Fenn SL vs Glide

Howdy,

I'm keen on adding a 'tippy' ski to the quiver for the flatter days, and to hopefully also make my V10 feel a lot more stable.
I have heard the SL is substantially more unstable than the Glide, however I've noticed the Glide is classed as 'Very Advanced', whereas the SL is classed as 'Advanced'.

Can anyone comment on the tippyness of these two? (or 3 if you include the Elite)

I've owned all 3 skis in carbon. In short, the Elite is the most stable, then the Glide and the Elite SL is the tippiest.

If you're looking for a fast ski on flatter days then the Glide is the obvious choice, as its the quickest of the 3 in these conditions. The Elite is particularly suited to big downwinds, as is the SL, but the SL doesn't have enough of a speed advantage (if any) over the Elite to justify its extra instability.

Thanks Nige.

So do you think the Glide is worthy of its 'Very Advanced' description, or would it slot into 'Advanced' with the Elite and Elite SL?

I can get my hands on an Elite and Elite SL to try out, but unfortunately not a Glide.

The Glide is definitely in the same (advanced) category as the Elite and SL. Of the 3 skis, the lack of primary stability of the SL is what is particularly noticeable, and if any of the skis could be called very advanced its the SL, not the Glide!

I moved from the Elite to the SL and wasn't very happy with the SL, which is quite a lot more unstable than the Elite, and the performance difference is insignificant. (This is my rather subjective view, based on time trials against peers and random GPS readings.)

I then moved from the SL to the Glide (my current ski.) The Glide is significantly more stable than the SL, especially on primary stability, and only marginally more unstable than the Elite. If you can handle the SL then the Glide will be a doddle, and if you can handle the Elite comfortably then the step up to the Glide will be manageable.

If you're looking for a fast flat water ski then the Glide is definitely the one of these 3 to go for. I'm confident enough to say try the other 2 out, and if you're very comfortable in the Elite and can manage the SL without undue wobbling or bracing then you'll be happy with the Glide. For smaller conditions its the one to choose!

You could of course get the V14.
It is noticeably quicker than the V10 and is less stable.
You also get to stick with the brand that you are used to, and with that the foot board, paddle catch and bucket shape that you know. The bucket is not identical, but is pretty close.
I have paddled the V10 and V14 back to back on flat water, and for me, the V14 is actually more comfortable.

The V14 looks ridiculously tippy to me. Hopefully the Glide is more stable?
The majority of guys I see paddling V14's are putting in more bracing strokes than forward strokes..

Anyone have a decent picture of the bucket of the Glide?
I'm keen to see the leash attachment point. (assuming there is one..)

Hamishglen, you will find that although the Fenns may not have a dedicated leash attachment point so to speak, they do have a handle located on the top left at the end of the footwell that provides a strong point to attach your leash. So by looking at any photo of a Fenn bucket, be it a Swordfish, Glide or Spark should be able paint the picture.

Thanks GlenRusky. I was afraid that may be true.
Attaching a leash to this handle looks to be a fair distance away along with being pretty cumbersome, and may interfere with pedals.

I notice in the pic below the leash is attached to the footstrap.
surfskipnw.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/p1010339.jpg

My V10 doesn't have a leash attachment point (one of the first 15 or so of the new release) so I attach via this method for races where leashes are compulsory - nowhere else to attach it to.
It would be great if a decent leash attachment point was included on all skis......