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Name: paddler232744
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Pros - very very easy to roll, stable, comfy, lots of room
Cons - hull cracks where the seat supports rest when the boat becomes (very) old and the plastic brittle.
Anyway - to get to what is important.
in order of how fast the boats are (in a 5 mile race on flat water with a 175 pound intermediate paddler )
1. Fenn Mellennnium 2. Fenn Mako 6 3. Huki S1-X tied with Westside Marauder 4. Wave Exceed 5. Missle
in a 5 mile race with chop
1. Wave Exceed 2. Marauder tied with Huki S1-X 3. Missle 3. Mako 6 4. Fenn Millenium
i did not include the cleaver because i still cannot paddle it without bracing every 4 strokes.
in terms of comfort, i like the seating position in the S1-X, about as much as the Fenn Mako 6. both of those skis seem to fit me. the Fenn Millennium was a disaster for me in that i would lose a lot of skin in a long race. The S1-X is good looking (mine is used and has very nice paint/graphics). the hardware is first rate and it is very very ez to change rudders.
I am pleased with this ski. hope to do some ocean racing with it some day.
the mako 6 is more stable than the mako elite or the millennium. it is not as stable as the fenn swordfish. if money grew on trees i would buy a swordfish, mainly for it's stability but my used carbon mako 6 was 14% the cost of a new carbon swordfish. anyway... i have paddled the mako 6 about 6 times now, 8 miles each time. it does not rub the skin off my upper backside like my millennium did. this is huge for me. it does rub a tiny bit of skin off my sacrum but it think that is easy to fix with a little padding. the rudder on my boat is aftermarket and works well. the screws holding the rails which have the adjustable footrests are frozen - but that is OK i do not ever need to take them out. (salt water corroded them i suppose).
the adjustable footrests are excellent - my millennium did not have them. very easy and fast to adjust. the boat turns on a dime, probably because of the increased rocker in the hull versus the millennium. the boat is clearly faster than my wave exceed, which figures given that it is narrower and longer. it might be slower than the millennium but i have no way to judge. the mako 6 is faster than a swordfish.
Summary - my used fenn carbon mako 6 is a well made boat that weighs about 29 pounds, has adjustable footrests, is fast, looks good, is comfortable and does not rub the skin off my back with an 8 mile paddle. it is more stable than a mako millennium but less stable than a swordfish. it turns well.
i think it is a keeper.
i have no idea why. also - the Marauder is heavier than my Exceed even though they have the same carbon kevlar layup. the Marauder picks up more weeds than the Exceed because of it's nose. the Marauder leaves less wake than the Exceed.
In summary - i like my Exceed better, it is lighter, picks up less weeds, and is shorter, but equally fast. i would buy another wave exceed before i would buy a Marauder. regarding stability i think they are almost equal.
+ very fast, durable surfski
- very uncomfortable and tippy for beginners or intermediates.
exceed weighs 27 pounds, the swordfish carbon is 25 pounds. i owned a fenn millennium in the past and loved the boat except it would rub a lot of skin off my back after about 8 miles of racing. i was hoping to find a surfski that handled and felt like my exceed.
the swordfish seemed to be equivalent to the exceed but ... i did not paddle it 8 miles so for all i know it will rub the skin off my back! the millennium also felt good short distances. i guess you pay your $ and take your chances, i wish i could rent one for a day and see. the build quality is good and i like the seating position.
the huki's i have tried seem like i am sitting in a deep hole - the swordfish did not feel that way. i have never tried an epic surfski because the local epic dealer never has one to demo. not sure what is up with that but after years of trying i have given up on epic. not sure they want to sell me one! maybe they are smart...:-) happy paddling!