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Have now been paddling the Ace for over a year. This boat has continued to surprise every time I take it out. I originally paddled an Epic V8 Ultra (carbon) layup. Last year I had an opportunity to use the Ace instead of my V8 at an ocean race. Honestly, I was afraid I would be slower. If you look at the dimensions, it would be easy to make this assumption. The boat is slightly shorter than the V8, the same width and I was on a glass performance layup that weighed more. So with some reservation I raced it, fully expecting a slower time. Quite the contrary happened. I set a personal best; just finishing the 7 mile course in just a hair under 7 mph. This was astoundingly faster than my previous times.

After the race I took a closer look at the Ace side by side with my V8 and did a bit of research and comparison paddling. What I found is that (for me) the bucket had an incredible fit and put me in a slightly more forward and aggressive position. I turned the both boats upside down and took a look at the hulls. At a glance, it appeared that the front area of the hull was narrower, which had the additional effect of creating a narrower catch. Once I got them both on the water, I noticed that the Ace was just the slightest bit tippier than the V8.

These are both very stable boats, so I when I say tippy, I mean it in a relative way. The construction was rock solid and withstood hits without any blemish. I was sold, the following year I signed on to deal Think boats and haven't looked back. They continue to innovate and create quality crafts that I'm happy to paddle and sell. Ultimately, the experience is subjective. Bucket fit is critical as well finding the right boat for you. One downside to be aware of is that in spite of the great bucket, it is a bit narrower than some of the others out there. If you are over 250 lbs and wide in the hips, you may have trouble with the fit.