[img]images/boats/fluid/element-th.jpg[/img]Boats Database: Fluid Element Medium

From Celliers himself on the fluid website:

While I know it is not meant for it. How would an element be for your one and only boat. To be taken down rivers and stuff?

For most people, this wouldn't be a great idea. Unless you paddle only big volume rivers and play almost exclusively. With the edges and almost no tail rocker the boat, like all surf kayaks, isn't very stable to sit in. Something to consider too.. Hitting a lot of rocks will eventually damage the little fin boxes a lot.

Is this for yourself Alex?

Yea. I am looking at getting a new boat. I just love the design and would love one. But I can only afford one boat. So Damn. I guess the Flirt is going to be it.

Why don't you get the Nemesis??

I got mine a few months ago and really love it.

Alex won't fit into the medium... He's like 6 foot 5 or something and over 200lbs. Big man.

You'll have to wait for the large Nemesis.. I have no idea when that will be ready. Wish I did.

rumoers where that is should come this srping in europe, that should mean about now in the warm south

Hi Lennart,

From Rein I got word that it has arrived now!

You will probably like it a lot. I guess you could compare it to the Neutron and post some experiences here? That would be useful

Cheers,

Michiel

hi all

I should be more precieze :

as far as i know (I am only a customer (good informed but still ...)

element : 1st one in the netherlands for demo etc.

first shipments for resale and distribition thru out europe: end of this month.

nemisis L

somewhere this spring |If the chineze send out the mould in time and there is enough workpeople at the factory (what i hear is that striking is unfortunatly an issue)

lennart wrote:

hi all

I should be more precieze :

as far as i know (I am only a customer (good informed but still ...)

element : 1st one in the netherlands for demo etc.

first shipments for resale and distribition thru out europe: end of this month.

nemisis L

somewhere this spring |If the chineze send out the mould in time and there is enough workpeople at the factory (what i hear is that striking is unfortunatly an issue)

I can assure you there are enough people and there is no striking. Production is actually going extremely well at the moment. This is not the first time an incorrect rumour has surfaced from the Netherlands though.. No offence to you though.

no offence taken


like I sad before

it is only what I hear , it could be that the problems are past I hope so I only heard these thinge last week. I think the communicaton between fluit Sa and the guys over here gets a bit wrong sometimes..

there a lot of peolpe who have to talk to eichother before the info gets to me.

My personal experience is that there are differences between dates that boats should arrrive and when the boats are actually are there. And if theyy give me this as a reason for that , should i then assume it is wrong?
perhaps the strikes and between factory and europe.
Then fluid can make lots of boat which does not reach our side of the globe.

It is good that fluid is so open about the proto's ect.
It is a bit sad that there is that much time between the first hype and the actual boat in the shop for us to buy.

I hope to test the element this weekend in the surf.

Cool..

Yep, it is a pity. But the wait is always worth it. It is a far way to travel across the sea on a ship and moving containers around the world can present problems in itself..

I hope your feedback on the Element is positive. I'm sure you'll find it quicker than what its length may suggest! Have fun and have a lekker weekend!

shipping canoe around the world .. I hope that 1 day is will end. just 1 big good factory in your neighbourhood wich can produce any baot of any desinger. and keep the old molds.
So what you have paddles that boat for 10 years and want it again.

so you want a fluid baot and wavesprot uotfitting , you can have it..

that would be great , but I do not think it will happen.....



the Element should be fast, but I can compare it to the squashtail and the PE neutron. 2 of the fasted pe boats I know. I will not bring then , but I have them still, and know how they feel in the crappy dutch surf. It looks promissing. and just an toher really nice boat to surf waves in.

You can have a Fluid Boat with Wavesport outfitting now. Buy a new fluid boat. Buy a used Wavesport boat. Swap the outfitting. Done.

Impossible. For many dimensional and other obvious reasons. The WS's inside of the cockpit rim is parallel to the hull, the Fluid's is not. Just one of the many reasons it couldn't work. Why would you want a WS seat (hollow, vacum moulded) that doesn't support the hull of your kayak in your boat anyway?

Your sayin, There is no possible way? Man with duct tape, heat gun and hillbillery we can accomplish anything!

So erm, when the hell can I get to testdrive the Large nemesis in Holland?
And do you know how big it is? I know it says 220liters, but thats probably a rough guess. Can I best compare it with a Project 62, with a Riot Astro 58 or a Pyranha 420 M/L?
Are there actually any complete production large nemesis` leaving the factory by now?

How does the Nemesis compare to the Flirt? Is it just a better boat, or are there also things the Flirt does better?

Is there any form of estimated date of production of the small element and when it might be available in Australia?

I sat in both the Element and the Nemesis medium in the pool today. I am surprised with the amount of room there is available in the element. It's really REALLY roomy inside. Bit too unstable for my liking, but I guess that all changes when you charge down a wave and the hull reaches planning speeds. Not my kind of thing though

Before I sat in the medium nemesis I really thought it would not have enough volume for me. Because right now I paddle an Astro 58. Which according to riot is 58 gallons. It seems to float my 102kg's pretty good. Now according to fluid specs, the nemesis should have 52 gallons. But even with 6 gallons less, it floats me almost just as well as my astro does. I sat in a WS ZG54 as well, and that did float me a lot less then my astro. So I am assuming that the volume on the nemesis is the odd one out here.
Now I only have to test it in the surf and see if with my weight it goes just as big as my astro does. Might be no point in waiting for the big nemesis, because now I am really starting to think it might be too big for me.
My problem is mostly not my size, since I fit in most medium boats with my 1m83, but more my weight.

Anybody from fluid want to comment on this?

I agree it is a weight issue. Im about 95kgs and I fit in the meduim boats but i find im a little heavy. I paddle the element a lot and I need a decent size wave for it to work properly. I haven't paddled the nemesis much but when i did it feel pretty good but i think a few kgs lighter would have been better. Give it a try though a see what you think, its personal preference really.
The pic below if of me busting in my element yesterday, i love that boat!

Hope you come right,

Andrew Pollock

Team Fluid

Thanks for the reply Andrew! I am having a go on some waves soon. Then I will know enough.

At 86kg I'm a little lighter than Andrew. I tried the Element earlier this week on some small waves and it was pretty good. I could feel I needed a bigger wave but when I say small I'm not kidding. The monster winter swells are on their way though and the south easter will soon stop.. Once I recover from a couple of things I'll be hitting it hard again. I've paddled the Nemesis a lot more and really enjoy it too. Naturally, for the surf, the Element is a sure winner!

To answer another question further up. The small Element in only an idea at present, as is the large. I guess Fluid will see how well the medium Element sells and what the demand is like. Forecasts so far is that it is going to possibly be the best seller. The medium Element has a lot of footroom and I even got a 6'4" friend of mine in no worries. If you are light for the Element, raise your seat up. This will help to engage the edges..

And another one question someone asked. The Nemesis is better, with smoother lines. Far more stable on end and faster. Also, doesn't have those annoying knobs that can crack your shins in half. Perhaps not as good a river runner but I've enjoyed mine. I never owned my own Flirt so I cannot really comment.. Super boat though.

Hope that helps...

Hey Arson, I am pretty much the same as you except I am a bit taller 1.89m-ish.

I had the Riot Turbo 52 (assuming 52 gallons) and find the Nemesis has a lot more volume in the tail and feels a lot more buoyant on the water. For me it is the volume distribution that is the big difference. I am very comfortable in the nemesis and it gets more "bounce" on a wave than my turbo used to.
If I was you I wouldn't bother waiting for the large although I have yet to see it in action.

Again just my opinion but I could never get comfortable in the Flirt, the Nemesis is a lot more comfortable!!

Cheers

Stuart

Thanks for the reply Stuart. Like I said, my current boat supposedly has 58 gallons. As opposed to the 53 of the nemesis. Although the nemesis seems to float me almost just as good. Just have to wait for good surf here so I can test if it goes just as big. It's been a while since there was big surf though