New Epic V7 - Fastest Tupperware in the Water?

sAsLEX wrote:

red_pepper wrote: This boat is of great interest to me; many of our local races take place in shallow, rocky rivers where you really take a risk with a composite ski if you opt to race with one, particularly when water levels are low.

Yet all the kayaks in NZ's Coast to Coast down a braided river are composite, and they are the most common in multisport, if made right they seem to last in carbon....

I've also been wondering why the big international brand skis seem to be so fragile. Seems like a little bump & they're dented or holed. Are they too stiff ?
First trip with my brand new multisport kayak down Waimakariri River & during a lunch break in middle of gorge section(it's 67km trip) wind picked up & threw my boat. It's carbon Kevlar build, 5.95m long, 0.49m wide & weighs just under 12kg. It rolled at least 6 times, bouncing to waist high each roll. Wasn't on sand either, was on 10-40cm diameter rocks. Net result ? Well being brand new I almost cried as I raced after it but found just a couple of flexed creases 10cm long (just enough to crack the gel coat) & some other cosmetic scratches. That was 3yrs ago & have not needed to repair it. Didn't even tape it. Their skis are built the same so would expect same robustness & they're ok 13.5kg

Google Waimakariri image www.google.co.nz/search?q=waimakariri+ri...LIBQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg to see the typical conditions we paddle the river in. Touching the bottom is not uncommon or hitting boulders through rapids. If take a wrong braid can often need to go down off shelves or down shoots where need to bounce off a few 'lurkers' or need to put paddle down and use hands to lift boat & push forwards rather than getting out & portaging.

West Side Boat Shop builds rugged boats like that: their Thunderbolt and various iterations made of a Kevlar/carbon weave are "bomb proof". I don't know of any skis currently built that tough. I once suggested to Doug Bushnell that he should make a surfski version of the Thunderbolt; I'll just say he wasn't too keen on the suggestion...

Flow & JKK make Kevlar/carbon/Innegra weave skis
www.jkkkayaks.co.nz/sneak-preview/hadron-surf-ski
www.flowkayaks.com/site/surf-skis/

Interesting boats; too bad they're not available in the states.

I posted on Oscar's FB page that he should race it in The Dragon Run....

red_pepper wrote: Interesting boats; too bad they're not available in the states.

The V7 will be available USA Jan/Feb. 2015.

Ordered mine, should be good for breaking up the ice

Jerry wrote:

red_pepper wrote: Interesting boats; too bad they're not available in the states.

The V7 will be available USA Jan/Feb. 2015.

Ordered mine, should be good for breaking up the ice

I should have been more specific: I was referring to the Flow and JKK surf skis UK_exile mentioned in his post. One of my semi-local dealers already mentioned he's getting some V7's in early next year.

red_pepper wrote: Interesting boats; too bad they're not available in the states.

Getting sent to Australia so can't see why not. I think some have been used in Hawaian races

Truied to find links about use in Hawai but couldn't quickly find any. Found these though & includes Dawid Mocke's comments
www.surfski.info/reviews/story/1421/firs...0%99s-superstar.html
www.surfski.info/reviews/surfskis/story/...-latest-release.html

Here in Florida we have many rivers with shoals at periods of low water, as well as the coastal areas with oyster beds. The rugged durability of plastic makes this a no-brainer for here. I always check water and tide carefully before taking my V6 out, but this new V7 will give me a boat that I know can tour and take a beating.

As I understand, tcsurfski is taking orders here in the US

Pretty much all US Epic dealers should be taking orders for V7's. If they don't have at least several on their Spring stock orders they will be missing the boat

Yep. for us U.S. mid-continenters you can get boats from Ron (LadSurfski). He's based out of Missouri. You coastal folks cant have all the fun! (although its now official that Im moving to Connecticut, so I guess im soon to be a Coaster too! Now I have to figure out whether or not to keep my 2 canoes and where to store my boats until I get a house)

www.rivermiles.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1411071134

Probably best to use a "V" carrier like GoodBoy Kayaks builds. Problem eliminated.