Fenn · Surfski · Out of production
Fenn Spark (pre-Fennix)
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.
- Length
- 6.44 m
- Beam
- 42.5 cm
- Deck
- 31 cm
- Lightest
- 11.5 kg
Specifications
- Length
- 6.44 m
- Beam
- 42.5 cm
- Deck height
- 31 cm
- Category
- Surfski
- Skill level
- advanced
- New price
- Not listed new
Layup weights
On-water profile
Both scores are rated at the hull's own design weight. How these are derived.
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.
Paddler weight
This hull is built around a paddler of about 79 kg. It stays workable from 70 kg to 84 kg, and sits at its best between 73 kg and 81 kg.
Derived from published hull dimensions and calibrated against manufacturer paddler limits, not taken from a marketing range. The method, in full.
Generations
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 Superseded ~2020 by the fully redesigned Fennix Spark S (separate listing); the original moulds were destroyed in the Fenn factory fire, so no pre-Fennix Spark can be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 works, and what it costs you
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
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 20054Reported experience
"With a low volume, great short leg length, this boat sets a new standard for efficiency" - Oceanpaddler review of the Elite Spark/Glide launchReported experience
"The catch is very narrow with only the Spark more narrow [than the Glide]" - Wesley Echols, surfskiracing.org Glide reviewReported experience
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)Reported experience
Where to buy
The Spark (pre-Fennix) is out of production. It turns up on the second-hand market; there is no new-boat channel for it.
Dealers in the markets we have mapped:
Anything currently advertised new as 'Spark' is the Fennix Spark S - see that listing for live pricing.
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