Fennix Spark S

More
3 years 4 months ago #37626 by Steve Hansen
Fennix Spark S was created by Steve Hansen
Just saw a photo of a Fennix Spark S in France. Anyone know how it's been tweaked ?

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • grasshopper
  • Visitor
3 years 3 months ago #37799 by grasshopper
Replied by grasshopper on topic Fennix Spark S
Would also be interested to hear of Fennix Spark S.
Anyone tried it out yet.
Have attached photo from Fenn French site.
Attachments:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
3 years 1 month ago #38064 by ND
Replied by ND on topic Fennix Spark S
One of my friend bought it and it's more stable and surfs very well

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
3 years 1 month ago #38067 by Dratz
Replied by Dratz on topic Fennix Spark S
A container has landed in oz, and I took the spark out just now for a test. 
I’m and intermediate paddler about 79-80kg with a 32” waist and fairly short legs. Whereas the Fennix Elite seemed to pinch my hip bones from underneath, this seat felt perfect. Paradoxically although about a centimetre narrower at the top of the bucket, it doesn’t taper in as much towards the bottom. The gunwales also weren’t as high so remounting was very easy. 
The conditions today were pretty mild Sydney harbour rebound and wind chop but the stability profile was very familiar to anyone with a “Fenn” background. If you look at the pics on the web the bottom half of the hull is almost identicle in rocker profile to the Fennix Elite. Because it sat more fully in the water for my weight I suspect it won’t be quite as agile turning one way or another, but on the plus side there was minimal effect from side on wind etc. I got a bit wet but it felt so fun. For larger conditions I’ll absolutely be using my swordy for the foreseeable future. 
I wanted to love the new Elite but couldn’t quite gel with the seat. The spark though is a keeper! 
I’ll report more after some further outings. 

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
3 years 1 month ago #38087 by zachhandler
Replied by zachhandler on topic Fennix Spark S
Useful information. Thanks for sharing. I find a lot of buckets too wide at the top but too narrow in the curvature of the bottom. I would like to try the spark fennix some time. 

Current Skis: Epic v10 g3, NK 670 double, NK exrcize, Kai Wa’a Vega, Carbonology Feather, Think Jet, Knysna Sonic X
Former Skis: Epic V12 g2, Epic V12 g1, Epic v10 double, Nelo 550 g2, Fenn Elite S, Custom Kayaks Synergy

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
2 years 11 months ago #38377 by Dratz
Replied by Dratz on topic Fennix Spark S
I have had the new spark for a couple of months now and thought I’d share a quick update. TLDR version is what an awesome ski.
See my previous post for my stats. I’ve come from the swordfish s and the spark has been my first “elite” ski. I’ve predominantly been paddling around Sydney harbour and modest (<=15kt) ocean DW conditions. Recently I took it out in a building swell and 20kt for some ins and outs off the northern beaches and felt that was about my limit currently. I tipped out a couple of times mainly due to a lapse in form gaffing with leg leash etc. getting back in required concentration in those conditions but was manageable. 
Today a bunch of us spent an hour surfing clean swells near Manly with a sparkling Autumn offshore breeze and had a blast. 
The overall impression I have is that (no surprise given the rocker) this is a ski that really comes into its own chasing down runners. It seems to sniff out really subtle bumps and settles automatically into a good position. With the lower volume tail and nose I find at my weight it responds noticeably to fore/aft lean when “tuning” how high I aim to stay on a wave. 
I might have expected the converse to also be the case, in that it doesn’t like punching up and over the next runner. In fact I think because of its needle nose it takes no effort to smash through (rather than over). The same can be said going upwind: it tends to pierce the chop. This is where the wave deflector has made the most difference in avoiding a wet bucket. The other “mod” I made is a shaped block of foam ahead of the footplate to further reduce the effective bucket volume and speed drainage. 
Stability wise it feels more solid once running. Very reassuring for an ambitious intermediate. With the rocker I have noticed it’s got quite a “lively” degree of yaw when the nose or tail is hit by side chop, or negotiating bouncy harbour conditions. On the other hand a side windage doesn’t grab the low profile nose as much as the swordy. Others have commented that counter lean does cause noticeable steering to the opposite side in flatter situations which can be a pro or a con depending on whether you have the skill to exploit this trait. On the other hand surfing a steeper (barrelling 3-4 ft) reef break today I had a go engaging the primary rocker rather than the curvature of the rails, by leaning hard into a brace in the direction I wanted to turn, as one would on a surfboard. The spark was able to carve across the wave, then arc a turn back to the critical part of the wave, and was basically thrilling to surf, so much more agile than any other full length ski I’ve ever tried. 
Is there anything I don’t like? Not really. Flat water speed might not be as quick as some of the straighter elite boats my paddling buddies are in (eg NK nitro), but if there’s any ripple to chase I think the difference disappears. It’s certainly quicker as expected than the intermediate genre. For example my typical flat water 10km average speed has bumped up from 10.5 to low 11s.
 I would not want to weigh much over 80kg as it would get quite wet I suspect. 
So two months in I am even more stoked with this ski than when I last posted. I think I’ve taken my beloved swordy out once in all that time. 

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Latest Forum Topics