# Carbonology Flash X LV

> Surfski by Carbonology. Canonical page: https://surfskiindex.com/surfskis/carbonology-flash-x-lv/
> Cite as: Carbonology Flash X LV, Surfski Index, https://surfskiindex.com/surfskis/carbonology-flash-x-lv/ (checked 2026-10-15). Terms: https://surfskiindex.com/using-our-data/

## Specifications
- Length: 6.35 m
- Beam: 42 cm
- Deck height: 33.5 cm
- Layup weights: Glass Vacuum 14.5 kg, Hybrid 12.5 kg, Carbon 11.5 kg, Honeycomb Deck 10.5 kg, Full Honeycomb 9 kg
- Usually paddled by: Racers

## Ratings (Surfski Index estimates)
- Stability rated 5 out of 10 (traced hull, medium confidence).
- Speed rated 9 out of 10.

Modelled from this hull's traced beam and depth at its design weight. Medium confidence. Speed is our rating. Both are given at the hull's own design weight.

These ratings are Surfski Index estimates, worked out from published dimensions, traced hull shapes where we have them, and reviews. They are not supplied by the maker or timed on the water. How a ski feels depends on your weight, skill, set-up and the conditions, so use them to shortlist skis and paddle one before you buy. Method: https://surfskiindex.com/how-it-works/#limits

Evidence note: This band is based on a trace of this hull’s geometry. Qualitative context includes 1 paddler report and 3 linked sources.

## Paddler weight
Carbonology rates this hull for paddlers from 40 kg to 85 kg.

## Suits
Downwind and open-ocean racing for experienced paddlers under about 75-85 kg. Not a boat to learn in.

## Hull
The Flash X hull with the volume taken out: same 6.35 m x 42 cm footprint, deck down to 33.5 cm from 35 cm, seat 38 cm wide and 18.5 cm deep. The hump is lowered for leg drive, the footwell extended for adjustment range, and the cockpit rails are cut away for catch entry. Carbonology’s CEO describes it as a longer, thinner Zest X LV sharing that hull’s rocker.

## What works
- Fastest hull in the range for a light paddler, on the maker’s own account
- Lowered hump and extended footwell give a genuine leg drive for a short-legged paddler
- Race-proven: won the Cape Point Challenge for Kira Bester

## Trade-offs
- 42 cm and low-volume: unforgiving for anyone still building a brace
- Band tops out around 85 kg, so a heavier paddler wants the Flash X
- Only 0.5 cm narrower than the Flash X on the dealer’s figures; the real difference is volume, not beam

## Generations
- 2023-: Low-volume Flash X, drawn for advanced paddlers under about 75 kg and explicitly designed with women in mind. Kira Bester won the Cape Point Challenge on one.

## What paddlers say
- Hein van Rooyen, Carbonology Sport CEO, on the design: "It turns very well and catches waves and runs the same as the Vault in testing. The rocker is also the same as the Zest X LV (Vault) and also has a very nice glide feeling from the longer waterline" (via Australian Paddle Sports). This is the maker talking about his own boat, not an independent report.

## Sources
- https://www.carbonologysport.com/flash-x-lv/
- https://australianpaddlesports.com.au/product/carbonology-sport-ss1-flash-lv-x/
- https://www.carbonologysport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/EDIT-1-Carbonology-Sport-Catalog-2023-compressed.pdf

## Prices
Current new prices and dealers: https://surfskiindex.com/surfskis/carbonology-flash-x-lv/#buy