Epic V9 Ultra test paddle

Background: I was looking for a new boat for rough or more technical downwind paddles in Perth, Western Australia. My Fenn Swordfish S hybrid has been great last few seasons and I became comfortable enough in it that I just wasn't getting any use out of my BlueFin so I sold it last year.
When it's rough and steep or when the wind drops a bit I still have moments in the Swordy when I can't get good strokes in or can't weight the boat how I would like. That feeling comes down to my skill level, and possibly to a boat that has a little too much volume for my 73kg. Hence the idea that a more stable boat would be a fun option and I had been hearing great things about the V9.
Test Paddle: I borrowed a Demo boat and only went for a 50 min spin on the river so these are only initial impressions and were not even in the desired conditions. The ultra (red tip) was very light. I think Will (local Epic rep) said it was just under 11kg which felt right but don't quote me on that figure. Really easy to carry in one hand with side handle.
The bucket was significantly more comfortable than the Swordy for me and a huge improvement on the V8Pro in shape and security. It seemed to be good at keeping me centrally positioned even though it was wider than my usual bucket set up.
Paddling position was good, none of that paddling uphill sensation you get if seat too low. Hump nice and low so not in the way for leg drive.
Acceleration excellent as expected for a shorter lighter boat than I'm used to. 
Surfing on boat wakes was easy and great fun with very good resistance to broaching. Even with standard rudder it held it's line really well at a moderately high angle to the wave. It responded nicely to weight shifts and had great manoeuvrability.
Where it surprised me was it's stability. Much higher than I expected in both primary and in the limited amount of secondary I needed when playing around on intersecting boat wakes.
Speed could not be usefully measured when in mild current on a short paddle but subjectively was similar to Swordfish. One thing I noticed was that the speed was higher on the Garmin than I expected from the effort going in, both with and against the current. Flat water speed doesn't really concern me as the aim is downwind paddling fun and perhaps a better safety margin in the ocean. Remounts should be easy. Build quality and fittings excellent. Bailer drained very fast and it was intuitive to use the foot control on my first attempts. Foot plate solid and easy to adjust length.
Overall it was a very positive first impression so I've ordered one and container is arriving within a week hopefully. My first Epic as a long time Fenn paddler! Will and Vanessa have been great to deal with and give useful information without doing any heavy sales pitch.
I'll be sure to update once I get in the ocean and get a few downwinders in. Can't wait.
 

Good to read, been thinking of one of these to replace my ageing V10S gen1, as a rough water back up to my V10 gen 3. I guess it would have a similar "in bucket" feel as my V10. rare as hens teeth second hand though atm

The V9 sure is a nice ski and will suit a lot of paddlers looking for a relatively stable boat for downwind conditions. It is superior to the V8pro for catching runs because it has more rocker so it doesn't nose dive as bad as the V8pro. Having said that I've just sold my V9. I prefer the Carbonology Sport Boost LV X as my rough water / downwind ski.
We're all different.

Hi Atlas, does the X version differ much from the original Boost LV? I had the original LV and it was a really fun agile boat. Caught waves easily but I liked it better with a bigger rudder to help hold a diagonal line across a wave. The main reason I didn't stick with it was a tendency to nose dive which must have been related to it's bucket position / volume distribution. This really helped to teach me to stop paddling sooner and try to stay on top of the wave but I still found myself having to not just lean back but sometimes push myself right back up the back of the bucket to prevent a nose dive on a steep wave. It also made it harder to jump over small waves to get one ahead. The Swordy is pretty good at this and I'm told the V9 really excels at it.
We certainly are all different and so are our local paddling conditions.

Thanks for taking the time to review this. I'm very interested in the V9 & curious about the Think 6 too.

Hi Crabstick. Yes; the original Boost LV really needs a big aggressive rudder. The X has the rudder 100mm further forward. This has made a big difference. It is even more manoeuvrable and much more resistant to broaching. I'm only using a 7" 30° rudder even in rough, choppy conditions. I have a downwind specific rudder for big conditions though. The bucket is even more comfortable (for me) than the original. It does still have the same tendency to nose dive though. Like you I have learned to try to stay high on the wave and I've become very active with my body position. I find it's not so much how far I lean back but how fast I lean back. If I'm sliding too fast down a big wave or I want to jump onto the next run; I lean back hard and fast just as the bow looks like it's about to go under. It's almost like pulling hard and fast on the handle bar of my mountain bike when I want to jump an obstacle at speed. This tends to keep the bow from diving. I also use a good wave deflector which helps enormously. I am very happy with the low volume bow because it is so resistant to cross winds which I often encounter. It's a compromise but it works for me.
In pure downwind conditions; the V9 is brilliant. Even in rough conditions it just skips from wave to wave like a champion. There are obviously plenty of "faster" skis but I can't always apply full power when I need to in such boats. The V9 is buoyant and really confidence inspiring which makes it surprisingly fast. I still needed a wave deflector in proper downwinders. Not that that is a problem. If the bucket was not loose and uncomfortable for me I would have kept it. I can't be arsed with padding buckets out unless everything else is perfect. If the bucket is comfortable for you then I'm sure it's the right ski for you.
If this bloody COVID 19 hadn't turned up I'd be heading over to Perth in November for my sixth Doctor. I love paddling over there. In fact I just love hanging out over there. I usually head down to Mandurah for a few days after the downwind week and do a few Cut Runs with the local crew. I then head down to Busselton for the Ironman or the half if I haven't been training properly. Not last year though. And not this year either damn it.

I think the Epic v9 would be a great boat for that. I did a race yesterday and I wish I had a boat like the v9. It was so rough the local Epic dealer (who had his choice of any boat in the fleet) switched out a v8pro for a v8! I was shocked since I was paddling my v10g3. There were times where I was throwing brace strokes and not generating as much power as I could have on a more stable boat like the v9. The v8 guy beat me by a couple of boat lengths after a long battle, but ultimately came down to him having the more stable boat and applying full power.

Yes, for any long or rough paddle I'll definitely be more comfortable in the V9 and quite likely faster too.
Conditions haven't really picked up in Perth yet but the brief periods when wind gusts up well (eg 16 knots) the V9 is a blast and 1km intervals between 4.00 and 4.05 which is pretty good for me. I am really looking forward to bigger conditions in it.
In really light downwind (like 11-12Knots) the Swordy probably gets a bit more push from the available runners but I'm still getting a feel for the V9 so positioning on the small waves is not yet coming naturally.
Nice that you have experienced a few different paddling spots here Atlas. Busselton is a whole different ocean experience with hardly any groundswell in Summer, Mandurah gives runs parallel to coast so can be really clean and relaxing, and perth can be pretty technical with the angles and intersecting waves involved. There's some excellent mountain biking over here too if you're ever here in cooler months. I'd be happy to point you in the right direction but don't expect me to be anything but a liability on the climbs!

"Flat water speed doesn't really concern me as the aim is downwind paddling fun and perhaps a better safety margin in the ocean". 
Very True. It makes a great downwind boat, but don't let that low number on the side of the boat fool you into thinking it's slow. 
My paddling partner (AKA - big bastard) averages 12kph on the flat in his 14kg, black tipped V9 and he wouldn't blow out a candle doing so. It's all about the engine.

I paddled a v9 for the first time yesterday. I was astounded by how good it is. Bucket comfort and ergonomics are as good or better than any ski i have been in. The high seating position is amazing for stroke mechanics. I paddled the ski for 2 hours on a large lake which is the playground for the wealthy in my city and is therefore chock full of unreasonably large motorboats moving every direction at every speed. My general game out there is to sprint at a boat, pop over the mound of white water just behind the stern, and then surf the 1st wave inside the “V”. Its not downwinding, but it is surfing, there are large intersecting wakes to contend with that test boat stability and handling. I have been doing this all summer for the past 12 years and have paddled at least a dozen different skis out there. I think that the v9 is the best ski I have been in in those conditions. It is not an elite ski in terms of flatwater speed, but it sprints really well to attack a wake. Seating position and stability are part of that. Getting over the whitewater mound is very forgiving. Secondary stability is progressive and generous and there are no surprises. Primary stability is looser than i was expecting (i was anticipating a ski that felt like a v8) which I think is in part secondary to the high seat. I actually rather enjoyed that feel. It felt lively and fun in a good way. Once on the wash it required less paddling than other skis. My holy grail on powerboat wash is to sit on a wave at > 10 mph with a heart rate <100 bpm. I was right at that standard repeatedly in the v9. It was effortless to just sit there at speed, dragging a hand in the water, waving at the passengers, being silly for kids on board, etc. When things get chaotic on a wash a lot of skis will peel off the wave abruptly to the right or left. The v9 had a self centering tendency and was really easy to bring back from any perturbance. I just could not stop grinning in the v9. It was not a downwind test, but it is a situation that tests many of the qualities needed to go downwind, and I have extensive experience in all manner of ski on these wakes. I am extrapolating from all of this that the v9 would be an amazing DW ski. Epic hit it out of the park with the v9. Anyone looking for a downwind ski in the advanced beginner to intermediate range should put it near the top of their list.

Nice. I upgraded my v8pro to a v10g3. It’s a great boat and I’ve paddled in in all kinds of conditions. Yesterday it was a bad combo of wind, waves, boat wake, and refractory waves off the sea wall. I got dumped 3 times which was my first swim(s) of the year. There was a second or two of me wishing I was still in my v8pro when I was getting slammed in all directions. Sounds like the v9 might have been the perfect choice for ALL the conditions I paddle. Glad you are enjoying it.

Epicpaddler wrote:

. Glad you are enjoying it.

Its a friend’s ski but he let me take a spin in it yo satisfy my curiosity

As follow up I just did a 17 mile downwind on Lake superior in a friend’s V9. That boat is a surfing machine! It is the best surfing epic hull I have been in (I have not tried the v10g4). It is nimble but has zero tendency to broach. Ergonomics are outstanding. Fore and aft volume distribution seems to be well balanced as it caught waves easily but did not have a tendency to slide into the bottom of the trough. It wants to carve a turn when leaned. The strongest impression I have is that it is forgiving and predictable with sweet and gentle manners on the wave. Did everything I asked it to with no surprises and just kept impressing me. I actually tied my fastest mile ever downwind in it, so it is no slouch if conditions are decent. I think faster hulls are not worth it for most of us, and V9 is at the top of my list of boats I would recommend to intermediate downwind paddlers.

I paddled my new V9 ultra in Lake Huron yesterday. I mostly paddle a V12 gen 2 in lake Michigan & lake Huron and wanted a boat I could paddle in cold weather or huge conditions as I paddle alone most of the time. I have the rudder that comes on the boat DK 9” 20º carbon wrapped rudder on order. Conditions yesterday were 6 to 8 feet with 25 KNT wind out of the north. I did 6 miles out into the wind and 6 miles down wind, The boat handled the up wind good I did have a hard time as the rudder is to small for the conditions, I was in same on the down wind also, It surfs good but it takes a couple more paddle strokes to get on a wave compared to the V12. The V9 is amazingly stable in choppy conditions and I like seat better than the V12. I need some time in big conditions in the V9 with a surfing rudder but first impression is it will make a good second boat for when conditions are cold or to big for me in my V12.

Eric which rudder came on your v9? I have generally found the epic surf rudder to be very decent. Some say it has tok much power but I never felt that to be an issue. The v9 I tried had an oversized DK rudder, but I am pretty sure it would have been great with an epic surf rudder too.

My v9 has the 6" epic Weedless Rudder, I test paddled Nicks v9 elite at (TCSurfski) with a Epic Surf Rudder and it handled chop good.