v8 Pro vs v10 Sport

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering whether anyone has paddled both these boats in a variety of conditions and can offer thoughts/comparisons/opinions ?

I have paddled both, though mostly in calmer bay waters, where I find very little difference between the two of them. The v10s is just a touch less stable, but barely noticeable .. although it should be said that I've only paddled the v10s a handful of times, usually in less than 15 knots of wind and reasonably quiet conditions.

There is barely anything in terms of speed, I find I can keep up or even lead an intermediate pack of paddlers in both boats.

With summer coming, afternoon sea breezes are about to kick in and we'll have plenty of waves to play with soon enough.

This leaves me wondering which to purchase and whether there is really that much of a practical difference in general between the boats...?

There are some minor logistical advantages to the v8 Pro, the shorter hull length will make it easier to move in and out of tight rack space, handles also help with a carry... I suspect the v8 pro will also be more bomb-proof on downwind runs - something I haven't done too much of yet (but look forward to!)

Thanks,
Feens.

I would be quite keen to get opinions on this as well - since the V8 pro is such a new boat it is hard to find a lot of information about it.

Hi, I paddled the V8pro in Tarifa and the V10Sport elsewhere, the things that I would emphasize in choosing one of the two is the paddler weight rather than other factors. If you are towards he 80 kgs I would go for the V8pro, if you're a bigger guy the v10sport would be a better choice in my opinion. I'm 93kg and the bow was often submerged when nose down, thing that could affect first of all the steering and also incidentally the speed

I see on Epic's web site the V8 pro is for paddlers up to 127kg, and the V10 sport for paddlers up to 136kg. I am 110kg, but not sure how accurate those specs are?

Used to paddling a Think Evo (first gen), and a K1 on rivers / flat water. I am however not at all proficient in ocean racing... Have caught a few waves with the Evo.

Thanks Nightfuel..

I'm about 73kg .. but I've really taken neither boat too far downwind as yet, hence haven't noticed the nose submerging.

albert wrote: I see on Epic's web site the V8 pro is for paddlers up to 127kg, and the V10 sport for paddlers up to 136kg. I am 110kg, but not sure how accurate those specs are?

I feel between the two ski there's quite a bit of a difference, the v10S leaning towards the bigger guys. However if you want to feel immediately the thrill of the ocean waves a better idea, for your level of experience, could be to consider a V8 non pro for the ocean and than later upgrade to a v10S.

@feeny at your weight I would definitely stick with a V8pro, the v10S could feel a little bit boat for you. You should pad the sit also, I suppose...

OK, well it took a while (like 3 months), but finally my v8 pro ultra arrived.

For the past 3 months I have been paddling a v10 sport (blue tip) whilst waiting.

It's very early days (well 1 day), but at my weight (73kg) and skill level (somewhere between beginner and intermediate), the v8 pro definitely feels the better boat.

This isn't so much from a stability point of view, they feel about the same to me in terms of stability, but more in terms of boat ergonomics and "fit". I felt like I was swimming in the cockpit of the v10 sport, it really does feel designed to accomodate 90kg+ people. The feel of the v8 pro is much more "snug", if that makes any sense ... and I'll still probably add hip pads and set pads too.

The ultra layup is insanely light, boat had no problem at all easily getting up on tiny swells out there today.

Over the next few weeks, I'll know more about any performance differences between the two boats, as I paddle the v8 pro ultra across a few different conditions. So far, can't really see any performance difference.

The carry handle is nice though. I have no idea why they don't put these on more boats!

I know the last update of the simulated 10km performance between the V10s and the V8pro was only something like 30 seconds so that's getting pretty marginal. Keep us posted on how your testing goes as I'm in a similiar dilemma between getting one of these two boats later this year. It's even tricky knowing whether to go for the Ultra or just the performance builds....

I guess the choice is not about going flat water, but how it behaves on a mixed sea and how it turns on the crests...however at 73kgs there's not a choice imho, the v10s being too much volume of a boat

I wonder if there is much difference in the overall volumes between the two. I ask as the V10s is narrower yet longer and the boat weights listed on Epics site don't differ much.

You are right, I guess the differences are more perceptible in the water rather than on paper

Weird question but have you paddled both on flatwater ? I wonder if a speed difference was detectable there.

(this is a relevant question for me as I'm going to be using mine for multisport events which are on relatively flat waters too).

I ve paddled them both at sea with no regards to 10kms sustenable speed...You should trust however the Barton table and say they're practically the same

Whats your opinion on the lay-up choice ? Would you go for performance or pay the extra, save 3kg and go for the red tip ?

I guess you would never mistake buying a lighter boat, even when reselling

I just got a Pro in Ultra layup and am very much looking forward to comparing it to the Sport as the weather warms up around here.

The paddling focus in our area has been kayak triathlon or what many people call adventure racing. With the paddling distances rarely exceeding 5km (flatwater) in most of these races, there isn't too much incentive to move to a super elite boat just to gain some seconds. Thus, the V10S has been pretty much the gold standard with the best balance between speed and stability.

What makes the V8Pro so compelling are those side handles. Some of our races feature a short portage from the beach to wherever place is designated as the final kayak landing spot. Precious seconds are often lost as the V10 paddler secures his paddle to the craft and hoists the boat to shoulder. The ability to just hop out and run with paddle in one hand and boat in the other was always a plus for the V8 but the overall speed of the V10S usually trumped that. If the Pro cuts that time difference in half or better a reasonable argument could be made to leave the V10 at home.

Yep, I also want to use my new boat for multisport (Quadrathlon) so the kayak legs there rarely exceed 5km. With that in mind, using the Barton estimations, that makes the difference between the V8pro and the V10s only around 15 seconds. My inclination is to go for the pro - if only for the fact that it will be more versatile in different water conditions. My only concern was someone's earlier point about bigger paddlers being better off going for the V10s (I'm 94kg and 6ft 3).

I've now taken the v8pro ultra out in many different conditions - from flat to "biggish" (well, as big as it gets where I paddle, anyway).

Cockpit is a little large, but the narrowing towards the bow makes it "feel" less large - I also fitted a couple of hip pads as well, so the boat feels right.

It's a fine boat. In mostly flat conditions I can pretty easily motor along at 11km/h +/- ... in a sprint I can manage 12km/h +/- for about 2km, it's my fitness / technique that lets me down here, not the boat.

Over 2km the boat can keep up with front-pack paddlers in v10 - 14 boats.

Stability is great, remounts are easy. The ultra layup (I suspect in all the epic boats) picks up runners with 1-2 strokes, it's pretty sweet.

And for me, the handles are simply terrific. Love em to bits. Still don't understand why more boats don't have them standard!

Oh - definitely recommend the ultra. I pick the thing up by its cockpit handle like a briefcase - and slip it in and out of a rack like a dream.

In my opinion, for accessibility alone the weight saving is worth it. On the water, I suspect once moving there's little in it - but I think would be noticeable when picking up runners - a little easier in the ultra.

One other point, when it's tipped me in for a swim in a strong offshore, I've actually had it flip in the wind whilst I'm next to it in the water and had it bonk me on the head (oops) ... that mightn't have happened with a heavier boat (or, might have been far worse with a heavier boat?).

I've also made the mistake of turning my back on it when it's on the beach (upside down, correctly facing into the wind etc) in strong wind only to see it blowing up the beach! ...also probably wouldn't happen with a heavier boat.

(all the above can be put down to my poor boat skills and nothing quite like going for a swim and being conked on the head to help teach a lesson )

Hi. I'm in the same position trying to decide which to buy. I'm around 73kg too and 6ft tall. I have the option of getting the V10 sport a bit cheaper than the V8 pro but ultimately want the right boat for me. I've done a lot of wave work but in a standard sea kayak (Nordkapp). Haven't done much K1 paddling but have used wing paddle for races and channel crossings in pretty rough conditions. Any more reflections ... ? Thanks, Will.