Epic V7 Surfski

I have a V7 from the 1st container to the states from 2014. It's surface was pitted out of the container as were all the others as well as dented form shipping pressure points so I picked the best of the worst. I have 7 kayaks, 5 skis, 1 sea kayak 1/2 PVC/thermal plastics and 1/2 composite all stored and cared for in the same manner. The V7 is the newest of the plastic and is now full of stress cracks including ones discovered horizontal just forward and aft of the bailer now making is structurally unsafe to paddle. The concept is a good one as I loved this for rivers and creeks with hazards but since it is impossible to repair in structural areas buy an older composite ski where a few dings or dents are no matter and repairs with fiberglass, resin, and gel coat can easily be made. I have an old V10S from 2006 and it remains near mint and now after 16 years needs to have upper deck re-fiber taped to the lower deck, expected from heavy chop and hull torsion. Go for a used older ski. it will be lighter, costs the same, last longer and can actually be repaired. Possibly all this has been refined but I regret this purchase. Should have just kept the Viking Javlin which I replaced with the V7. Once I remove the hardware this week it will go to the land fill or re-cycle center with about 100 paddles and 800 miles on it not a very good ROI.

First let me say that this is my first surfski. Just finished my first paddle and have a few thoughts and one very annoying issue. I have listed reviews of several kayaks I own or have owned on this site. Most are the narrow and fast type. I mostly paddle for fitness. Comparing speed, I would say this might be the fastest plastic kayak/surfski out there or at least close to it. That said, it will not hang with the Nemo L, not even close. It is easy to get on and off and that is a nice change. I am 6'2" 205 and it fits nice. Stability, I like to do the,(can I turn and look behind me test). This boat is very stable and you can turn to look behind you without flipping over, or at least I can. Looks, it looks nice, but gone is the white plastic that looked like fiberglass. They have replaced it with the typical granite looking plastic. Overall it seems well made. I did install the stern rudder due to conditions where I paddle. I find that it turns easy and fast. Seat is comfortable but I may add a lower back support. Now for my two major issues with the boat. First let me state that I believe you should be able to carry your kayak/surfski by yourself. That brings up the first issue. The carbon handles on the sides are nice but even grabbing at the furthest aft point the boat still dips to the stern. That means, you are dragging this thing around, rudder dragging on the ground. With a kayak you can move your hold position for best balance at the cockpit. You cannot with this. It isn't that the boat is to heavy, though it is clearly gaining weight from when these first hit the market. It is just that the balance is wrong and there really is nothing you can do. It is annoying enough that it will not see the water as much as I hoped it would. Epic should know this and should have fixed the grab handle placement. The second issue is more or less a surfski thing I guess. There is no drain in the seat. That means, if the smallest amount of water gets in the seat, you get to sit in it the entire time. Why is there no drain? I have had so many kayaks over the years and it seems like most of the designs get to 80% and screw something up that really would have made it a 100% boat. So, let me say to Epic, fix the handles and watch the weight!

Epic made the v7 indestructible! The surfski is designed to use either a fun or a rudder, the mechanism is simple to adjust and easy to Take apart. We created our own quick assembly of all cables and it made setup and takedown a breeze. Bought 2, got my fiancé hooked on surfskis and she is becoming a very fast paddler. Don’t hesitate! If you want a fast kayak, especially on lakes with no motorized boats this is the kayak for you. And it’s a lot cheaper than a carbon v10. Wish they would make a closed hull sea kayak from the same material.

I am in love with this surfski, we are rowing them on lakes and ocean, rivers and in pool for capsizing and loading practice. the folding rudder option for lake use is so intuitive and simple to install and use. balance is not an issue and I am 6'7! the v6 was too narrow for me, but these babies are just my size. the fact that they can take a hit and not crack is my favorite thing so far. I am all about speed but some lakes and rivers do have floating surprises and one hit on a very fast session could be a crack on a carbon hull (I have one carbon surfski and it is well pampered and covered). one thing i dont like is the fact you can not paint them, they are white because of the material they are made of and any paint or sticker will not stay on this kayak/surfski.

I bought my V7 in early September 2015 and have been paddling it almost every week since then, so I have become very well acquainted with it. I purchased the optional over-the-stern Smart Track kick-up rudder to alternate with the surf rudder because I paddle not only in the sea, but on lakes and rocky rivers as well.

The good:
- Super stable. So stable in fact, that I can rock my hips from side to side without bracing (holding my paddle chest high), to the point of getting water in the seat bucket, and this boat will not flip. You have to really lean over to fall out.
- Very fast. Obviously, at only 17 feet long and 21.25 inches wide it is not competition fast. But it will blow the doors off any sea kayak. It is only slightly slower than the V8.
- Super tough. It is plastic, so banging it against rocks and scraping the bottom on a fast-moving, rocky river is no problem (use the kick-up rudder, obviously). The plastic is very stiff, not a wobbly wet noodle like some poly kayaks. This is due to the stiffening foam layer inside. However, you must still take the same precautions you would with any poly boat. Do not leave it sitting on narrow bars in the heat. It will deform. I know from experience... Still, it popped back to shape with a little time.

The not-so-good:
It is heavy (but you already knew that, right? It's poly). Epic originally advertised a weight of 45 lbs. Subsequently, they had to change that spec to 50. I got 51-52 on my bathroom scale. The fabric hatch cover is cheesy and a pain to put on in the wind, but I was happy to read in another review below that they will make a hard hatch cover available soon.

The bad:
The surf rudder attachment is terrible. I don't know why they chose to use a clamp system for their boats, instead of a simple nut on the top, like Stellar uses, for example. The others attach with a simple nylock nut on the threaded shaft-simple, it works. The V7's rudder has a smooth post with two tiny holes drilled into it. Once the rudder is inserted into the boat, you must insert a tiny pin in the uppermost hole (why it has two, I don't know), then tighten a clamp around the post with two allen bolts. Why?

But the problem that has infuriated me most is the way the rudder cables (cords, really) are tied to the clamp. The clamp has sharp edges, which started fraying one of the cords. If I hadn't noticed, I could have been left without a rudder out in the middle of nowhere. Also, I think there should be a dummy post for when you use the kick-up stern rudder. As it is now, the clamp just floats around loose when the surf rudder is removed.

All in all, apart from these cheesy details, I love the boat. I've had a blast so far and I'm sure I will continue to enjoy it for years to come.

The V7 is great fun. It is at once stable and responsive, a pleasure to paddle in both mild seas and chop. And it goes almost without saying that the V7 is a bargain among surf skis.

Even so, I must report that the neoprene hatch cover can fail. This happened to me in a surf launch when a wave broke over the boat and collapsed the hatch cover. The V7 swamped, and I was lucky to be close to shore.

I contacted California Canoe and Kayak. Keith, of CC&K, volunteered a new rudder for the one that broke off in surf thrash, and said he would transmit my concerns to Epic.

Then, wanting to forewarn other V7 paddlers as soon as possible, I described the collapsed hatch misadventure in a review sent to Paddling.net. They wrote back that they were surprised to learn of this issue and would get in touch with Epic.

Subsequently I heard from Vince Bechet, Epic's Marketing Director, who wrote back that Epic has a design change coming. New V7s will have a hard hatch cover, and current V7 owners will be able to obtain a hard cover retrofit kit. When the hard covers become available, Epic will work with its dealers so they, rather than Epic Kayaks Inc., may contact current customers.

For now, I award my V7 retailer, CC&K, a 10; and the same goes for Epic Kayaks Inc. The V7 ski itself, with the new hard cover, or with the retrofit kit installed, will earn the same.

Finally, a stable affordable surf ski that fits the shorter and lighter paddler. I took up kayaking a few years ago and the first surfski I bought was a used 1st generation V10 Sport that was built and fit a much bigger person than me. On the V10S I was tossed around in waves like a rag doll and did a lot of swimming. I'm just 5'6" tall and weigh 157 lbs.

I love the V7. It fits me and it also fits my 5'2" daughter. I have been paddling the V7 a couple of times a week for the past 2 months and I have not fell out of it yet. Unbelievable! Waves and wakes from motor boats are fun and challenging. I'm getting a great workout and having fun at the same time. This is the fastest plastic boat available in the USA in my opinion. I have been able to knock off 3 minutes in my weekly 2 miles race compared to my Eddyline Nighthawk and 2 minutes quicker than the V10 Sport. Test one out at your local Epic dealer. You'll be glad you did.
- Mark from Rochester NY.

This is a surfski which means it is a sit on top kayak. It is more narrow than the V6 but very stable. It has no knee braces so takes some getting used to. It is Epics only rotomolded kayak or surfski and is $1580 with no tax and free shipping from Kayak Trader dot com. I got the kickup rudder option as I do a lot of shallow water paddling.

I just use it as a day tourer and it is great for that as it has a roomy aft compartment. It is fast and the rudder allows me to maneuver far better than my old kayak which had a skeg only. The seat is molded into the cockpit and has no padding but optional pads are available.

It is far easier to paddle than my old kayak as the hull is scalloped allowing for the paddle to get very close to the kayak without banging my knuckles. Even though it is polypropylene it is 6 pounds lighter than the old one which was 2 1/2 feet shorter. Also the storage is only about 10% smaller and has no skeg cable interfering with the rear compartment. It even has a bottle holder in the cockpit.

I really like the ease of entry from the water as it has no seat back interference and the water just drains out automatically. What I do not like is that the water drips off the paddle into my lap so I have to wear paddling pants if it is the least bit cool.

It is an awesome day tourer and handles wind and waves well. I can paddle into the wind as fast as my old boat paddled in no wind.