Elite GLIDE versus Elite

Hello could someone tell me if the GLIDE is better than ELITE ?
Why ?
It will interesting to have Dean Gardiner point of view about that.

And what about hybrid laypup and new Fenn gelcoat ? What are the specs, durability, strenght, etc ...

I ask that because surfski.info do not write any review about that.
thank you to all.

What interested me was:
- When guys like Hank McGregor, Jeremy Cotter and Jasper Mocke moved from Fenn Elite to Fenn Elite SL, Dawid Mocke stayed with the Elite.
- Hank paddled the Glide once and said he'd never go back to the SL.
- Dawid is now paddling the Glide.

When I asked them why they like it so much, they spoke about the Glide being faster on the flat, that it "feels different" downwind, but that they really like it.

As for me, having paddled (and loved) my original carbon Elite, I found my second one (lighter and presumably stiffer) perceptibly more tippy and I didn't enjoy it as much. And then I got a couple of intermediate skis (Swordfish and Genius Blu) and found that a) my times were better in rough water round the cans and pretty much as good in downwind conditions and b) that I wasn't nervous about getting out to the rock to do a Millers Run in really big conditions (I always used to sweat getting out there in my Elite - it was a combination of big waves and side-on wind that really got me going).

Which is all a long winded way of saying that I reckon the Glide is beyond my abilities.

In the race to produce "The" ski, the next incarnation of the V10 is supposed to faster but much more stable. Now if that's true, I can't wait to try it.

Thank Robin for your help.

Hank and Jasper have used the ELITE in Perth and not the GLIDE.

For me the, and this is my point of view, the ELITE is downwind machine and I think it is an "all terrain surfski ".

So if the GLIDE is faster on flat than the ELITE, but not better in downwind condition, I will prefer stay on the ELITE and have more fun on it.

Robin, do you have some feedback about Hybrid lay up and new fenn gelcoat ?

Dean Gardiner, please if you read this post, please could you give us your opinion. Thank you.

Again, thank you Robin, and I cross my finger to read an official and objective review on surfski info.

... I have paddle the Fenn Elite SL today and was thinking of swapping to a Glide as it is said to be faster and slightly more stable.

Do anyone have a subjective description of the Glide vs Elite SL

I would really like to hear from Dean or anyone else that have paddled the glide. I'm currently looking at getting a second ski for flat water/river and non down wind conditions, so I'm interested regarding how good the glide would be for these conditions. I believe the glide has less rocker then both the elite and sl so I'm guessing that the glide should be quicker on the flat. Thanks

As I'm primarily a river marathon paddler these days I am attempting to get hold of the Fenn Glide and Epic V14 to do a review from a flat water perspective.

Shouldn't be too much longer for the Epic review but still waiting on a Glide to become available, I think the first lot to arrive in Perth just before the World Cup races were all snapped up.

What's your opinion of the v14, at this stage the glide and the v14 are the two ski's I'm looking at purchasing for flatter conditions however I struggling to decide which one.

Rob1 wrote: What's your opinion of the v14, at this stage the glide and the v14 are the two ski's I'm looking at purchasing for flatter conditions however I struggling to decide which one.

I happened to catch an Epic dealer after a race who had just taken delivery of the V14 and took it for a quick paddle. I loved the seating position and the new retractable scupper seems to be very well engineered.

I am getting hold of the ski for a race so I can give it a proper paddle and will take lots of pics and post up a review. I wouldn't rush out and buy another flat water boat without checking it out.

AR, you should consider adding the Vajda Hawx to you comparison. They are now available in Australia and I think you would find it to be worthy of comparison. I've not paddled a V14 or Glide, but the Hawx compares very well to the V12 and Elite in regards to flatwater speed while having what I feel is better stability, which is likely to come in handy over marathon distances.

If your interested in the NEW Fenn Glide come down to Currumbin Creek this Sunday between 12pm - 4pm and test paddle one. I haven't paddled one yet but can't wait to jump on and see if it is faster than my Fenn Elite SL. I have only heard good things so I am excited.... But in saying that, everyone is different and it comes down to personal preference. The best advice i can give is - paddle one for yourself and let the ski doing the talking!!!

The NEW FENN Ocean Ski models are here on the Gold Coast!!!
DEMO DAY GOLD COAST
Winders Park, Duringan Street, CURRUMBIN CREEK
Sunday 10th of February 12pm till 4pm.
All the new boats will be available including
Glide, Bluefin, Spark along with the full range of older models and paddles.
Come and see why the best paddlers in World choose Fenn.

Gidday all
I dont really use this forum too much but was told that I was asked to respond on some questions regarding the Glide.
I use all the Fenn range and generally paddle whatever I have available at the time. I have used the Glide a few times at the Mandurah Duel in flat water and recently at the Makai Cup in solid downwind.
In both instances the ski performed well above my expectations. It is an incredible boat that has exceptional flat water speed and surfs as well as any of the previous skis that I have used.
Surprisingly it is very stable and the seating position feels different to the previous models.
I honestly cannot find a downside to this ski.

Bearing in mind that Dawid Mocke is sponsored by Fenn and sells Fenn skis, here's what he had to say about the various boats:

The Fenn Elite GLIDE...and other Models.

The New Fenn Selection – What you need to know

I have had the Elite, SL and the glide now. i dont notice too much difference in stability, but in downwind I deffinitely prefer the glide, after a long time of sticking with the SL. To me the Glide is the best all round boat that I have paddled. having said that i havent tried the V14

The original Fenn Elite and the "new" Epic V14 share a nearly identical hull shape, rocker and rudder position. The V14 is slightly squared off right at the nose giving maybe an inch or so of extra water line length. Upside down if it didn't have Epic stickers on it you'd think its an Elite.

Robin can you do a photo comparison?? (like www.surfski.info/reviews/surfskis/story/...–-a-2nd-opinion.html )

Having previously owned a Fenn Mako 6, Elite and Elite SL I have recently taken delivery of my new Glide (all skis in carbon)and after 3 paddles in it I have the following comments:

Paddle no 1, harbour conditions, pretty choppy with a 20-25 knot wind. The Glide is a lot more stable than my old SL, and the flatter profile and lower nose meant that it handled the upwind and side chop conditions significantly better than the SL which my brother was paddling. It just felt planted, where the SL had its nose blown around a lot especially by the side wind, and as a result the Glide was significantly quicker into and side on to the wind. Downwind the 2 skis were similar in speed, but in the harbour chop the runs were small and short spaced.

Paddle no 3, open ocean downwind, 15-20 knots, 2.5 metre swell, quite a few white horses. For a ski with less rocker and lower nose than the SL the Glide was a big surprise. The cockpit stayed completely dry with no tendency for the ski to bury its nose. Getting onto and staying on the runs was a pleasure and all done with very little drama : whereas the SL has a distinct "tipping point" as it gets onto the run the Glide just seems to accelerate smoothly onto the run. It feels quite deceptive, it doesn't seem so fast because everything happens so smoothly and without drama, but my GPS and fellow paddlers showed that it was quick! Having been used to the shark fin rudder of my SL the elliptical rudder of the Glide is going to take a bit of getting used to as it is a lot more direct and responsive.

Its still early days, but so far I am very impressed. To me the Glide's flat water speed was never in doubt, but its sheer all round ability even in rough conditions has been a revelation.

Thanks for the post! How do you find the GLIDE when surfing on short steep wind chop at an angle compared to the SL? Does it hold its line well when surfing at an angle on short steep waves?

My previous post was written 6 weeks ago, and since then I've paddled the Glide in a variety of conditions including a 40km offshore wild downwind in 20-25 knots which the Glide handled fantastically. It is not just a flat water speed machine!

In short steep chop the Glide responds well, and I prefer it to the SL. The elliptical rudder makes it more responsive than the SL with its shark fin rudder and it is less prone to broaching. The same applies when coming in through the surf. In all conditions there is little or no tendency to bury the nose and the cockpit stays dry. Remounting is also easier than the SL and it is definitely more stable than the SL.

Over the years I've owned every top end Fenn since the original Mako, and of them all I rate the Glide tops, with the Elite 2nd. Maybe the SL was too much for me but I didn't like its lack of primary stability and it was also a lot more prone to broaching than my Elite or Glide.

The Glide really is an awesome ski! (And I have no connection to Fenn or anyone else in the industry)

I would have to agree having paddled a Glide (hybrid carbon) for several months now its an awesome all round elite ski. To call it a flat water ski would be a big mistake, it surfs effortlessly and has a very high cruise speed making it easy to sprint onto a run. Probably in really big downwind conditions most people would go better on an Elite but as a race ski having that all round ability on both the flat and the runs is an awesome package to take into a race.
One thing that is noticeable is that the slightly higher seat position gives it a slight twitch in confused chop and side on conditions, this takes a little bit to get used to especially at that crucial point when trying to power onto a run but the up side is it is very stable on the flat.
The paddle cut outs work well but for taller paddlers (185cm+) they don't quite run far enough forward unfortunately. Also the venturi covers are a bit rough for a ski of this level and could do with some bullets fitted. Bucket drains super fast though and is very comfortable and narrow not holding much water.