Nelo · Surfski
Nelo 57
5.70m x 0.48m hull that Nelo says 'surfs and manoeuvres as a shorter ski but still has great performance on the flat', filling the gap for a competitive ski that keeps a solid level of stability. Sold in M and L cockpits (37cm and 40cm hip width).
- Length
- 5.7 m
- Beam
- 48 cm
- Deck
- 33.5 cm
- Lightest
- 11 kg
Specifications
- Length
- 5.7 m
- Beam
- 48 cm
- Deck height
- 33.5 cm (est.)
- Category
- Surfski
- Skill level
- intermediate
- 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.
Speed here also has a traced hull behind it: measured off this boat's own side and plan photographs, the shape alone rates it 6.8, and the published score moves a third of the way toward that. What that means.
Suits: Ocean racing and downwind for improving paddlers, competitive on flat water without demanding elite balance
Paddler weight
This hull is built around a paddler of about 87 kg. It stays workable from 76 kg to 92 kg, and sits at its best between 81 kg and 89 kg.
Derived from published hull dimensions and calibrated against manufacturer paddler limits, not taken from a marketing range. The method, in full.
Generations
New hull rather than a rename: Nelo describes the 57 as 'a whole new concept that would be between the 54 and 61 (540 and 550 of the old range)'. Part of the 2024-25 renumbering in which the 520 became the 52, the 540 became the 54, and the 550/560 were replaced by the 57, 61 and 62. Constructions AIR (11kg) and WWR (12.5kg).
What works, and what it costs you
What works
- Genuinely new shape rather than a renamed old hull
- Fills the real gap between a stable trainer and an elite race ski
- Manoeuvres like a shorter ski while holding flatwater speed
- Two cockpit sizes rather than one-size-fits-nobody
Trade-offs
- Not yet stocked by the Australian dealer
- Nelo publishes no price and thin spec detail
- Too new for independent reviews or a used market
- Nelo’s own spec sheet lists only one athlete weight figure for the M cockpit
What paddlers say
Nelo product copy: 'The 57 with 5.7mt from the Nelo Range is a whole new concept that would be between the 54 and 61... It surfs and maneuvers as a shorter ski but it still has a great performance in flat as well' (nelo.eu).Reported experience
Gallery
Where to buy
Dealers in the markets we have mapped:
Nelo does not publish list prices for its ocean range, and the Australian dealer (Pro Kayaks) still catalogues only the superseded 520/550/560/600 boats, so there is no AU price for this hull yet. For scale, Pro Kayaks sells the outgoing 560 at A$5,700 (carbon/kevlar WWR) to A$6,900 (carbon SCS). Price on application through a Nelo dealer.
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