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chriswalkeralive wrote: Review Fenn Swordfish
I’m an intermediate paddler, with intermediate skills, and intermediate experience paddling elite ski’s. So, when I changed down a gear and went from an elite ski to the Swordfish, I did it with some uncertainty.
My concerns were mainly about lost speed on the flat and lost run in swell.
The Ski
My Fenn Swordfish is Carbon... Probably a bit of a luxury given the difference in weight to the vacuum bagged glass model is only a few kilos. However, I love the feel of the lighter more corky ski, and it’s easier for me to carry the 400 meters from home to water’s edge.
As always, the Fenn construction was impeccable.I guess I take this for granted but it’s essential to mention. I haven’t had a chance to test its bulletproof resilience to impacts and shore dump exits, but I do know of a few incidents that validate Fenn’s reputation for a construction that stands up to a huge pounding.
Stability
The advertisement claimed a stability close to the XT and the speed close to an Elite. And this is as close as I can get to describing the Swordfish stability. I could pack a cut lunch and eat it on the deck. It’s an amazingly predictable and stable ski even in big conditions. For me, this was a huge win as I couldn’t really relax fully on my Elite ski.
Speed.
Upwind it’s slower than my Elite. I would say 10% by the Garmin but it is hard to compare conditions at this time of year in Sydney. However, my ability to lay down my full quote of power in any conditions on the Swordfish meant that my times over my known training ground on the Swordfish were always better than the Elite ski in anything more than 10kn of wind... Hence, in all but dead flat windless conditions, I’m faster on the Swordfish than on the Elite... (intermediate paddler talking here).
Downwind, the Swordfish is by far the best ski I’ve ever paddled. The bigger the swell, the more fun I have. It’s like a dodgem car at a fun park. Totally easy to catch the smallest of swells, easy to hold and amazing to turn.. I’ve got to say unbelievable, especially compared to other ski’s I’ve tried.
Comfort
Most people will fit the seat and the hump under the knees is smaller than my Elite making leg drive and rotation better, so, as an intermediate paddler, I’d say paddle ergonomics are great.
Responsiveness
I didn’t try the glass version for long, so I can’t speak about comparison, but the Carbon Swordfish turns on a dime, and accelerates effortlessly. Very similar to my Elite ski and probably better. I simply can’t describe how easy the Swordfish is in catching runs. From baby boat wash to good swells it’s remarkable.
Conclusion
I’m 100% happy to have dropped a few flat water increments in speed from my Elite Ski in order to gain the extra stability and manoeuvrability of the Swordfish.
I’m a great believer in no hybrid choices for my kayaks and skis. So, I still think there’s room for two skis in my garage.. A Swordfish for bigger conditions and maybe a different brand of Elite ski for longer more predictable conditions. Obviously, for an Elite paddler this would not be an issue.
Finally, since buying the Swordfish I have had the opportunity to play and train on a variety of other brand skis. Including Epic, Vajda, Think and Stellar... And I’ve got to say the quality in all these brands is exceptional too. It’s really confusing choosing a ski. I found the Think Evo Carbon an absolute dream to paddle in all conditions and the Epic V10 in spite of it’s Elite ski status I paddled the performance layup and it was as stable as the Swordfish. Vajda Orca is also a dream ski with an elite label but in the glass layup as steady as the Swordfish... I guess this is a real reflection of my intermediate paddling skill. I know, as a raw beginner paddler three years ago, these comparisons would have been completely different.
Ps: I have only taken the Swordfish, the Think Evo and Epic V10 into conditions greater than 4 meter swells with rebound... I call this at the top end of my comfort zone... So, that might define what I mean by intermediate..
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cdo wrote: Throughout this topic there appears to be a theme of "the Swordfish is as stable as a Think Evo". Are they really of similar stability?
Just on the dimensions of these 2 skis if it is the case it would be a remarkable achievement of the Swordfish. Can anyone comment? I must admit I didn't give this much credability when the notion of stable as an XT was implied but as stable as an Evo would be impressive enough given the Swordfish's dimensions. I know stability is subjective and yes some say the Evo is not that stable....mainly because of its initial twitchiness.
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