I puddled along and did a really slow run with a lot of effort, actually really fun on the waves though.

I'm very used to the Maliko run, probably more than 100 runs under my belt on Stand Up boards with steering.

Over the next few Maliko runs I started to calm down, stopped even trying to accelerate the boat fast, caught the easy ones and began to focus far more on staying on the wave, reading the water and maintaining momentum. Of course the stability of the V8 let me concentrate on leg drive and let me explore the limits of just how much I could trim across the wave faces.
Well I got faster with every run, managed to stay high on the waves, cut across the waves at what seemed like crazy acute angles and even turn in the big troughs and cut back the other way. Absolutely amazingly good fun, compared to the first run paddling my guts out I was faster, more relaxed and having about 100 times more fun!

Net result, think I'll buy an Ultra V8 instead of an Ultra V10L - complete about face. After three years quite sporadic paddling on the V10S the V8 at Maliko has demonstrated very clearly that I haven't really got a bloody clue what I'm doing yet. Little bit of an ego gulp but I just want more of that crazy trimming across the wave face.....I may be faster right now in the V10s or even V10 on a run like the Maliko but I'm absolutely certain the V8 will help me develop a solid skill foundation so much more effectively so that ultimately I will be a much better downwind paddler.

I know all of this is nothing new, just personally interesting to have it so clearly demonstrated. I can always tell my paddling buddies that I bought the V8 for my wife and kids to use...

Yep, how often do we hear Oscar say it? 90% of paddlers are on the wrong boat.

It takes big suppression of ego to accept though! I've been on intermediate boats for over 2 years now, and consequently am much happier in big water.

My downwind speeds are no slower on average (although my PB for the Millers Run was on a Fenn Elite).

Hello all, my very first post here

About 3 months ago I decided to give surfskiing a go again. I used to own a Brian's Kayaks Molokai about 10 years ago, but sold it when the Whites started developing an appetite for surfskis. Needless to say, I've managed to overcome that fear.

I started off again in May by purchasing a used Horizon and fell in love with the sport all over again. I can't believe I've been sitting on the shore for 10 years!

I soon felt very confident on the Horizon, even to the point of frustration, so I purchased another ski, a fairly beat up Synergy. After spending some money on fixing it, I'm really enjoying the more challenging boat. I'm perfectly stable on flat water, but still get the wobbles on choppy water.

I did my first ever reverse Millers on Sunday which I thoroughly enjoyed, using the slower, more stable Horizon. All the time I was out there I was thinking I'm sure I would have handled this on the Synergy.

I've been questioning if its better to hoan my downwind skills with the Synergy or the Horizon, but after reading the OP (and reading and hearing this recurring theme over and over), I think using the Horizon was the right choice.

I guess time will tell if I'm ready to use the Synergy for downwind runs, but for now, I really enjoy having a choice.

Welcome Peteski!

Haha - I also had a Brian's Kayaks Molokai, they were great downwind boats in their time!

But talking of doing a reverse Millers in a Synergy, here's a blast from the past - 2008!

Reverse Millers in Custom Kayaks Synergy...

Great vid, we get days like that in Melbourne, rain squalls and very very strong gusts. Love the way the surface of the water smooths off when there is that intense rain shower, almost feels like the boat is on little watery ball bearings.
Peteski, I think what you have done with two boats is perfect, slower more stable boat for the really big days and a tippier faster boat for flat water and more predictable conditions. I'm really toying with getting the V8 and also a second hand SES, because the family are quite keen I can somehow justify it to myself (easy!) and more importantly everyone else...
The experience of paddling the new V10L was really something and on my first Maui downwind run in it, where the waves were predictable and there was very little cross chop it was stable and just superb. Found that I could steer it on the wave by just leaning, so slippery and responsive.

Money no object I'd be ordering a V8 and a V10L.

That was a great video, thanks for sharing

Rob, you made a comment when you started out about the Synergy's stability. How would you rate it against the Swordfish and the Think Evo 2 (assuming you've paddled both, of course)

I'm hoping I can get to enjoy downwind runs with the Synergy as I think it will take on way less water in the cockpit (compared to the Horizon), if not, I'm thinking of getting either the SF or Evo

Hmm... It's a long time since I paddled the Synergy!

But from what I recollect it was more of an intermediate feel stability so I'd place it round about the Evo II, which I think is very slightly tippier than the Swordfish.

So on a scale from 1 to 10 where the Epic V6 is 1 and the Fenn Elite is 8, I'd put the Swordfish at about 5 and the Evo II at about 5.5. Synergy roughly the same.

What do other people think?

The tippiest boat I ever paddled was the Custom Kayaks Icon, which was a lovely boat in clean downwind conditions but I found it extremely tippy in any sort of a side-chop. The V14 for me would be right up at the 10 spot as well. New V10 at around 7...

I did a couple of paddles in the Synergy on the weekend. On Friday I went towards Roman Rock with some mates, after playing in the waves at Fish Hoek for about 45min. The SE was picking up, so we were looking forward to a bit of a downwind run, but heading into the wind I was slipstreaming my friend a bit too closely and bumped the back of his ski, which caused me to tip… I couldn’t get back in without help, which was a bit scary. I think I was half paralysed because of capsizing in shark alley!

Then on Sunday pm I went out again with mates, one of them used my Horizon. We paddled from Berthas in Simonstown to Windmill Beach, via Boulders and back. As we rounded the harbour in Simonstown the swell was super confused, with lots of reflected swells coming off the harbour wall, so I went over again. This time I was still fresh, so I managed to get back on within a few seconds, no problem… But, on the way back I tipped again and needed help getting back on, huge bummer. I think getting back on without a life jacket might be easier, as it gets in the way a bit.

So, the moral of the long story is that I need to perfect my remounting technique before I paddle the Synergy again on my own in confused waters. The Horizon is rock stable, so no issues there.

I had the pleasure of trying out a brand new demo Evo 2 this weekend, I Think I'm in love...

I know surfski tippiness is a very personal thing, but for me there was no comparison between the Synergy and the Evo 2, the Evo 2 had the stability of the Horizon and the speed of the Synergy

I went paddling on Saturday morning with my usual paddling buddy. We left from Berthas, Simonstown in a hoofing SE. As we rounded the harbour wall towards Boulders the conditions were horrendous. Confused wind chop and swell bouncing off the wall and the howling SE made for a very challenging paddle, but the Evo handled so well. I went in similar conditions without the wind the previous week and fell off the Synergy twice. My buddy recons the conditions were 5 times worse than the previous week.

When we turned, I could pick up runs like never before. I pulled a huge gap on my buddy, who is very similar in strength to me.

On Sunday I paddled alone from Fish Hoek towards Simonstown and back in near perfect conditions. I was even able to take a photo of the sunrise from the Evo cockpit, something I've never even considered with the Synergy.

Before placing an Evo 2 order, I'll be trying out a Swordfish first.