New boat wonderings

Just after anyone out there that has had experience with both a V10 and a Think Uno Max.
Do you find that that the Uno Max has at least as much lift at the front of the boat as a V10?
I'm wondering about whether it has enough volume in the front as things get a bit bigger.

Also, anybody out there with an Elite SL, how have they been performing in the wild over the last few weeks of bigger stuff we have had here on the Gold Coast?

Glad to hear any first hand thoughts.

Adam F (bigadski), paddled a V10 before switching to Think UNO then Think UNO Max. He's similar size to us and does lots of downwind so could give a good answer, but he may be a tad biased since becoming the Western Australian Think Rep, wouldn't hurt to ask him, contact through Think website if he doesn't read this.

Hi RAB, I own both a Uno Max and a V10 ultra so I'll give you my 2 cents worth. I'm 82 kg and 179 cm tall, so not a heavyweight in the ski. I'm probably better on the flat than downwind but I like a good swell and wind as much as anyone.

I do think that a V10 has slightly more lift than the Uno Max. I'm splitting `lift' into firstly nose volume and secondly, rocker. To look at the V10 it clearly is bulkier through the nose and this does help prevent the Epic from digging into the troughs. There is slightly more rocker in the V10 which probably also helps prevent it from ploughing in to the back of the wave in front.

However, your question really invites opinion about how well the Uno Max copes with bigger conditions. As it has less nose volume and less rocker, it does dig in to the wave in front at times, but I don't feel this detracts from its speed. Actually it feels fantastic when it torpedoes along on a swell with water shedding off the first two foot of the nose, then surfaces and powers ahead. It feels extremely comfortable and tracks well in those situations and I've not experienced loss of momentum or dropping off runs. I kind of look forward to this `torpedo effect' on a bigger day.

I have to say it's also a much drier boat than the Epic as its venturi sucks better than the V10's. In big SE runs off Sydney it feels fine to me.

Though the V10 is a great weapon of a ski, mine hasn't been out much recently. That's because the Uno max is my choice of the two and gets used almost daily in any condition, including bigger or windier conditions; its cockpit fits me best and it's the more comfortable and agressively positioned seat of the two. I just feel faster in it!! (I finally got a Garmin 310 last week so I should do a lap test on the flat to see if my perception is at all accurate.)
Good luck deciding.

My concern is burying the nose and then broaching.
Ive almost done this a couple of times recently and did achieve it the day I posted.

I certainly enjoy the submerged torpedo look when the front meter of boat is under the water, it's amazing how much you can bury the thing and still have no problems, but lately we have been having mixed swell with it coming at you from a couple of angles and once the nose is under it's hard to stop a broach when you get a hit from the side.

I've had to put my shoulder blades on the rear deck a few times recently to stop a full on nose bury and probable flip.

So at the moment I feel as if the amount of volume/lift at the front is right on the limit of what I need.
The Max looks to have less, and no sane sales rep is going to let me take it out in those sort of conditions to find out if it works for me.

So first hand impressions are valuable, thanks.

Don't know if you have tried this RAB but I always find that leaning the ski to one side once on a wave presents more surface area at the nose and the bow is less likely to bury. With the greater surface area presented the bow almost skips across the water, or at least provides more lift. Learn't to do this surfing the kayak and with the bow not buried a broach is much less likely. If wondering which way to lean when travelling down a wave, think fart at the beach and raise the cheek closest to the beach, lower the cheek to the sea side, this is assuming the wave is 90 degrees to the beach and you are travelling slightly along it rather than directly at the beach. If you lean the other way your likely to capsize. The front of a ski or kayak is like an axe blade that digs into the water while the wave pushes the rear trying to speed up, while the blade/bow is buried trying to slow down. Change the angle of the blade/bow and it will slice rather than bury.

Rightarmbad wrote: My concern is burying the nose and then broaching.
Ive almost done this a couple of times recently and did achieve it the day I posted.

I certainly enjoy the submerged torpedo look when the front meter of boat is under the water, it's amazing how much you can bury the thing and still have no problems, but lately we have been having mixed swell with it coming at you from a couple of angles and once the nose is under it's hard to stop a broach when you get a hit from the side.

I've had to put my shoulder blades on the rear deck a few times recently to stop a full on nose bury and probable flip.

So at the moment I feel as if the amount of volume/lift at the front is right on the limit of what I need.
The Max looks to have less, and no sane sales rep is going to let me take it out in those sort of conditions to find out if it works for me.

So first hand impressions are valuable, thanks.

No point in me saying anything about the Max, but the one thing that strikes me from what you are describing, is that you are surfing runs far too low. You should be a lot higher on the run which makes changing direction easier, as well as keeps the nose out of the wave ahead. The Oscar double video on here shows that really well. If you get to see him paddle in person, have a look at Martin Kenny. It looks to me that he is almost going to fall off the back of a run, but he just sits in that sweet spot, and pops from face to face. Saw it in Molokai two years ago, and it looks unreal.

I continually need to be reminded of this, especially when racing, I tend to feel that I'm not going fast enough and keep the power on too long so end up burying the Vault's nose (which also has little volume) into the wave in front, thus on steeper swells this slows me down. Every once in a while I remember to power down, and steer the ski and end up maintaining a better average speed.

Nup, talking about shorter period steeper waves that only have one place to sit.
Your either in that spot or you ain't on it.

In that case Mrak's reply above would be a pretty good one and a boat with more rocker would perform better or a shorter ski. Different ski designs work better than others in different conditions and you won't find one that is the best in all conditions so choose one that you feel is better for your local conditions. We tend to get a lot of short steep waves here too, I paddle a SES, feel it could do with more rocker but I wouldn't want to paddle anything longer. You initially said bigger conditions were an issue with the nose bury, which as has been addressed, you can alter your technique, if smaller, more rocker and or a smaller ski will help. Even taking smaller waves at a slight angle will assist getting the nose over the wave smoother, like driving over a judder bar at an angle rather than at 90 degrees. Again when travelling at an angle you do need some tilt at the hips, even if is just subtle.