The Epic V10S( Sport) is one of a group of more stable surfskis along with the Think Evo, Mako XT, and Huki S1R. The Sport, along with the other Epic skis, is offered in several different layups. I have personally owned the Ultra(24 lbs) and the Performance (32lbs).

Like all Epic skis, the cockpit had a comfortable feel with ergonomics designed for leg drive. The seat depth is shallow, enabling very easy remounts. The cockpit width is also the widest of any of the surfskis, so it can accommodate very wide- hipped paddlers. I padded out both my Sports to get a custom fit for my 34 inch waist. Once padded out, I was as secure as any of my other skis.

The V10S can seem slightly twitchy to the novice paddler until you acclimate to this feel; then you notice it less and less. The initial stability it exhibits is slightly less than others in its class, but its secondary stability is surprising. After some time in the boat, you will come to trust in this unique design attribute. It is important that you pad the cockpit out so you have contact points in the hip area if the cockpit is too big for you. With a tighter fit in the boat, the V10S becomes instantly more stable.

Like all Epics, take the needed time to adjust the toe pedal angle while making sure the rudder is in alignment. Untying and retying the Spectra line to get it just right, through trial and error, can be frustrating. However, once dialed in, you’ll likely not need to retie the knots again.

I found the V10S to be comparable in speed with skis in this same class. Just a few weeks ago, I raced a paddling buddy for a 1 mile interval. He was astride a glass V10S and I was aboard a Kevlar Evo. My paddling buddy edged me out by a few inches. I think all the skis in this class are very similar in speed, provided you compare a lightweight layup in one brand to a comparable layup in a different brand. Again, like all the skis in this class, the V10s makes a very good rough water ski. Many advanced paddlers who normally pilot one of the narrower, faster skis have selected the V10S as their ski of choice for the Molokai for this reason alone.

In summary, the V10 Sport offers excellent leg drive, a comfortable cockpit with some padding required for the smaller to mid-size paddlers, good stability and excellent speed with great glide, and easy remounting. – Wesley

Being the member of the team with the longest legs and widest hips (6’3″, 205lbs, 35″ inseam, size 13 shoe), I have found the V10 Sport to be a great overall ski.  As Wesley describes in many of his reviews, fit is one of the most important aspect of choosing a ski. In purchasing my first ski in late summer 2008, I tried many of the stable skis, and a few of the high performance skis, with the V10S being the best fit . The extra couple of inches of leg space made a huge difference in keeping my knees low for stability. While I agree a bit twitchy in initial stability compared to the Mako XT, and the Think skis I tried, the V10S has been the most comfortable over hours of paddling and the great secondary stability really allows me to focus on rotation and leg drive getting the most out of my stroke. Padding is key as Wesley also mentions. I was 235lb when I started with the V10S and paddled with no padding. Now I use a 1/2 inch at my hips which still allows great rotation while staying connected to the ski. – Chris