Epic's new spec ski (V10SLS) and other spec skis

Forgive my ignorance but I live far from the waves and am from a country that doesn't do much surf live saving racing. Are spec skis useful for much beyond SLS competition? From what I understand, they are designed to excel at going out through the surf zone and coming back in. Are they seriously handicapped in general open water and flat water paddling compared to similarly sized surfskis? Would anybody who is not launching and returning through the surf zone multiple times a day ever consider buying a spec ski?

If the market for a spec ski is just competitors in SLS, then that sport must be huge in Australia, NZ and South Africa.

Epic V10SLS Video

Lifesaving skis are good for going in and out of the surf, downwind and flat water paddling. However, for flat water, you will do a lot better with a ski with less rocker (less banana shape) ... and a lighter ski will be welcomed. For downwind, you will also find other surfskis to be a whole lot lighter, easier to catch runs, and just much faster.

It doesn't mean that the LS boats aren't good, they have a main purpose and they excel at it.

The short answer:
LS skis can be quite fun for DW paddling even though they are heavy, but they (in my opinion) provide nothing short of a horrible experience for flat water paddling. If you are not going through surf, and if you are not racing LS, you may very much want to go with a regular surfski.

I would venture to say that the primary market for Spec skis is ocean lifeguards competing in beach lifeguard competitions.

For those who aren't familiar with this type of racing, be aware that the reason they are called "Spec" ski's is that they must meet certain Specifications to be eligible to race in Surf competitions. One of those specs is weight, 18kg.

If you get the right spec ski, they can be great to paddle. I personally use a BOS Raptor XR, made here in Sydney, in clubbie races, and then right through to long distances races like the George Bass, where the events are sanctioned by Surf Life Saving Australia. Yes, they're a fair bit heavier than an ocean ski, but the advancements made in designs in recent years make some of them really nice to paddle. I can't give BOS enough of a rap in terms of build quality and service too, great company.