When there are no footsteps to follow in, everything becomes a bit of an experiment, and that was certainly the case on my adventure. A surfski isn’t normally the kayak of choice for expeditions. In fact, before I set off I don’t think anyone had completed a self-supported expedition longer than a few days in a surfski – if you have, please share it! That’s because, until now, such a craft hasn’t existed.

Perhaps I made my trip more of an experiment than it needed to be – I’d never done anything like it and didn’t test my kit before I left. I planned the adventure in a few weeks and wanted to leave as soon as possible (I’ve explored why in this article). I’m not suggesting this was a good idea, it’s just how things turned out.

There was potential for lots of things to go wrong, but so long as I stayed safe, it didn’t matter – if things didn’t work out, I’d just come home. In an experiment, there’s no such thing as bad results. If things didn’t work out, it wasn’t a failure, it was just an opportunity to learn for next time.

That said, as I set off on day one, I was apprehensive. I’d only paddled my surfski three times, and it was the first time I’d paddled it fully laden. There were plenty of questions and doubts in my head. This article is the results from one part of my experiment – is a surfski a good boat for a lengthy self-supported adventure? Having spent over 240 hours (10 solid days) paddling the V8 GT on part one of my adventure, I think it’s about time I shared my thoughts on it.

Epic evolution

The V8 is probably Epics’ most popular surfski. It’s stable enough for beginners and perfect for learning to paddle or honing your downwind skills. Yet it’s arguably still faster than any sea kayak and can hold its own in a race. When there’s a storm blowing I leave my V12 on the rack and take a V8 out to play, and in the summer I use a V8 for fishing and playing at the beach. One thing the V8 can’t do is expeditions – its simplicity is its beauty and the only storage space is some bungees on the back deck. This is where the V8 GT comes in – a boat with all the qualities of the V8 that is expedition ready.

Stability and speed

The shape of the hull is identical to a V8 – 18′ (5.48m) long and 21.25′ (54cm) wide. In comparison, the V12, an out and out race ski, is 20.4′ (6.2m) long and just 16.9′ (43cm) wide. The extra width of the V8 GT gives it stability at the expense of speed. A fast expedition kayak is all about this compromise between stability and speed, and I think the V8 GT has gets this balance about right. The last thing you want to be worrying about halfway across a bay when the wind starts to pick up is stability. Not once did I fall off unintentionally on my adventure, and I could take my hands off the paddles to eat or take a picture without even thinking about stability.

Although the V8 GT is stable, I was really surprised by just how fast it is. The shorter length prevents it from nose-diving into the wave in front when paddling downwind and gives it amazing agility on the water, allowing you to surf sideways across waves and turn on to new runs at the flick of a peddle. Like all surfskis, I’d say the V8 GT comes into its own on the downwind, where it just surfs beautifully and you completely forget it’s loaded up with kit. I’d obviously be faster in a V12, but the V8GT feels like a fast boat, and I think that’s the important thing.

Construction

Kirton Kayaks in Devon, UK is currently the only manufacturer of the Epic V8 GT. Kirton is known for making durable racing kayaks and sea kayaks, and now they’ve teamed up with Epic Kayaks UK to transfer their expertise into building surfskis.

There are a few different construction options for the V8 GT. Mine is a sandwich of carbon fibre and kevlar with a core, that is vacuum infused with epoxy resin and then heat baked. Kirton tells me it takes a whole day to polish the boat, and the result is a beautiful glossy finish. It’s also nice to know that Kirton sources all their materials in the UK and are transitioning to using a more eco-friendly bio-resin with all the same structural properties.

So what are the special features of the construction?

• ‘Expedition grade’ materials – thicker, more durable core, added internal kevlar skin, extra carbon reinforcement
• 4 bulkheads enclosing the storage compartments, but also adding strength.
• Stringers (longitudinal supports) between bulkheads.

The result is a tough and durable boat that is impact resistant and will hold together even if disaster strikes. The stiffness of the boat is truly impressive when you think of the forces it has to deal with. There’s absolutely no flex when the bow buries into a wave when paddling downwind, or when the bow smacks the water when paddling upwind, despite the hull being stuffed with kit.

Of course, the added materials make it heavier, but this is a worthy trade-off when you’re going to fill it with equipment anyway. My boat weighed 17kg unladen, and between x and x once packed, depending on how much food and water I had onboard.

Although rugged, it still needs looking after. On the hundreds of locks I encountered on the Canal lateral du Garonne and the Canal du midi I was worried about damaging my boat. At every lock, I had to lift my loaded boat from the water up to the towpath, sometimes a meter above. Steel pilings and concrete aren’t friends with composite boats, but despite a few grates and bumps, my boat made it to the Med in one piece.

Storage

The hull of the V8GT is partitioned by bulkheads to form two storage compartments, one in the bow and one in the stern. I’m pleased to say the rubber hatch covers kept my kit bone dry. The compartment in the bow is the larger of the two and it didn’t take long to adjust the distribution of my kit to get the trim just right. If you’re wondering just how much kit you can fit in a surfski, have a look at my full list.

The hatches can’t be accessed whilst on the water (or at least I don’t advise it), so I had a bag attached to the rear deck for spare clothing and food. My spare paddles strapped to this deck bag tightly, and my trolley fitted snugly between the paddles. I then simply wrapped bungee cord around everything to keep it securely pinned to my deck. Some Epic non-slip pads prevented any movement and not once did anything come off at sea.

Fittings

Although built by Kirton, the fittings are Epic throughout – this includes the rudder system, footboard and bailer. These are known to be reliable and I had no issues. I opted for the standard understern rudder, but a ‘kick-up’ over-stern rudder can be attached if you’re worried about running aground.

There are 4 handles on the V8GT – stern, bow and one on each side of the cockpit. I can testify the strength of the handles after towing two men in a dinghy to safety on day x! I used the carbon fibre side handles to lift the boat from the water to my trolley, and they coped with the weight of the boat just fine.

Comfort

Paddling a surf ski for weeks on end had the potential to become uncomfortable. In fact, I thought it was likely I’d be driven home by blisters and salt rash. It was a pleasant surprise then, to have no such problems.

The shape of the V8 GT bucket suited me well, although this is a personal thing. My lower back is scarred from grating against the bucket of surfskis, but I think this is actually due to a technical error – if you’re not fully locked on to the catch of the stroke, leg drive will send you into the back of the bucket rather than pulling you forwards.

After the first few days of paddling, my sit bones began to feel bruised and tender so I installed an Epic seat pad, which worked wonders. It did somewhat inhibit rotation thanks to its grippy surface, but when you’re paddling for 6 hours at a time, I don’t think bum rotation needs to have the same range of movement as when racing.

Sitting in a bucket open to the elements for hours each day may sound offputting, and like a recipe for salt rash, but it didn’t trouble me. Perhaps that’s because I used salt-resistant vaikobi kit, or because I religiously rinsed it. If you’re planning a trip to the artic, you’ll probably want the warmth of a spraydeck, but in warmer climes, I think the advantages of an open cockpit outweigh the disadvantages – you can take a dip to cool off or answer the call of nature, a remount is easier to learn than a roll` and the seating position just allows you to paddle so much more efficiently.

Freeboard

Freeboard – the distance between the water and the upper edge of the surfski. I was worried that once laden with kit, the cockpit would just flood with water and I would constantly be swamped.

My kit weighed around 25kg, sometimes more with food and water, and I had no problem with freeboard. Of course my legs didn’t stay dry when there were waves, and more water spilt over the sides than normal, but that is to be expected in a surfski. I quickly learnt to tip the boat to avoid getting a cockpit full, and when I did, the bailer dealt with it just fine.

Epic specifies the capacity of a V8 is 45-145kg (99-320lbs). I weigh 75 kg, so theoretically, this gives me room for 70 kg of kit (if weight in the hull behaves the same as the weight of the paddler). I’m not sure I’d like to test those weight limits – my kit weighed x and I’m not sure the freeboard had room for much more.

Customisations

I kept my boat simple, but added these basics:

• Epic wave deflector – kept the water out.
• Compass – fitted perfectly under the bungees below the bung.
• Hydration – two platypus hydration bladders which fit snuggly infront of my footrest. The mouthpiece conveniently tucks under the side handle for when you need it.

Anything I’d change?

It seems too good to be true that I with minimal planning and testing, everything worked perfectly. But amazingly, when I start the next chapter of my adventure, I can’t think of anything to change to make to my boat.

I think the V8 GT is a gamechanger. It has proven that surfskis are a feasible option for expeditions and brings with it all the advantages of a surfski – unmatched speed and downwind ability, an efficient paddling position, and the safety of an open cockpit. It opens the door for new adventures – people can travel the world by surfski or have an exciting week adventure, sea kayakers can be enticed to try surf ski and die-hard racers can try something new. I can’t wait to get back in mine!