Epic V8 Surf Ski - First Impressions

Epic V8 Surf Ski – First Impressions

By Adam Harding (Epic Australia - NSW South Coast)

I had the chance last weekend to paddle the new V8 surf ski in some rather rough messy south east swell and chop around Wollongong.

Visually the ski looks smart with the V12 styled nose shape and cut away at the catch area.

The handles at each end and the water bottle holder in the cockpit are all nice touches.

Being used to the narrower high-end skis in the Epic range, the next thing that catches the eye is the width in the seat and tail area. It sure looked like it would be stable but I was a little apprehensive about being able to keep up with my usual paddling buddies on the faster (less stable) skis.

Before I give my first impressions I will put my paddling ability into context.

Most people I know claim to be mid-pack paddlers, well I am no different except my results in all the rounds of the NSW Ocean series races this year do actually substantiate my claim, I am mid pack (give or take 4 to 5 spots) in ocean racing and whilst my stability is not the same level as the faster guys, I can survive the rough on a tippy ski if I have to. First round of the Fenn Cup on a V12 Ultra springs to mind.

So how did it go?

The course we took was about a 10k paddle out from Wollongong harbour heading into the SE wind and swell towards Toothbrush Island and back to the harbour with the wind and swell at our back.

The first thing I noticed was the weight (17kg) over the Ultra layup V12 & V10 Sport Skis I paddle and the first thought that came to mind was “here comes a slow trip”.

The trademark comfortable seat was immediately welcome when I jumped in and put the first few strokes down. The primary stability is also immediately noticeable and far greater than the V10 Sport, although the Sport I have is an Ultra layup so it is a bit livelier than the heavier constructions in the same ski.

The first stretch heading out of the harbour out to the point was protected from the wind and swell and whilst it was just our warm up section, the ski moved well through the water without any apparent extra effort to keep up with the usual dozen or so morning crew.

Once we reached the Point, some of the quicker guys called the session, 4 minute intervals all the way out with 1 minute rest between and then the usual gloves-off fast-as-you-can-go all the way back chasing runs.

In the first 4 min interval I was off the back of the main group (my usual spot) but also a bit behind my mate Ross who was paddling the V10 Sport Ultra. So at hard all-out efforts into wind, large swell and chop it is as expected slower but not by a whole lot.

The stability was fantastic and the narrow catch due to the cut away sections actually feels narrower than the V10 Sport.

Loosing touch with the quicker guys (as we always do) my usual markers Ross and Dave and I gave up on the intervals and just paddled at a constant hard steady pace.

A steady effort made all the difference as the stability of the V8 enabled me to maintain my technique and focus on a good catch and maintain a pace that I was happy with and about the same speed as Ross on the Sport & Dave on his V12. Stability over speed equaled us all out on this occasion and I was suitably impressed with the rough water ability of the V8.

Now for the fun part, the down wind trip home. In a big South Easter this trip back is usually a lot of fun if the short steep swells line up with the wind, however it can be a handful with the cross chop if it does not all line up. This day was the latter but even so, I expected to get blown to the weeds by the faster boats down wind.

The first run was as usual short and steep and the width of the V8 turned it into a big flat bottomed surfboard. In this type of swell the fat tail picked up the swell and just accelerated the nose straight down the run with little effort.

The maneuverability was very good as expected on a shorter ski and not once did the tail want to spin out or broach. I think the extra depth of the tail at the rear helps to hold it on line.

For the first 1 to 2ks Ross and I traded runs with Dave out wide about level with us. We all hardly missed a run in the fist 10 minutes. I was having so much fun without my usual nervousness on the faster skis in the big stuff.

The middle of the trip back got quite interesting with some substantial cross chop and slop. By this time I was so comfortable with the stability and surfing ability of the V8 that I just kept charging down and across the runs through the chop.

By the time we got back to the harbour I had around 200 meters on Ross & Dave and a grin on my face like a split watermelon.

My trusty Garmin showed an average of 9kph for the trip out and 13.5kph for the return trip with several peaks at 17.8kph on the bigger runs.

Would I have been any quicker on the V10 sport Ultra on the day? Hard to say, I might have been quicker on the way out but not as quick in the technical rough stuff.

Compared to the V12? I can stay upright in rough conditions in the top end skis but my technique goes out the window and my speed suffers, so definitely quicker on the V8 in the rough.

On a less hectic day I would still chose one of the faster skis.

In conclusion the V8 is a great entry level ski that has some surprising performance levels in the big stuff. The reasonable speed for its width and length will also make it worthy of consideration for less stable intermediate paddlers.

Get one for the wife or kids and borrow it on those big messy days for some fun!