Carbonology Boost

Query from new member Norman Leibovitz:

Looking for a Carbonology Boost LV X series Surfski.  I'm keen on buying one...  I would like to know its stability, speed.  Is it good for novice/intermediate paddlers.  Is it stable on flat and choppy conditions and
last but not least the cost .

Hi Norman.
I've had my Carbonology Sport Boost LV for a couple of years now and it is currently my favourite ski (I have 6 skis). Unfortunately this website won't allow me to update my profile so my list of skis is no longer accurate.
The Boost LV is a great downwind and general rough water ski for low Intermediate paddlers.
It's not really a beginner boat for hectic water but an ambitious novice should be able to get used to it fairly quickly in moderate conditions.
It has a great lateral stability profile in that it has reasonable primary stability but lots of secondary stability. This makes it very predictable and easy to handle in choppy, confused conditions. The low profile bow is very resistant to crosswinds which is desirable for light weight paddlers. It turns quite fast but has good directional stability although it must be said that I have an aggressive DK rudder on mine since I only use it in fairly rough water.
It won't win any flat water sprint races but it is definitely not so slow as to be frustrating when conditions are calmer than I expected.
I'm 176cm and 76kg. I'm of medium build but I'm lean. I can't stand wide flat buckets. The Boost LV is a very comfortable and confidence inspiring fit for me. YMMV of course.
Can't help you with cost. It depends what market you are looking in. As far as I can tell they are pretty thin on the ground secondhand.

Thank you Atlas, we've ordered two (myself & the missus) and your review reinforces our belief we made the right choice. Appreciate you taking the time. We're frothing waiting for them to arrive.

I've had my Boost LV (2nd ski) for nearly 2 years and love it. I've taken it out in some pretty heavy conditions and the seam started to separate ever so slightly next to my hips. It was air tight except when flexed in waves and would suck in about a litre an hour in rough seas. Some heavy duty 2" guard tape from Whitworths fixed it. You have to do it in the sun and run a golf tee or similar along both sides on the seam to really make it adhere. Unfortunately the boat sustained major damage in a race so I got the seam sealed at the same time and then as a precaution re-applied the tape. It doesn't leak a drop. I posted a short clip on Youtube titled "Uncle Tony's Ocean Paddle" if you'd like to see how it goes in moderate conditions outside: punching into the sea going out and catching some nice runs coming in.  

They are nice runs! Is a really fun agile boat.
Any idea what caused seam separation? Could it occur from those hard slams over the back of a wave when going directly into the wind?

Yes, undoubtedly slapping down on the back of the waves and surf would have been the cause of the seam separation. I have 2 friends who bought the Boost (after trying mine) and neither did much outside paddling as both were beginners. One had the same issue after 3 months (fixed under warranty) and the other is so far, so good. Based on these experiences I would suggest the construction of the join and seam needs to be improved. I bought a 5 year old Ocean OSS:2 (Made in China) while my Boost was being repaired and it hasn't leak a drop. The guy I bought it from was a lot heavier so it copped a lot more abuse than the Boost over a much longer period.   

You are playing with fire!
You have structural damage and NO tape will cut the mustard. Unless you repair it properly your ski WILL snap in half under load. All you have done is stop the water getting in, the seam is an integral part of the structure of the ski, without it joined properly you have no structure.
Get it repaired!

Hi Ranga, yes I've had it professionally repaired as mentioned in an earlier post. The delicate join was rebuilt in 2 places where the ski sustained 2 shunts from another ski and then re-seamed. I put the very strong guard tape over it all as a precaution. Have since done numerous downwinders (e.g. Youtube clip) and it appears to be solid. Cheers.

Hi Atlas
What layup do you have on your Boost? Is your DK rudder a 9" and did you find it better for stability than the 7" that comes standard on the Boost?

Atlas wrote:

Hi Norman.
I've had my Carbonology Sport Boost LV for a couple of years now and it is currently my favourite ski (I have 6 skis). Unfortunately this website won't allow me to update my profile so my list of skis is no longer accurate.
The Boost LV is a great downwind and general rough water ski for low Intermediate paddlers.
It's not really a beginner boat for hectic water but an ambitious novice should be able to get used to it fairly quickly in moderate conditions.
It has a great lateral stability profile in that it has reasonable primary stability but lots of secondary stability. This makes it very predictable and easy to handle in choppy, confused conditions. The low profile bow is very resistant to crosswinds which is desirable for light weight paddlers. It turns quite fast but has good directional stability although it must be said that I have an aggressive DK rudder on mine since I only use it in fairly rough water.
It won't win any flat water sprint races but it is definitely not so slow as to be frustrating when conditions are calmer than I expected.
I'm 176cm and 76kg. I'm of medium build but I'm lean. I can't stand wide flat buckets. The Boost LV is a very comfortable and confidence inspiring fit for me. YMMV of course.
Can't help you with cost. It depends what market you are looking in. As far as I can tell they are pretty thin on the ground secondhand.

What layup do you have on the Boost, composite or carbon? Do you have the 9" DK rudder? Do you find it much better stability wise than the 7" rudder that comes standard on the Boost?

Hi Stefanus.
My Boost LV X is a carbon hybrid layup. I would actually prefer the added stiffness of the full carbon but I bought this one second hand.
I use a 9" 20° DK rudder for proper downwind paddling. This ski is so responsive (the Boost LV X not the original Boost LV) that the 9" rudder is overkill for most of my paddling and it sure is a weed magnet. That being the case; I've had Don make me a 7" 30° rudder that I use for all but the roughest conditions.
The 9" rudder does add some lateral stability compared to the original rudder but it also makes the ski super sensitive to steering inputs which may or may not help depending on your circumstances.

Atlas wrote:

Hi Stefanus.
My Boost LV X is a carbon hybrid layup. I would actually prefer the added stiffness of the full carbon but I bought this one second hand.
I use a 9" 20° DK rudder for proper downwind paddling. This ski is so responsive (the Boost LV X not the original Boost LV) that the 9" rudder is overkill for most of my paddling and it sure is a weed magnet. That being the case ; I've had Don make me a 7" 30° rudder that I use for all but the roughest conditions.
The 9" rudder does add some lateral stability compared to the original rudder but it also makes the ski super sensitive to steering inputs which may or may not help depending on your circumstances.

Thanks for your quick reply. I'm looking at getting the new carbon layup. I paddled a friend's hybrid with a 9" DK rudder and found the ski really nice. I paddle in Sydney Harbour which can get all sorts of different conditions. I currently have a Think Zen which is nice but I find on the runners it gets a bit corky. Probably a lot to do with my lack of technique but the Boost seems to go better in those sort of conditions being a longer boat. Sometimes a carbon layup can get more unstable for a lighter paddler like me (70kgs) but I'm led to believe the Boost in carbon shouldn't be more unstable.
I see you had a Zen at one time, how do you rate the Boost compared to the Zen?

I didn't like the Zen at all. I couldn't get used to the kooky stability profile. That flat bottom gives the Zen a huge amount of primary stability with very little secondary stability. This simply did not work for me in any kind of side-on waves. I also found it to have poor directional stability so it was very prone to broaching. Once I was side on to the waves I had a hell of a time keeping the thing up right.
The Boost LV X is completely different. It has a more rounded bottom which I find plays well in choppy confused water. It is also much more directionally stable.

Paddled my friend's Zen and thought it was just OK. Too short, tends to wander and slow. It's great for an absolute beginner. My friend's is cracked under the cockpit from a fairly tame "splash down" and he rarely ventures outside. Therefore wonder about the structural integrity. My Boost LV has taken an absolute pounding and one major repair after the Makai a few years ago but has held up well. After 5 years I still love it and feel 10' tall in any conditions. On the flat the fastest I've averaged is 10.6kmh over 18kms at when really fit (VO2max 60) and in my 2nd year of paddling. I've got the heaviest construction and with repairs now weighs 15kgs. Doubt I could manage 10.5kmh even though I've made small technique gains - fitness has dropped since quitting cycling (VO2max 50) and prefer to paddle a K1 on flat water. The Boost LV is still my go to ski in the rough. I'm 65, 173cm & 75kgs.

Atlas wrote:

I didn't like the Zen at all. I couldn't get used to the kooky stability profile. That flat bottom gives the Zen a huge amount of primary stability with very little secondary stability. This simply did not work for me in any kind of side-on waves. I also found it to have poor directional stability so it was very prone to broaching. Once I was side on to the waves I had a hell of a time keeping the thing up right.
The Boost LV X is completely different. It has a more rounded bottom which I find plays well in choppy confused water. It is also much more directionally stable.

Interesting because that's my experience with the Zen as well. It's well regarded in my neck of the woods however, especially popular with women paddlers, some of whom are extremely proficient and fast.

Although I've never been more pleased to get rid of a ski; I wouldn't tell anyone that the Zen (or any other ski) is rubbish or that they won't like it. We are all different and what works for me may not work for someone else. As much as I love the Boost LV X; I get that not everyone will feel the same way. But they are wrong... Only kidding.

Just a follow up since getting my Boost LV in the carbon layup (11.5 kgs) 10 months ago.
For me it has been the best ski in its class. I've had a V8 Pro and a Zen and have been really impressed with the Boost. The stability is quite unreal, you can lean the ski way over. I have paddled it in the most extreme conditions and have been amazed in those conditions that I remained upright. I am 70 kgs and the LV really suits me. I like the extra length compared to the Zen although the small bow does bury somewhat on the steeper stuff.
I was thinking about going to the full honeycomb carbon which is less than 10 kgs but, besides the extra cost, I think I am too light for such a stiff layup and what I would gain in the extra lightness I would sacrifice in stability.

After my shoulder surgery, I struggled paddling my Zest X.

I weigh 85kg, with all my paddling gear etc. weight in boat is 90+. I tried the Boost LV X and the standard Boost X. The LV was fine in the flat or small conditions, but at my weight the standard Boost was the better option for bigger conditions.

I agree with the consensus, the Boost is a great boat. My Zest is way faster, but also way more unstable. As soon as my fitness and stability improve again after the surgery, I will be back in the Zest, but the Boost will remain my big conditions boat.

M

The boost is virtually identical in length and width to the new vega arc. Would be interesting to compare the two skis.

zachhandler wrote:

The boost is virtually identical in length and width to the new vega arc. Would be interesting to compare the two skis.

Yes. I did notice that. I'm super keen to demo the Arc when it arrives in Australia.

As much as my Boost X LV (hybrid layup) is my favourite all-round rough water ski; I do prefer my V9 (ultra) for pure downwind paddling. That could be partly a function of the different layups. After paddling my Boost X LV; a mate of mine ordered a Boost X LV in full carbon honeycomb, so I can't wait to point that one downwind too once he has put a few scratches on it.