Epic V10 gen 3

Anybody with experience paddling the new Epic V10 Elite? I need to choose between the 'Ultra' and 'Elite' layouts - will appreciate any guidance in this regard.

I have the G3 in Elite lay up and the V11 in the ultra. The Elite is marginally lighter and stiffer, albeit at a few cons. Besides the price difference is gets very hot In the summer heat, and it's much harder to keep clean. The Elite lay up will also show use scratches much more. 

Thanks for the feedback, Cerca. Based on your feedback I assume that you prefer the Ultra layout?

Ozzie, unless your a top 10% racer I
just think the Ultra for all the reasons i stated earlier is a better value. As for the G3 V10 it is an incredible ski. I am pleased Epic went with more rocker with it!
Good luck with your purchase. 

If you're fast enough for the elite layup to make any difference you should be on a v12 anyway and there are plenty of pros racing the ultra layup at international events...

If you must decide between the ultra and elite layups, by all means go for the ultra!
I ordered a V10 Sport in elite layup in the end of 2017 because I was excited about its nominal weight of 10,4 kg and also, I must admit, felt in love with the badass look of a black surfski.
The Epic website says that the ultimate goal of the elite layup is minimum weight, so "cosmetic flaws are to be expected". My problem was, I didn't notice that until after I placed my order.
After a few months of anxious waiting, my surfski finally arrived. The Epic dealer arranged a meeting in the city of Santos, Brazil, home to most customers for that particular shipment, to deliver the boats.
When I arrived there, some other guy had just begin to unwrap his brand-new V10 ultra. Man, that boat was the image of absolute perfection: all shiny, not a single scratch on it, such a beauty. Then it was my turn to unwrap mine, but I couldn´t hide my disappointment.
The black surface was matte, full of tiny scratches and had many white stains near the seams. Definitely looked like an used boat. The dealer then reminded me of the "cosmetic flaws" clause.
Once home, new findings:
1) the rudder shaft was off center in the rudder box (see picture).
2) Some metal parts started to rust, for example: one screw in the bailer system, one of the footplate pins, the rudder bar screws. Previously I had a V8 performance (black tip) for three years and never saw anything like this, all metal parts were really stainless steel.
3) Some air bubbles start to pop out underneath the gelcoat near the rudder box. I sent pictures of this to the Epic dealer, who apologised and instructed me to get it repaired on his expenses. According to him, the bubbles could burst and leak.
4) The boat weighted 11,7 kg, out of the tolerance range for the elite layup but inside the tolerance range for the ultra layup. Big disappointment!
5) The cover of the rudder box always jammed, and it is a very poor design. The white cover of the other layups is much better.
In short, as the Epic dealer himself admitted, the overall finishing quality of the ultra and performance models are far superior to the elite, which should be chosen only by professional racers who really don't care for vain things like looks, quality, durability and finishing, but only care about maximum stiffness and minimum weight. But I got not even this minimum weight though...
After a while, the dealer offered me a deal: to exchange my used "elite" V10 Sport for a brand new "Performance" V8 PRO at no difference cost. I accepted the deal, and now I have a boat with the superior quality that Epic is supposed to offer its clients: a glossy, flawless gelcoat finish, stainless steel parts, perfect rudder system and bailer.

Ouch. I feel your pain. I like epic skis a lot and it sounds like you do too But that is not good. That’s a very expensive performance layup surfski. 

Many thanks for all the valuable responses. I have ordered the 'Ultra' layout today.

zachhandler wrote: Ouch. I feel your pain. I like epic skis a lot and it sounds like you do too But that is not good. That’s a very expensive performance layup surfski. 

I see your point, but I am really happy with the deal and how everything turned out. In the end I got a very expensive black tip surfski, but that was the price of experience. I could have ordered a performance layup in the first place of course, but then I probably wouldn't be so happy with it now, for I am sure that I would be still wondering if an elite layup surfski would be so much faster and look better etc. This also gave me the opportunity to paddle two different intermediate Epic boats, so that now I am convinced that, at least for me, the V8 PRO is a better boat than the V10 Sport due to superior stability and ergonomics (at virtually zero cost in performance).

You have a good attitude leo! These financial penalties happen from time to time to all of us. I call it “life tax”. 

i'm glad i chose the performance layup for my V5.  i don't think the ultra would have stood up to surfing shallow reef breaks!