Carbonology · Surfski
Carbonology Flash X LV
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.
- Length
- 6.35 m
- Beam
- 42 cm
- Deck
- 33.5 cm
- Lightest
- 9 kg
Specifications
- Length
- 6.35 m
- Beam
- 42 cm
- Deck height
- 33.5 cm
- Category
- Surfski
- Skill level
- elite
- New price
- A$3,300
Layup weights
On-water profile
Both scores are rated at the hull's own design weight. How these are derived.
Speed here also has a traced hull behind it: measured off this boat's own side and plan photographs, the shape alone rates it 9.3, and the published score moves a third of the way toward that. What that means.
Suits: Downwind and open-ocean racing for experienced paddlers under about 75-85 kg. Not a boat to learn in.
Paddler weight
This hull is built around a paddler of about 86 kg. It stays workable from 76 kg to 92 kg, and sits at its best between 80 kg and 88 kg.
Derived from published hull dimensions and calibrated against manufacturer paddler limits, not taken from a marketing range. The method, in full.
Generations
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 works, and what it costs you
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
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.Reported experience
Gallery
Where to buy
Dealers in the markets we have mapped:
Australian Paddle Sports 2026: Glass Epoxy Vacuum A$3,300, Hybrid Carbon/Glass A$3,900, Carbon Foam Epoxy Vacuum A$4,500, Carbon Full Honeycomb A$5,700, Clear Carbon Full Honeycomb A$6,000.
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