V10 Sport

Is the Epic V10 Sport, a ski for intermediate or beginner ?

Provided the beginner has good balance, I think the V10S makes an ideal beginners boat. It has just enough stability for the novice yet as you get better it's also fast enough to keep you happy for a number of years. While the V8 (and equivalent) is very stable, I think most people would be looking for a new boat relatively quickly if they decide to stick with paddling.

May be semantics, however I wouldn't call the V10S a beginners boat. I think it's best described as an intermediate boat that is friendly enough for beginners (provided they have reasonable balance). Very much depends on the individual though.

I have owned both the V8 and currently own a V10S.

Having not paddled before i trialled both boats and without a doubt felt instantly comfortable ont he V8 which i purchased. The V8 was so stable that you could host a party on the front deck and you still wouldn;t fall out.

So 4 months into owning the V8 i started to feel over confident in my abilities and began to wish that i had indeed bought the V10S.

Co-incdentaly i found on Geartrade someone who wanted to swap there V10S for a V8. the boats were the same age so a deal was done.

Then the fun started (not).

For a beginner like myself who was mislead by the stability that the V8 offered i struggled like a new born. I could barely go 100m on falt water without falling out. But persever i have and fast forward to 12months down the track, i feel relatively comforatble in the V10S, only struggling in large conditions etc.

So for myself, No the V10S was not a beginner boat. The V8 is definitly a beginner boat and whilst slower than the V10S it is a hell of a lot of fun.

Very good and fast ski[-11-to 12km/ ]for big conditions.Try to get the performance model.[black tip]
Best boat for value.

Then compare to the Fenn swordfish which is a newer model (also an intermediate ski), do you have any advice ?

I would rate it a beginner composite ski, why anyone would buy something more stable in a composite construction as a beginner is beyond me. (unless you are small and can't lift the heavier plastic ski onto the roof)

I started in a stable plastic ski. Cheap ($1100 new) and good to learn on. After a couple of months I was ready for the V10 sport.

I fell out a few times every paddle in the flat and I think it was about 3 months before I completed a paddle without falling out. Then I started downwind paddling and again fell out a few times each outing, eventually finding my balance in the chop.

From memory I only had the ski under 12 months before I was ready to move up.

They are a much under rated ski, stable yet able to go quite quick in the right hands.

Here is my take:
I am a beginner. Spent 2 months in a CD Isle 18 sea kayak (wide beam (60 cm) 24 inch.

I just had to get a ski after watching a couple of You tube videos.

So at the time of ski purchase I was a beginner to paddle sports in general. In fact it took me a month before I felt comfortable in the kayak.

Anyway, I paddled a V6, V8 and V10 sport. V6 and V8 were "a piece of cake". I don't mean to be cocky but I was pretty sure that I would outgrow the V8 in short order. So i went for the V10 Sport in Ultra layup. Wide bucket.

At first I thought I made a big mistake. 2 strokes and I was swimming. This was for a good few weeks. Now I am much more comfortable. I still get jittery in smallchop and paddling with a breeze on my beam (not a wind, just a breeze) is a real issue.

So in closing: My opinion is that the V10 Sport would be a good ski for intermediate but if you are a beginner, like myself and are willing to put in the seat time it is a beginner's ski.

Just don't get frustrated. The nice thing is one day you get in the ski and it all clicks. You realize "Hey, I'm paddling without swimming." This is a great feeling.

No doubt as I improve I will continue to hit milestone after milestone.

For what It's worth: I am not a buff 20 Y/O athlete. I'm 58, overweight with a weak core so if I can do it so can you!!

I spent a year on a V8. The first few outings in choppy conditions with boat swell I thought I was going to go for a swim. After a short period I was quite comfortable I the boat paddling in protected waters and rivers.
I test paddled the v10s before I bought the V8 and fell out a couple of times in small chop. And because I wanted a boat that I could paddle for 14 hrs straight without having to worry about going or a swim, I bought the v8.
After the Hawkesbury classic was over I went for a paddle in Middle Harbour with a reasonable amount of chop and could barely sty in the thing. Four or five more paddles in choppy conditions I flt much better in th v8.

Now with the V10s black tip I'm back to felling very shaky in small choppy conditions. I hope that a few paddles in some rougher stuff will help and I'll get used to how it rolls around. I do not regret spending 12 months on a v8 and I can honestly say that in most races I beat many people on faster boats.

Bayou wrote: Is the Epic V10 Sport, a ski for intermediate or beginner ?

It depends. If you come from many years with traditional kaiak you could also jump into a V10! Learning curve will be hard but you can.

Otherwise V10 Sport is perfect as beginners and to improve yourself.

most boats being called intermediate, like my v10 sport were classed as beginner in the old days. If you have time i'd bypass the v8 and start honing the skills on the v10sport, yr just delaying the eventual swimming if you go v8 first anyway.

Hi, I have down graded! to a Sport from a V12, I can honestly say I am no slower on the S than the V12, obvoiusly on flat water I am faster on the V12. With getting older I am loosing my balace and now I am finally comfortable to rotate and leg drive without any problems what so ever.

As far as a beginners ski? I don`t think it is, intermediate would be my take at best. The V8 would be clasified beginners and it has just had a re-vamp, containers are leaving the factory as I speak, it looks great.

I have also downgraded from a 17 inch wide ski to a V10S Performance. It is a great boat although considered the least stable of the 19 inch wide skis. At this point I pad up about 3/4 inch. The S has very good secondary stability. I take it out in 3-4 foot conditions on the Columbia River and have the time of my life and usually do not swim. A boat in the 32 lb. range will be significantly more stable than a boat in the 26 lb. range.Padding up on an S will allow you to more easily upgrade to a 17 inch wide boat which is something I'm considering. But the V10S is a keeper.

oarmaster wrote: I have also downgraded from a 17 inch wide ski to a V10S Performance. It is a great boat although considered the least stable of the 19 inch wide skis. At this point I pad up about 3/4 inch. The S has very good secondary stability. I take it out in 3-4 foot conditions on the Columbia River and have the time of my life and usually do not swim. A boat in the 32 lb. range will be significantly more stable than a boat in the 26 lb. range.Padding up on an S will allow you to more easily upgrade to a 17 inch wide boat which is something I'm considering. But the V10S is a keeper.

Oarmaster:

Funny. I just padded my V10 Sport and took it for a ride today. Pad is 20 mm (just about 3/4 inch)

Reason I padded was to get a slightly more aggressive position, that is have my ass a bit higher for better leg drive. Frankly I never even considered that the stability would decrease. I was very surprised how unstable it felt ! After a couple of swims I got it sorted out. I do get better drive with a higher seat. I'm thinking that this decrease in stability would indeed allow me to transition to a more advanced ski.

I just found this bit of an interview with Oscar as it relates to padding the seat:

Learning from a Legend - Q & A with Oscar Chalupsky

What is your most common, or most fundamental piece of advice for surf ski paddlers?

When getting into the sport, make sure you have a stable enough boat. As you improve and want to challenge yourself stability wise, you can add layers of foam to your seat, raising you up and therefore decreasing stability. You can progressively add layers until you are ready for that elite boat! Also, you can practice on flat water with your seat padded high, and then take out the padding when you go out in the ocean. This will make you feel very stable and confident
Never stop working on your technique
When practicing going downwind, only go hard for 2 minutes at a time, then rest. This way you will stay fresh, so you will catch more runs. When you are tired you catch less runs, and so you don't learn as much.

The entire interview can be found here:
www.epickayaks.net.au/learning_from_a_legend.html


Anyway, it's nice to know that prior to buying a more advanced ski I can prepare by decreasing the stability of my V10 Sport.