# Icon Hydrus Elite

> Surf lifesaving spec by Icon. Canonical page: https://surfskiindex.com/surfskis/icon-hydrus-elite/
> Cite as: Icon Hydrus Elite, Surfski Index, https://surfskiindex.com/surfskis/icon-hydrus-elite/ (checked 2026-10-15). Terms: https://surfskiindex.com/using-our-data/

## Specifications
- Length: 5.79 m
- Beam: 48 cm
- Deck height: 33.5 cm (estimated)
- Layup weights: VTEK light 15 kg, VTEK standard 17.5 kg
- Usually paddled by: Confident ocean paddlers

## Ratings (Surfski Index estimates)
- Stability band 5–8 out of 10 (editorial estimate, low confidence).
- Speed rated 7 out of 10.

Our estimate from published descriptions and reviews. 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 is a cautious editorial estimate; it is not backed by a hull trace. Qualitative context includes 1 paddler report and 2 linked sources.

## Paddler weight
Estimated sweet spot 75–87 kg, broader estimated guide 61–90 kg. An estimate from hull dimensions, not the designer's intended weight.

## Suits
Surf lifesaving racing: beach starts, surf zone and buoy turns.

## Hull
ILS-legal racing ski at the class limits, 5.79m long and 48cm wide, in ICON's heat-cured VTEK laminate at 15 or 17.5kg. Sold as the sharp end of the Hydrus range for lifesaving competition rather than as an ocean ski.

## What works
- Priced openly, which most makers in this class do not do
- Two published layup weights
- Purpose-built to the ILS specification

## Trade-offs
- Class-limited hull: nothing here is optimised for downwind
- 15kg is heavy if you are comparing it to ocean skis
- ICON does not explain how it differs from the GMAX

## Generations
- current: ICON Sports is a UK paddlesport brand whose Hydrus range is built to the ILS lifesaving specification, 5.79m maximum length, 48cm minimum width, using what ICON calls VTEK: vacuum, heat-cured epoxy over a PVC foam core with carbon reinforcement.

## What paddlers say
- No independent owner review located as of August 2026.

## Sources
- https://iconsports.eu/pages/hydrus-ils-surfskis
- https://iconsports.eu/

## Prices
Current new prices and dealers: https://surfskiindex.com/surfskis/icon-hydrus-elite/#buy