Fenn BlueFin to Fenn SwordFish. advice

A friend of mine has been on the bluefin for about a year i think and now wants to upgrade to better ski. like a Swordfish. i said to him that a big jump from bluefin. i would maybe go a XT or even stellar SR get used to it and then go over to a swordfish. i myself have a Stellar SR for fun and Fenn Swordfish for speed. he has been on my swordfish and fallen in many times. and that's on dead flat water and no wind. but he is being stubborn. maybe some advice from some fellow ski paddlers might help

Thanks in Advance

Well, looking at the dimensions of the Bluefin I would say its as stable as a sea kayak, and my personal feelings are that most people that have come from a sea kayak should be able to paddle a Swordfish ok with little effort. I realise that everyone is different but I sure started on much tippier skis than the Swordfish coming from a sea kayak background (however the Swordfish is my go to ski for most conditions).

Anyone that gets into skis has to realise that its going to take some work and dedication to get proficient at it, that's the fun for me, others might like to just jump on and paddle away, if that's the case just stay with the Bluefin, but sounds like your friend enjoys a little bit of a challenge, in which case get the Swordfish and enjoy it for many years to come.

I've gone from a bluefin to a Stellar SEI, it is a big jump... But I've kept the bluefin as it is a great ski and my non kayaker mates and even wife can use it. It is super stable maybe too much so as doesn't really prep you for a more tippy ski. At the moment I am still faster over a long distance in the bluefin only because I can get all my power in the stroke and use leg drive which I can't do efficiently on the SEI yet... If he isn't keeping the bluefin then maybe he would be better off with something like the SR (2015 version sounds awesome) or XT. If he's tipping over on the flat what's going to happen if he's out to sea and it gets lumpy and can't remount ?

It's simple really. Buy the Swordy but keep the Bluefin. If he can't afford to do that then there is no point buying anything more tippy than an XT or an SR. Otherwise not only is he going to lose the fun of paddling but his technique will go to sh!t while he struggles to stay upright. He won't go out on rough days and he will be slower when he does go out.
Some people say a Bluefin wont help your skills. On flat days that is probably true. However, when I go out in rough conditions and maintain decent technique, then I am developing as a paddler while my mate with his elite ski is at home watching TV.
I bought a used Swordy pretty cheap and I do love it for calm to moderate conditions. I can certainly see the appeal. However there is no way I want to be stuck on shore when the wind picks up. I am faster downwind on my Bluefin than plenty of people on XTs, Swordys, SRs and SEIs because I am so stable that all I'm thinking about is when to put my power down and where to point the bow. When I do put the power down, its 100%. There is no time or energy wasted on bracing. I'm not at all afraid of falling out because in the unlikely event that I do; it is so easy to remount the Bluefin that I don't ever remember needing more than one attempt.
In the real world and for people at the lower end of the skill spectrum like me (and your mate); the Bluefin is (potentially) faster and definitely more fun than some people think.

100% correct. 'Stability before ability'. When you can average over 13km/hr in small downwind conditions on the bluefin or a V8 then only think of changing, even then it is a big jump to a swordfish.

Don't do it... Done exactly the same thing and was a big mistake. Backtracked to a Stellar SR and recently upgraded to a SEI after I became more proficient and the fact that Stellars are a better "fit" for me.

Will be a massive (and expensive) mistake. Swordies are great boats but the jump from a Bluefin to a Swordfish was way too big a jump... for me. As Ranga has stated in reinforcing Oscar's mantra: "Stability Before Ability".

Mick

Hey Mick, have you paddled a Fenn LS (spec ski)?

If so, how does it compare to the Bluefin?

Cheers!

Afraid not, but having paddled a few spec skis I would say without a doubt that it would be more "tippier" than a Bluefin.

Spec skis are built to a set weight and length so I would not expect there to be too much deviation between them.

However, I will say that I was more than happy with my carbon Bluefin as it was very forgiving and enabled me to vastly improve my ski paddling technique and skills after graduating from kayaking.

Good luck with your deliberations.

Review I wrote a couple of years ago...

fatpaddler.com/2013/04/surfski-review-fe...rs-ocean-racing-ski/

Mick

Thanks mate!

I have heard conflicting reviews about the LS. Some say its tippy. Other say its super stable.

I'd rather the LS because I'll be predominently in the surf zone and I don't want to break the Bluefin!

Just make sure you try before you buy.

I found spec skis to be "reasonably" stable , but then again I have been paddling skis for a few years. There is a definite "knack" to paddling spec skis in the surf though.

All the best.

I've been in a blue fin for a few years. Really like it, but I'm looking forward to trying something with less bomber stability. I recently paddled the fenn ls (in full heavy layup), fenn swordfish, fenn elite spark, and epic v10 sport. I am 5'10", 155 pounds.

I'd rate relative stability like this:

Blue fun
V10 sport
Fenn ls
Swordfish
Spark

I'm in the market for a v10 sport.

Hey sv607. Has your mate made a decision?

i think my friend will go for Stellar SR. he is stubborn but he agrees on what the people here are saying. i even added seat pads to the bluefin to raise his height on the bucket. to see how he handles being more unstable. and he had a hard time. but at least he is listening to people here. thanks for the advice.

We all love new gear don't we? I've been thinking about upgrading my rough water boat recently. The SR is high on my shortlist. I took my bluefin out on a downwinder yesterday (from Flinders to Somers for those familiar with the waters around Melbourne). While I didn't do any swimming; there were a few moments that made me realise that I'm not ready to give the bluefin up yet. Rightly or wrongly I mostly paddle on my own so I need to prioritise safety over (potential) speed.
I hope your mate enjoys his new boat.

i think he will love this new ski. if u do go for the Stellar SR get the new model. much better in rough water and has the twin drains which make a big difference mine is about a yr old. have taken it out in some bad water. and it just couldn't drain fast enough. took it to its limit. my mates Stellar SES was fine draining fast. it is the downside of the earlier stellar SR. it should of had the twin drains and smaller cockpit. at least with the new model they fixed this problem. now it should be a great Ski
haven't been down to flinders area for a while next time am down that way will keep a eye out for you. always good to meet new paddlers. .my mate was down there about a week ago. paddling about 2km off shore. and thought oh dolphins.. then he saw the dorsal fin and it was a shark. about 200m from him. at least it left him alone. usually shoot off to aspendale beach after work and go for a paddle. myself and my work mate we leave our skis on our cars and paddle when we leave work.

Atlas when u are at flinders. if u see these cars u know where down there somewhere.

I think I saw the white Holden with the blue stellar a couple of weeks ago on the Monash. I drive a white troopy with... You guessed it; a white Fenn. I normally launch at Somers and cruise to Cowes for coffee.
I'll look out for those cars. Hopefully we can meet up.
I think Robin is looking into the PM thing. I don't know how expensive it would be for him.
The 2015 Stellar SR does sound like a really good boat. I will have to have a close look and hopefully a demo.

the holden is my work mate. Dave he usually paddles daily in all weather conditions. he is in training for a overseas paddle. what we have been doing is i drop him off to say flinders and he tells me where he will land. as our cars are setup the same both have T-Bars on back. i just take his ski back to his car. saves him to paddle all the way back. most ppl know our cars by our skis. i have my bluefin giving the stellar a rest. lets hope they add the private message to this forum would make it better.