The last word... On the fastest flat water ski!

I'm test driving the new Nelo XXL next week, you may want to put that or the XL on your shopping list too.

I've been paddling a Nelo Vintage Ski for around 9 months now. It's a fast ski for sure, slightly faster than my V12 Ultra was in my hands in comparisons in similar conditions. The Vintage is their 'intermediate' ski, but it's definitely less stable than a V12.
RAB, I'd be interested to hear your impressions after your test drive of the XXL. Is the ski you're trying the updated '12 model or is it the '10-11 model? Sounds like they've made some needed updates to the '12 model. Are you doing a strictly flat water paddle, or do you get to take it out in the ocean?

It will be a new carbon ski and there is no way I will purchase without an ocean paddle.

From what I have read, the XXl is actually a tiny bit wider across the rear than my V10, a little less jittery around the top than the V12, but no where near as strong in the secondary.


I have quite purpously only paddled 3 times in the last 2 weeks so that I know what it is like without the personal surefootedness of paddling everyday.
I will be paying particular attention to bucket comfort and intend to put in a 9km round trip down the river to see if there are any problems.
If anything will show up bucket problems, this will.

After that, I'd be quite happy just to take it out the alley and put in a couple of km in the ocean, if I don't like it by then, then it's not for me.

If I like it on the day, I would be quite happy to take it home with me.

I'm in the process of buying a new car, two new bikes and a ski, and there are just too many things to chase up.
So the first ski in front of my nose that I like, I'll probably keep.

Sounds like a good plan.
Look forward to hearing your impressions.

RAB... Now we're all dying to know how you came into all this money... And which car and bikes you're getting?

I'm guessing a Holden SS-V Ute and some sort of recumbant??

Rightarmbad wrote: I'm test driving the new Nelo XXL next week, you may want to put that or the XL on your shopping list too.

Yes, let us know how you go on one

Would be interested to know what they cost, I'm assuming they are very pricey not that that seems to be a issue for you

P.S. Don't know what it'll be like on the flat but Carbonology's new "Flash" ski is arriving here in Perth later next month, so patient I must be

mckengmsurfski wrote: I'm guessing a Holden SS-V Ute and some sort of recumbant??

Wouldn't be seen dead in either.

mckengmsurfski wrote: The Vintage is their 'intermediate' ski, but it's definitely less stable than a V12.

Now you are worrying me!

Seems there is no local distributor for Carbonology here on the Gold Coast, cross those boats off my list.

garykroukamp wrote: RAB... Now we're all dying to know how you came into all this money... And which car and bikes you're getting?

Very large foreskin.......
Lots of vain old ladies here on the coast that need eyelid surgery.



Leaning towards a Cervelo S5 for a road bike or a Scott and not sure on the MTB front.
It's bloody hard to find big sizes though.

Only restriction is that I can get them with staff discount off wholesale price from either of the bike shops I work at.

Rightarmbad wrote:

mckengmsurfski wrote: The Vintage is their 'intermediate' ski, but it's definitely less stable than a V12.

Now you are worrying me!

Not sure how worried I'd be. The Nelo is somewhat unique and feels quite different from the V12. It has a high seat with a shallow sloping back and virtually no hump between the bucket and footwell. It's not twitchy on primary like the V12, it has a nice sort of natural feeling roll to it. However, there is some secondary there but it is much less than the V12 in my opinion. The Nelo gives you a brief moment to correct and then it's gone, as opposed to the V12, which you can paddle on a 45 degree angle all day.
My Nelo also came with a dinky little 3/4 length footplate that leaves about a 3cm gap between the bottom of the footplate and the footwell. This made it even more unstable b/c your heels weren't in contact with the plate. Nelo made me a full size plate for it, which vastly improved the feel of the ski.
The quality of the build/finish of the ski is the best I've owned. It also feels stiffer than my Ultra layup V12.
What I think makes the ski feel less stable initially is the high seat position. It's a great paddling position but I'd say it's the primary culprit in the reduced secondary stability. It took some getting used in choppy conditions for sure.
I'll be interested to hear if all of this is true in the 2012 model. They've updated the bucket and supposedly made it deeper and they've added a bit more volume, so hopefully those will make it go better in the waves/chop and give it a touch more stability.
Anyway, I'm interested to hear about your paddle in it.

Id also like to hear about the Large one. Im 80/85kg
Are they as unstable as a K1 like a Legacy?
So mckengmsurfski your talking about the Vintage not the XL?

Gnome

Yeah, I have a 2010 Nelo Ocean Vintage Ski in the WWR layup.
I've not tried any of the other Nelo models, but my understanding is that the XXL is very similar to the Vintage in regards to speed and stability, and the L is slightly less stable and only slightly faster.
The only reviews I've ever seen are at www.keystonekayaks.com
They did flatwater reviews the L, XXL, and Vintage models.
No, they are not as unstable as a K1. My Vintage probably has a similar primary stability to a V12 without the twitchy feel, it just has less secondary than the other skis I've paddled, but there is still a little bit there. I think the people who paddle K1's would like them b/c the paddling position is a little more K1-like.
If you're seriously considering one, I'd definitely give the 2012 model a look if you can b/c they list updates that the ski needed, particularly the footplate and cables, the extra volume, larger surf rudder.
And check out the footplate. The original 3/4 length footplate is less than ideal for ocean paddling. It may not bother you, but it did not suit me at all. Not sure if that's updated or not.
Oh, I'd also add that at 80-85kg you'd probably fit an XXL or Vintage better than the L, depending on how you're built. I'm 6ft, 180lbs and the Vintage fits me very well but my footplate is all the way to the end. My understand is that the sizing is a bit off on these and that a L is really a tight fit for someone my size.

We dont have a distributor on the Gold Coast but we do sell boats their and service our customers from Sydney- Why not try one of our boats and check out the service we offer our customers before you just scratch us off your list-you may be plesantly surprised. Regards Gary.

I was going to send an email just as I did to find the Nelo rep in our area as all they had listed was an Australian rep.

You had a much better list of contacts but none for my area.
I hadn't yet got around to the email, but the lack of a local rep/boat? to test will definitely put you to the bottom of the list.

A pet hate of mine.

I, and I think most people would rather deal locally than try and organise things from a distance.

Your boats are very poorly represented in numbers on the Gold Coast, so it is hard for us customers to try and sell one to ourselves and then ring you up and order one.

Feel free to respond here and save me the email.
I look forward to your response.

Is there a way I can view/test a boat here?



I do thank you for replying here initially and so do most others on these boards, a good voice here can become a valuable sales aid for your company.
I believe most here find it great that there is a recognisable Think representative here on the boards.

I would suggest though that your username in some way reflects that you are a representative of the company.

RAB, australian nelo site clearly lists gold coast rep
CONTACT
Jimmy Owens +61 433 991 852 (Gold Coast)

tried the vintage thro Jimmy last year & can support the view point that it is more unstable than the v12, i.e. not an intermediate craft at all?

I'm 6ft 175lbs and on my Nelo L the footplate is almost to the end, and I'm thinking of seting it up further... the seat is a tight fit too... Looks like the word "Large" does not mean the same thing in portugal and in Tahiti !
That said, I won't grow taller so the lenght is not a problem (and that's less room to be filled by water unlike my mako6) and the tight seat is a good reason not to gain weight... At first, the feel of the Nelo is UNSTABLE ! But after a while, I'm getting used to it. Reminds me of a Mako Millenium.

McKeng, interested as to why you got a Nelo when you already had a V12? You have compared stability but are you able to get any extra speed from the Nelo or do you just use it for different conditions.

Talking about the feel of stability, one thing I like about the Vault is the natural roll it has from primary to secondary, although the V12 has loads of secondary I find the twitchyness of it's primary off putting.

Anyone in Perth have a Nelo! Would be interested to meet for a paddle.

I am expecting big things from Nelo going forward, you would have to think a company with the resources they have will get the stability/speed thing right.

Hiro's comparison to a Millenium worries me, from what I know of them that instability didn't necessarily equate to extra speed over the more stable elite hulls of today.

When I bought the V12, my short list was basically it, the Fenn Elite, and the Nelo Vintage. I managed to get to try out a V12 Ultra and then get it at a nice price. A convenient opportunity (anything that didn't involve driving at least 5 hours) never presented itself to try the other skis.
I paddled it for a year and the 3 things I really liked about it were the weight, the secondary stability, and the Andersen Super Mini Bailer. What I didn't like about it was that I found the bucket uncomfortable after about an hour, that the ski was extremely twitchy on primary stability (as you describe), and that the ski jumps around in even the slightest of chop. It's not unstable but just very busy and I found that all of the bobbing, weaving, and rolling that it did wore me out after about an hour. So after a year, I decided to move on.
My short list this time last year was the Think Uno Max, the Fenn Elite, and the Nelo Vintage Ski. The Uno Max wasn't available (still hasn't made it to the US as far as I know). I tried a Fenn Elite briefly and found it OK but wasn't crazy about the seating position. I was considering pulling the trigger on the Fenn anyway when I found a second hand Nelo Vintage ski at a great price. As they were, and are, pretty hard to come by, I jumped on it b/c the price was just too good... catch was that the ski was 5000km away so I was buying it without ever paddling one. I basically did what I've pretty much told everyone who's asked me about buying a ski not to do.
In the end it worked out for me, I really like the ski. That said, if I'd paddled it first I would not have bought it, mostly b/c the original footplate was way too small and really affected the way the ski paddled for me. The full plate made a huge difference and I can paddle the ski for hours without the bucket bothering me and without the constant movement of the V12. It just doesn't wear me like that ski did. I certainly know people who love the V12 and can paddle it effectively for hours, it just wasn't the case for me.
If you find someone who has one and get a chance to try it, I'd like to hear your impressions. I'd really like to get in a new one myself to see what differences, if any, the updates have made to how the ski paddles.
Oh, and the Nelo is the only ski I own right now.