Epic · Surf lifesaving spec
Epic SLS10
A 5.79 m x 48 cm spec-ski hull built to the surf lifesaving class footprint, with a 39 cm deck, a lifter forward that carries the bow over broken water, and a double foot-well that drains the cockpit and gives a hard platform for leg drive. Vacuum-infused foam core in a glass, carbon and Kevlar hybrid, which is why it weighs 18 kg rather than the 11 to 15 kg an ocean ski of the same size would.
- Length
- 5.79 m
- Beam
- 48 cm
- Deck
- 39 cm
- Lightest
- 18 kg
Specifications
- Length
- 5.79 m
- Beam
- 48 cm
- Deck height
- 39 cm
- Category
- Surf lifesaving spec
- Skill level
- advanced
- New price
- A$4,895 · US$3,895
Layup weights
On-water profile
Both scores are rated at the hull's own design weight. How these are derived.
Suits: Surf lifesaving racing: beach starts, punching out through broken water, buoy turns and catching runners back in. Heavy and slow for flatwater distance.
Paddler weight
This hull is built around a paddler of about 98 kg. It stays workable from 86 kg to 104 kg, and sits at its best between 91 kg and 100 kg.
Derived from published hull dimensions and calibrated against manufacturer paddler limits, not taken from a marketing range. The method, in full.
Generations
Designed by Greg Barton with 16-time Australian surf lifesaving champion Clint Robinson over several prototypes. Epic has announced no second generation. The 2017 date comes from paddling-press coverage rather than an Epic announcement, so treat it as approximate.
What works, and what it costs you
What works
- Bow lifter and deck shape keep water off the paddler punching out through a break
- Double foot-well drains the cockpit and holds the feet solidly for leg drive
- Vacuum-infused glass/carbon/Kevlar layup is built for surf-zone abuse, not for the scales
- Designed with a surf lifesaving specialist rather than adapted from an ocean ski
Trade-offs
- 18 kg is heavy to carry and slow to accelerate compared with an ocean ski of the same length
- No Australian distribution through Epic itself, so it is a dealer custom order here
- Class-limit dimensions mean no low-volume option for a light paddler
- Out of stock in both the US and Australian listings as of September 2026
What paddlers say
Mat Rowland, coach at Rhoose Surf Life Saving Club (dealer-published review): calls the boat 'really stiff and strong' with a 'super comfortable' cockpit.Reported experience
Where to buy
Dealers in the markets we have mapped:
Paddle Sports SA lists it from A$4,895 as a custom order through CTC Surfcraft on the Gold Coast, in carbon or vac glass. Epic Kayaks US lists the Performance layup at US$3,895 (out of stock, September 2026) and Ocean Surfski UK at GBP 3,000. Epic Kayaks Australia does not carry it.
Similar craft
Closest in stability, speed and paddler weight across the whole index.
