Elite surfski comarison

I'm paddling Fenn Elite S (hybrid) for 5 years now, primarily in a tame downwind conditions (when I can find them) in the Mediterranean sea. When I cannot find the conditions, I usually surf the shorebreak; I'll do anything to avoid the boring flat grind! I'm 180 cm tall and 87kg fat.

However, largely due to my shorebreak surfing activities, I have to start thinking about replacing my beloved Elite S (or stop the shorebreak surfing entirely, which is not an option), as it can't take too many jumps in the air of of a back of a breaking wave when paddling out.. Not anymore...

I'm extremely happy with Elite S, which, in my biased opinion is the most stable boat I've sat in (marginally more stable than my first gen Swordie which I paddled 3 years before that because of a tighter bucket). Had the exact same model existed brand new I'd have bought it without a second thought. However, because of the fire Fenn had back in the day, it doesn't. It was replaced with Fennix Elite.

This is my (grave) situation. What follows are my preliminary thoughts about some elite level boats which I've paddled, usually for more or less an hour, in a not entirely flat but certainly not downwind conditions. Since the bucket time was limited, and the conditions - far from optimal, feel free to take my observations with a bucketful of salt (water). I'd love to hear corrections or impressions from the owners of such boats, especially if they're in the position to compare them to the old Elite S

1. Fennix Elite: the obvious successor to my lovely ski. It has the same hull (I think) the bucket is very slightly moved forward (probably) to make it easier to drop the bow to catch a wave. It is also slightly raised, which makes the body bow forward more easily (since the heels are lower than the ass), probably for the same reason. The penalty for that is a slightly more wobbly feel, since the center mass is a bit higher. However, since this hull is phenomenally stable and (having no sharp edges) predictable for an elite boat, this is not a problem at all. Its solution, however, is a big problem.

It seems to me that Fenn have overreacted trying to solve this purely theoretical problem by making the bucket way tighter (thus increasing paddlers contact with the boat and thus increasing if not stability then the paddlers correctional input): which is the very thing I praised Elite S for (over say a Swordfish or even more so an XT or most older Epics). This time I feel that they might've overdone the tightness to the point that it starts to harm the rotation of the hips for me; however, I realize that everyone's hips are different and therefore this observation has no objective validity. What is objectively absolutely ontologically correct though is that they shouldn't have changed the back of the bucket the way they did. What used to be a more or less neutral, slightly tapering back rear is now an aggressive forward-bent Procrustean bed culminating with a sharpish edge that lodges itself firmly against the paddlers L3 vertebra whenever the paddler isn't bent forward. This makes it very hard to lean back in the bucket thus applying the brakes when you don't wish to overrun the wave you've caught. In order to replicate what would've been a standard leaning back in my old Elite S I had to arch my lower back and put my shoulder blades on the back deck, thus completing a back bridge while flying on top of a wave (hoping nothing unforeseen would snap my back in this vulnerable position). This is a problem also because in this position one can see only the sky and the stern of one's boat (upside down); not the runners in front of one's bow.. And I struggle to think what is it they were hoping to achieve with that back too

Buoyancy-wise I haven't felt a major difference.

All in all it was like meeting a beloved friend, who has put on some muscle, got rid of some fat, and then decided to amputate 3 fingers foe aesthetic reasons. He's still beloved, but the handshake will never be the same..


2. NK Nitro 640 - the very unidentical twin. When comparing the hull of the NK to that of the Fenn or Fennix, it's very hard to detect any differences in terms of length width or shape. Maybe there's a bit less rocker, maybe not. I've paddled the Carbon X naked version, so naturally there were buoyancy differences with my old Elite S that has undoubtedly accumulated some salt deposits and (fixed) scar tissue over the years. But given the familiar hull behavior this was really not a problem, whereas what felt like a massive 5-6 kg weight loss made the acceleration fun. The bucket felt a little closer to the stern than on the Fenn, making it a little harder to shift the weight forward, and the bucket was also elevated compared to Fenn, maybe even a tad higher than the Fennix, making that comfortable heels-lower-than-ass feeling even more pronounced (payed for by stability to an extent). The build quality was better, some perks like water bottle were welcome BUT

They've took the bucket issue to the other extreme! There's no connection with it whatsoever! And whilst I welcome it as far as the back of the bucket is concerned (NK's just tapers away from your body to the point that you could probably fall asleep on the rear deck without much discomfort), the lack of contact between the side of the boat with the hips, knees and calves makes the boat unnecessarily less stable. And while I understand the gains of elevated seat position, I really don't see why the only part of the leg in contact with the boat must be the sole? Does calves contact inhibit leg drive? Sitting in a NK Nitro 640 is like sitting on a flying carpet - the only question is not how does it move, but rather what's keeping the pilot attached to it? Couldn't help but wonder what would a sideways breaking shore wave, even a small 1 meter one, feel like in NK? Could one surf it sideways (what I call "a washing board surf") in a deep upper brace? It is elementary in my Fenn...


3. Think Ion - a luxury yacht mascaraing as a surfski. Or maybe an air cushion ship. Probably the least favorite of the 4 boats. Also by far the most comfortable. The bucket height is the most elevated, feels like an armchair. To compensate the instability that high center mass must entail, the hull has edges. The design manages to feel very stable when you're upright, but then when you tilt the boat to either side, you suddenly realize what is meant by "secondary stability" and that this boat has none of it. In Fenn there is no primary or secondary stability, there's just STABILITY across the range. I had once made a recovery from an almost 90 degree deck to sea angle in it (there's video proof), I wonder can a Think paddler claim the same? An NK paddler probably could, but he'd have to tape himself to the bucket first.
There're some good things to say about Think build quality and even the speed (given its chubby dimensions, another concession to the ride height is the width) was way higher than I expected. Still, in this one I didn't even bother wondering about a sideways surfing, it was literally unTHINKable. I wonder if Uno Max feels any different?
Comparing the Think Ion to my Fenn Elite S felt like comparing a Humvee to a Caterham. There's no doubt in my mind which one's better.

The boats that I haven't tried (but can, with a varying degree of difficulty) are the Carbonology Flash X, Epic V12. Almost no Nelos in my country, and absolutely no Kai Wa'a (except a couple 6 seater Hydras) or anything else. Is it worthwhile to try the Carbonology or the Epic?
Anybody owns/had owned these boats and or ownes/had owned any of the 2 Fenns? If so, where am I wrong?

Thanks for the information, always great to get more details on the boats.

Just a different perspective from a guy with wide hips, 190cm and 92kg, I can not fit in any of the Fenn's, Thinks and latest Epics with out pinching my hips over time causing issues... Nelo XXL boats work fine for me. I finally got a chance to paddle (and then order) a NK 640... Conversely loved the bucket! I was able to paddle with just a thin seat pad and get great rotation and comfort, but yes I could see how someone who can easily fit in a Fenn/Think could possibly have to pad out the sides of the NK 640. I have not seen the NK 600, perhaps that bucket is narrower to cater to smaller folks?

But thanks for the information!!
Chris

Just a note the hull of the Fenn Fennix is very different to the Elite S.