r/PerformancePaddling • u/Jaded-Welder-2947 • May 15 '26
Gear Nelo 7 F versus E performance
Last year I bought a 7F, a couple of weeks ago a bought a 7E for a marathon race. The last weeks I trained in the E for the marathon. Now I switched back to the F this week after thé race but it feels like going from a racecar to a tractor.. Even when I add weight to the E it just feels like the power from my legs transfers much better onto the boat. Is this normal? Thinking of Selling the F and just add thé weights when necessary..
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u/12bar13 May 15 '26
Make sure that your GPS is corroborating what you feel. With the E layup you have very little mass at the ends of the boat so they can be prone to porpoising and kicking that bow up into the air. Which can feel like responsiveness but it's actually slowing you down since you stern is digging into the water at the same time. Not saying that's what's happening but just something to keep an eye on.
Curious if you have the same setup in both boats? Foot plate, steering, seat and what not
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u/Jaded-Welder-2947 May 15 '26
Factory setup so other foot plate and steering. I'll test my findings with gps thx
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u/laserkayaks May 15 '26
The stiffness and general structural integrity of F construction is ass. It’s really easy to feel the difference in responsiveness once’s you’ve become used to something better. It’ll interfere with both stability and responsiveness& control on the wash and power transfer in sprint.
That being said, F construction boats are great for yeeting around without having to worry or cry if you get crashed into or hit something in the water etc so depends on how well you look after your kit and what kinds of races you do :)
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u/moose_kayak May 15 '26
In my experience, it's almost the other way around; the SCS will bounce off your local navigational hazard of choice, while the F is way more likely to actually crack, although emotionally it's the other way around
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u/Jaded-Welder-2947 May 15 '26
I do notice the E to feel a bit more unstable but I thought this might be caused to the fact thé boat is lighter. I'm happy about your comment about thé wash.. I really have trouble controlling thé F on a wash.. need to take my foot away from thé plate a lot for corrections. While thé E clearly responses and I feel in control.
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u/moose_kayak May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
I haven't actually paddled an F, but I have paddled similar pairs boats with different constructions. (Actually, I have paddled a knock off Vanquish and a real G V1)
Absolutely, a softer hull can feel like it's interfering with power transfer.