# Fenn Spark (pre-Fennix)

> Surfski by Fenn, out of production. Canonical page: https://surfskiindex.com/surfskis/fenn-spark/
> Cite as: Fenn Spark (pre-Fennix), Surfski Index, https://surfskiindex.com/surfskis/fenn-spark/ (checked 2026-10-15). Terms: https://surfskiindex.com/using-our-data/

## Specifications
- Length: 6.44 m
- Beam: 42.5 cm
- Deck height: 31 cm
- Layup weights: Glass 17.5 kg, Vacuum 14.5 kg, Carbon 11.5 kg
- Usually paddled by: Confident ocean paddlers

## Ratings (Surfski Index estimates)
- Stability band 4–6 out of 10 (inherited trace, low confidence).
- Speed rated 9 out of 10.

Modelled from the Fenn Fennix Spark S trace, not this generation itself. Low confidence. Speed is our rating. Both are given at the hull's own design weight.

These ratings are Surfski Index estimates, worked out from published dimensions, traced hull shapes where we have them, and reviews. They are not supplied by the maker or timed on the water. How a ski feels depends on your weight, skill, set-up and the conditions, so use them to shortlist skis and paddle one before you buy. Method: https://surfskiindex.com/how-it-works/#limits

Evidence note: This band uses a related hull trace rather than a trace of this generation. Qualitative context includes 4 paddler reports and 4 linked sources.

## Paddler weight
Estimated sweet spot 69–80 kg, broader estimated guide 56–80 kg. An estimate from hull dimensions, not the designer's intended weight.

## Suits
Flat to moderate ocean, marathon and downwind racing; built specifically for lightweight/smaller-framed paddlers (women, juniors, sub-80kg men) wanting elite performance without an oversized hull.

## Hull
Low-volume elite hull with the narrowest catch in the pre-Fennix Fenn range (narrower than the Glide), carrying a deeper waterline for paddlers under ~80kg/182cm. Cockpit and footrest carved out and sized down for a snug fit. The bucket is the defining complaint: tight at the hips with a pronounced hump under the legs, which the S variant eased slightly and the Fennix redesign fixed properly.

## What works
- First genuinely competitive low-volume elite ski - let smaller paddlers race in a properly fast hull
- Feels notably more stable than its speed class suggests, for a rider under ~80kg
- Popular on the women's/lightweight racing scene (e.g. Michelle Burn World Champs win cited by Wetiz)

## Trade-offs
- Tight bucket and a pronounced hump under the legs - the single most common complaint, and the reason the Fennix redesign exists
- Narrowest catch in the range magnifies stroke faults
- Not suitable for paddlers over ~80kg/182cm - hull volume runs out
- No factory leash attachment
- Out of production and scarce used in AU; moulds destroyed in the factory fire

## Generations
- 2013-~2020: Launched as the 'Elite Spark' alongside the Elite Glide in 2013 - Fenn's first genuinely competitive low-volume elite ski, aimed at paddlers the Elite/Glide hulls were simply too big for. A slightly roomier 'Spark S' followed and is also out of production. Superseded ~2020 by the fully redesigned Fennix Spark S (separate listing); the original moulds were destroyed in the Fenn factory fire, so no pre-Fennix Spark can be built again.

## What paddlers say
- "The original Spark was just that little bit too tight and I found the S was a little better but that is no longer on the market" - JohnK, surfski.info thread 20054
- "With a low volume, great short leg length, this boat sets a new standard for efficiency" - Oceanpaddler review of the Elite Spark/Glide launch
- "The catch is very narrow with only the Spark more narrow [than the Glide]" - Wesley Echols, surfskiracing.org Glide review
- A minority of long-time Fenn paddlers prefer the pre-fire hulls outright: one owner ran the Fennix Swordfish S, Fennix Spark and Fennix XT S and did "a catch and release for all three", going back to "their older skis before the fire" (pilotdov, surfski.info thread 20578)

## Sources
- https://surfski.info/forum/1-general/20054-fenn-spark-s-comparison-with-fennix-spark-s.html
- https://surfski.info/forum/21-fenn/15586-fenn-spark-review.html
- https://surfskiracing.org/2014/10/fenn-glide-review/
- https://surfskiracing.org/2014/09/low-volume-ski-review-come/

## Prices
Current new prices and dealers: https://surfskiindex.com/surfskis/fenn-spark/#buy