Evo or swordfish??????

I'm looking at buying an Think Evo II or a Fenn swordfish. I have test paddled a swordfish and I liked it.
Just wanting to see people think either way.

I ended up buying the Evo 2 as the bucket was more comfortable for me. I found I got a numb left butt cheek in the swordfish. The Evo 2 is a bit more lively then the Swordfish but both are great boats. I sold my V10 to enable the Evo 2 purchase and have not regretted the choice I made at all.
Good luck with your purchase.

Spencer

Swordfish, Evo, Vault, Stellar SEL or v10sport. All great boats.
If you picked any one you would be happy with it. I'm a fan of the Vault but if someone offered me any of the others I would be happy.

The swordfish has a reputation as a good downwind boat, the evo is a good looking, comfortable boat. The Vault is probably faster on the flat and is great downwind (with a bit of rudder tweaking), SEL is probably the least stable of this bunch and is probably the quickest on the flat ( but I don't like their rudders, they make them wander too much) and the v10 is a perenially good boat, but probably the oldest design of this group and marginally slower.

The current Stellar skis have balanced rudders which dont wander. I tested both and the difference is amazing.

Hi all,

I used to paddle an Evo, and now paddle a Swordfish.

So leaving aside comfort which is very individual (can you test them both?), a couple of thoughts. btw: I find them both v comfortable.

I'm light (65kg) and have a skinny backside. The Swordfish is much narrower in the bottom of the bucket, which is great for me as I don't need any padding, and gives me a much better fit.

But the the deciding factor in the switch was weight. I found I was too light to 'sit' the Evo deep enough in the water. I struggled in cross chop, because the ski was very poppy and skittish (12kg kevlar), and the worst problem was crosswinds, because the bow was too high and getting blown around - I couldn't hold a straight line.

The Swordfish is a slightly smaller craft (6.1m vs 6.4m), and slightly heavier in vacuum glass (~14.5kg), which gives me a lot more more stability and better tracking.

The Evo on the other hand will easily accommodate a big paddler (a 120kg 6'2" guy borrowed mine, and I understand up to 6'4" is no problem).

So bodyweight will be a significant factor in the dynamics of these skis.

I am testing a evo in the morning, but I think I'm leaning towards the swordfish. I don't want a twitchy boat. I'm looking for a stable predictable boat but yet still has some speed when I need it.
But I'll still give the Evo a shot.

Hi Lukey C

Where are you located?

I'm the WA agent for Think Kayak and my advice is to spend as much time in each boat as you can to make your own "individual" opinion, as every paddler is built differently, has different needs and assesses stability differently.

The EVOii has great secondary stability - where you need it most - but initially can feel a little twitchy initially compared to other boats in that market group.

Regarding downwind - its a machine!
Ive posted on this forum previously some footage on the EVOii downwind and it definitely is no slouch!

Enjoy your search and if you have any further questions regarding the EVOii feel free to email me.

I got a swordfish 3 months ago ,had an elite before that. It's a bitter slower but extremely stable and just a lot of fun. I like the quality , ihad concerns as there was talk about soft spots. None on mine. I haven,t even fallen out in some decent 30 knot winds. For me I like the stability and the finish.

Thanks for the comments everyone, Adam I'm on the Gold Coast so I've had some great service from Julian at Paddle 2 Fitness with the last 2 Stellers I have bought. I'm testing an Evo tomorrow with Julian so I will make my decision with as much time in each boat as I can.

Thanks again

Did you test it on the flat or down wind.

I tested the swordfish in some good downwind. It was blowing 25 knots about 1m of chop. It was still very stable and felt good.