FENN SKIS
Stability
First a few
words about stability as this is one of the most asked questions.
An XT falls into
the same category as an intermediate multisport boat. I’ve found that about half
of absolute beginners can stay in an XT (although very wobbly) and the other
half will go for swims. Nearly everyone will be comfortable after about 5 hours
of paddling.
Now for the big
one, is a Mako 6 more stable than an Elite??
I
have read someone saying (I think it was on surfski.info)
that an Elite is more stable than a Mako 6, but I would not agree with that
statement. Between a Mako 6, Elite and Millenium I find the Mako 6 to be more
stable than the other two boats but not by much. A Millenium is the least
stable, especially in choppy conditions. The Elite lies somewhere in-between.
Two
things just need to be remembered as well, a heavy boat always feels more
stable than a light boat, especially in choppy conditions. And if the leg
length is too short (only an issue with a Millenium or if you are too lazy to
adjust the leg length) the boat will feel more unstable.
Mako
Elite
The latest ski from
Fenn. It has a single footwell with adjustable footrest, and while it looks very
much like a Mako 6 it is narrower in front with less rocker.
I now paddle and race an Elite and am very impressed
with it. It is a huge improvement over the Millenium, just as fast but much
more forgiving. It’s
superb at picking up little bumps and the bigger it gets the better
the boat performs.
There is one issue with the Elite that
I’ve found, it does not work for short paddlers. The
bump between the seat and the footwell is very high
and starts getting in the way for paddlers shorter than about 5’6 (~168cm). The
Elite will, however, accommodate a 6’5 paddler quite comfortably.
Mako
6
The Mako 6 has a single footwell with adjustable footrests, and is slightly more
stable than the Mako Elite.
It handles choppy conditions really well,
and is the ideal ski for those who have outgrown an XT but still find the Elite
too much to handle.
Length: 6.4 metres
Width: 440 mm
Weight: Between 18kg and 20kg for glass,
~12kg for carbon.
Read more here.
XT
This is the ideal beginners/intermediate
ski, still a challenge for total novices but can be easily mastered with a bit
of perseverance. It is perfect for Auckland East Coast conditions. It has an
adjustable footrest and a small hatch for keys or lunch when paddling across to
Rangitoto
Length: 6.0 metres
Width: 475 mm
Weight: Somewhere between 17kg and 20kg for glass, ~12kg for carbon