2014 v8 vs 2012 v10 Sport

I have had an Epic v8 (performance) for roughly three years and it’s been a great first surf ski for me. I am looking to possibly upgrade to something a little more advanced and faster.

There is a 2012 v10 sport (ultra) for sale locally in great shape.

Any thoughts on how much of a speed upgrade, if any this might be? I know I will be losing the newer bailer and handles.

I paddle 100% of the time on flat water on a man made lagoon, usually about 6 miles at a time.

I am on the thin side, 5-11 and roughly 155-160 lbs. I consider myself an average paddler at best.

Any advice would be appreciated. It’s difficult to try out boats here before buying. Thanks!

The max speed of the v10S will be higher but you need to paddle pretty fast before you'll notice much difference, because at slower speeds (like less than 6 mph) the friction drag from wetted surface area is more of a factor than the displacement drag created by pushing a hole through the water. Sorry can't provide any hard numbers to back that up, not much of a physics wonk.

Never tried a V8, but I paddled a v10S for a season and it was great. Plenty quick on the flat and I found it very stable, like eat a sandwich stable in flat water. I was actually faster on the sport than my previous beater fenn millenium because of the stability/stroke improvement.

When you say it's hard to test paddle boats prior to buying, do you mean the seller won't let you take it for a spin prior to laying out cash?