V10 or V10s for newbie?

Hi,

This might sound like a stupid question but I am buying my first surfski and would like to buy a V10 straight away as I don't want to have to trade-up from a V10s after a few months.

i am lucky in that I can get on the water 3-5 times a week and have a great area to train right on my doorstep including miles of flat, shallow water leading on to a protected coastal bay.

20 years ago I raced Kayaks a lot but then switched to rowing and now sail and windsurf as I live by the sea. I am 90 kgs and 178cm.

Thanks,

The V10 has the same balance as of a semi-racing kayak for flat water, so it`s not impossible to master.

A dedicated person can probably feel somewhat comfortable in the V10 after a month practice and another half a year to feel at home in most conditions

The biggest concern is that your paddling technique can be significant influenced if you have to use your paddle to keep the balance all the time. If you are just learning to paddle it can be very hard to correct you technique later on. But if you already have a descent technique, it could be okay.

I wrestled with this also when buying my first glass ski.

I was very fit from coming from Triathlon and also didnt want to waste time with a ski that I thought I would upgrade in no time.

I paddled both ski's one after the other in an estuary with about a 1 foot chop and 15-20 knot winds.

What I found was that despite at the time having a shocking paddle stroke I could put the power down on the sport but with the V10 I was checking or using a bracing stroke about every 20 strokes.

I erred on the side of caution and went for the sport and I am so glad I did.

I was able to get out into the ocean and really get stuck into training and enjoy the boat.

I am now in a V10L and without the 15 months? I had in the Sport I would have really struggled with going out into any rough stuff (big swell and chop), as it is I am only just starting to keep it upright on longer paddles in rough stuff.

I was able to really develop a good paddling style in the sport with some coaching and the stability of the boat allowed me to focus on technique while I was being coached. If I was in the V10 at that stage I wouldnt have been able to really put those coaching tips in place as well.

The other point I'll make is that the sport is such a popular boat for beginners and novice paddlers who use them for 1 - 2 years on thier way to faster ski's (and in some cases keep them as a 2nd boat for rough conditions) they sell themselves when it comes time to trade up with very little lost in the changeover.

So it's a no brainer for mine, you have very little to lose and a lot to gain by getting stuck into the sport and trading up when you are paddling the sport at it's and your limits.

For more on my boat choosing journey see this thread.

www.surfski.info/index.php?option=com_ku...iew&catid=19&id=4203

looking forward to hearing about you choice and how you go with whichever boat you buy

regards

Brett

I would agree with Brett 100%. I started from zero a little over a year ago and the first couple of skis I tried were a Red7 Surf70Pro and a V10 Sport. Paddling the V10 Sport convinced me to go for something more stable to learn on (in my case this wound up being a Synergy) and be able to get out in conditions quicker while being able to concentrate on form/stroke/etc... and then the transition to a faster ski is much easier. Plus, I think I've had more fun along the way than if I would have gone the other direction.

Mark

Wholly agree with Brett and Mark. I've had a V10S for a year now, having owned an Ozflyte Molakai previously. I just tried a mates V10 last weekend in flat offshore conditions and I'm glad I opted for the V10S in the first place. I've still got much more work to do to get more speed from learning the ocean, so better to be on the boat going fast than standing still tea-bagging all the time. Besides, much more fun if you're not having to worry about falling in the drink all the time. Might give it another year on the Sport and then think about an upgrade.

Thanks for all the advice. I tried out a V10s and it is more than challenging enough for me to be getting started. I have ordered one and hopefully picking it up this week.

Good move. After you've paddled a high performance ski for awhile, boats like the V10S and Evo feel very stable, but it's easy to forget that at 19" wide these boats can still be fairly challenging to most paddlers moving up from sea kayaks and such or who haven't paddled boats like these.

While racing an Epic 18 Endurance sea kayak a few years ago, I tried a friend's V10L Ultra, and could barely stay upright in calm water with my feet sticking out the sides. It would have been very hairy trying to learn on that boat. Once I bought my Thunderbolt and started racing it (after a 6+ month learning curve) my stability improved remarkably. I tried the same V10L again last year, and found that while it would take a little bit of acclimation, I felt more comfortable in it. Shortly thereafter I purched an Evo for playing in deeper water, then traded it for a Legend. This year I purchased an identical V10L Ultra to my friend's and feel very comfortable in it, even using it successfully for a few races (where the understern rudder isn't in danger). I'm taking it out in rougher conditions to become acclimated to paddling it in more challenging set ups than only flat water, and it's a blast. It's been far better starting with other more stable boats and moving to the V10L, keeping a good paddle stroke,rather than spending all my effort initially trying to stay upright.