In May 2021, I reviewed the newly designed Nelo 540L 2G and now the 550L 2G in the WWR layup. I have approximately 60 miles in the 550L 2g in various small bay conditions where I live in Portsmouth, RI. I have also raced it on the modified Ride the Bull Race, in Narragansett Bay this summer against many of my peer racing buddies on a flat day. To further my experience I paddled on two occasions with my local paddling buddies on the Sakonett, in moderate to rough conditions. So I have a good feel of how the boat handles in these conditions where I have been paddling, training, racing, and reviewing surf skis since 2003.
While I am in excellent running, cycling, and paddling shape, I do enjoy the stability of the intermediate class of skis as I have gotten older for ocean paddling. I also like the fact that this class of skis is easier to remount. So my garage has only 2 advanced skis now, Nelo 560 2G and Uno 2g with numerous intermediate skis: Evo Ultimate 3G, Think Six, Stellar Falcon, Stellar SR 2G, 550 2G, and Zen. I have been enjoying cycling so skis now share space with my bikes: Roubaix endurance bike, Diverge gravel bike, and my bikes I use for biking Emma(my GSP). I am truly enjoying my cycling and running over the past year that has increased my overall fitness level though my interval paddling speed slowed some this year. So my garage has housed many, many surf skis since 2003. As you can see below is a pic from 2008.
The newest Nelo’s have a different design than their previous generations and are different from any other designed ski. Nelo says this about its new design: “Friction Reduction: The rocker increased on the stern, reduces the wet surface, and improves water flow on the stern. Hull with more grip on the water due to the high-pressure point on the concavity, which improves stability and direction. Improved maneuverability as the pivoting point of the boat has been moved forward. Improved stability due to lower center gravity by lowering the seat. “
As you can see from the design changes above, more stability is the theme while maximizing the glide for shorter boats. What we also know from the previous generation is that shorter skis have their advantages: easy to carry, store, and car top. Shorter skis are lighter with less material, turn quickly and accelerate easily. Lower volume skis have their attributes too. This has been the trend for all brands over the past several years offering less windage, weight savings, but often are wet rides, requiring a wave deflector and therefore more time is spent opening and closing the bailer.
So the WWR is the heavier layup(Carbon/Kevlar Epoxy Vacuum approximately 26-27lbs compared to the lighter layup SCS(Solid Composite System) at 23-24lbs. I generally try to review the lighter versions of models since I am very sensitive to boat weights and I have consistently raced since 2003. As I have told many competitive paddlers, buy the lightest ski you can afford since they are faster for the skilled and speed-conscious paddlers. However, the WWR layups were the ones I purchased initially to see how I liked them. I do have an SCS 550L coming sometime in spring 2022. Most brands now have layups that come in the 25-26lb range which are the most commonly purchased since they offer the best value.
Cockpit Fit
The #1 criteria for paddling a surf ski is fit, bucket fit. #2 is the appropriate overall volume of the ski for your size and weight. Buy a ski that is too tight in the bucket and you will suffer greatly with stability in the ocean. Buy a ski that is too large in the bucket without padding it out, and you will have a sloppy fit, with little contact with your surf ski causing instability. Remember the points of contact of your skis are: heel, toes, calves, hips and back, and the center of your butt, all in varying degrees depending on the ski.
So let me describe the fit of my 550L. First of all, I do have it padded in the calves and the hips. Remember, I can fit in any ski at my size of 5ft 9, 180lbs with small hips. The “L” will accommodate a wide range of paddler sizes and I am guessing this is the most popular sizing for Nelo. The Nelo 550 and 560 have deep buckets that surround your hips. You are sitting “in” the bucket as opposed to sitting up higher on some other brands with shallower buckets. Nelo did an excellent job of flaring out the seat as it draws to the gunwale to ensure that your hips are not squeezed which allows a wide range of paddlers to fit with unimpeded hip rotation.
The other nice feature of the Nelo bucket is that your butt fits nicely in the center of the bucket and stays there as your hips rotate giving you a feeling of being very secure and planted which translates to stability. The deepness of the bucket also contributes to this stability too. Think of the first time you sat in a sports car with bucket seats that were bolstered. While I padded my Nelo out to increase the contact with my calves and hips, the bolstered feeling is there. Another feature is it virtually humpless allowing the short-legged folks and the long-legged to fit. Also, the back of the bucket is angled perfectly for laybacks going downwind or for just stretching out on long paddles. It is so comfortably well done you may just want to stretch out when the urge hits you. The other thing you will notice as you paddle the Nelo’s is the narrowness of the footwell. With 9.5 size shoes, my heels stay planted and do not wander contributing to a sense of stableness.
While I have written extensively about buckets in most of my reviews, the Nelo cockpit is a supremely comfortable, ergonomic, and relaxed fit. Most of the newer skis these days are nicely designed also with their own unique feel, so it’s great the days of ill-shaped buckets are virtually gone.
Ski Volume
The trend over the last five years or so is to decrease the overall volume of the ski and in most cases the length. These volumes have slowly decreased to increase the stability, decrease the weight, and add to the maneuverability without sacrificing speed. Think about the Think Jet that is designed specifically for kids and smaller paddlers. It is a true low-volume ski. This group of paddlers does not need all that extra volume or length to accommodate their weight as seen in higher volume skis. With lower volume skis on the market for everyone now, I encourage particularly smaller paddlers to upgrade to newer skis to enjoy their paddling experience even more. Some paddlers, unfortunately, don’t realize they are paddling skis that are too large for them contributing to their instability and lack of directional control, particularly in windy, bumpy conditions.
So the Nelo 550 has very little forward bow volume and a seemingly average volume in the stern. Most of its volume is just forward of the footwell while maintaining a satisfying narrow catch. Much of its volume is vertical hence the deep cockpit and footwell. You have to get volume somewhere in an 18-foot ski.
Bailer, Footplate, Wave deflector, toe pedal adjusters.
The Stellars, Thinks and Nelos the Nelos have the Debrito bailer. The newer skis of 2021 have the latest edition of bailers which have been upgraded to a beefier version with bigger screws, lever, and opening stops that allow only open or closed positions. I am not fond of bailers as I have written often so I replaced the bailer in my 550 with an Elite Ocean insert. While it fit, it allowed too much water in the footwell so I reinstalled the Debrito bailer. This is different than in my Think skis where I replaced the bailers in my Six, Zen, Evo with inserts and it drains very quickly with no fuss.(See my insert article) My Nelo’s came with carbon footplates which are superior to the plastic version and I opted for the hard plastic foot-strap that I prefer on the Nelo’s. A leash attachment is provided along with a wave deflector that now screws into the deck for easy on/off with one single screw. No more tape! The footplate adjustment is easy as is the toe pedal adjusters that can be adjusted toward you while you are on the water.
Stability
The new design used across the entire line of Nelo surf skis has greatly increased the stability. They are different skis than the first generation; much more stable and noticeable particularly in rougher conditions. While I really enjoyed my 550 1G in flat to moderate conditions, I had other skis in my garage that were better rough water skis. Now the 2G is plenty stable for rough water paddling at my skill level in the conditions I train in. With the stock rudder, the 5502G is very stable and compares with many of the other stable intermediate skis. I experimented with different size DK rudders from the 6 inch, 7 inches at different angles too. The nice thing is that the 550 can accommodate smaller rudders without losing too much control or stability with an increase in speed. Being only 18 ft, and designed to have a pivot point, the rudder input is minimum so this takes getting used to as to not oversteer. This also allows for tight turns which allows you to pick up 1-3 boat lengths on every buoy turn over your peers in they are not paddling a Nelo.
Nelo skis have a very distinct feel to them. Gone is most of the side-to-side movement of the first generation. It is replaced with a great sense of being “planted” in the bucket which is somewhat different from other skis. You feel rock-solid in the bucket when paddling it, however, the front end of the ski is moving a little more than other skis. So this is the “Nelo feel” you will adjust to as you paddle it. Remember, the 550 has a deep bucket, reverse rocker, pivot point, lower bow volume, and most of the weight of the ski is in the cockpit. These features are responsible for the stability and handling characteristics. Also, this ski in the WWR layup is 26-27 lbs. I am sure the SCS layup I have coming will be slightly less stable due to its weight of 23-24lbs. So the 550 2g now moves up significantly on my stability chart from the previous generation and falls very similar to the other stable intermediate skis while retaining its “Nelo feel” and speed.
Speed
When I compare the speeds of skis, I always like to use the 23-26lbs layups in any brand. However, this ski at 27lbs performed well in my training runs with my peers, and in my one race. Picking up the ski, it feels like all the weight is centered in the cockpit area which is different from other skis. On a few occasions, I was pining for a lighter version trying to keep up with my peers. Having said that, the 550 in whatever layup, picks up the bumps very quickly due to its shortness and design. So this ski has very good speed compared to my other intermediate skis in my garage: Six Elite, Evo 3G ultimate, SR excel, Falcon which are all skis available for me to race in for 2022. I expect to be a few seconds per mile faster, and be quicker accelerating when my 550L SCS arrives. Below are some tracks and notes as I took the 550 2g through its paces this summer.
Comments on Speed:
I paddled this ski on a summer day with Tim Hacket and Tim Dwyer, launching from Third Beach and landing at Island Park, which was 9.52 miles of downwind in moderate conditions. I used the 6-inch rudder. This was a training paddle at pace. We finished within seconds of each other so this was a good indication of its speed and stability. I was getting used to the boat hence the broaching comment.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/6985049300
My note from this paddle on my sports track app. Track from Garmin: “3rd to island park, Tim Hacket, Tim D., 2 to 3ft seas bigger off sandy point. getting used to steering, tiny rudder input needed, picks up waves very well, only a few lengths behind Tim H. at McCorrie Point, pushing the whole time. Waited up for Tim D at McCorrie Point(late night for him). Thought I might broach 2x. liking the boat a lot.”
On another occasion, I paddled with Tim H around Flint Ledge on a 14-mile paddle which is similar to Jamestown except for faster-moving water. An excellent test of stability. Below is the link.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/6947288902
Leslie Chappell is has been all smile training and racing in her 550L 2G SCS this season. See the short video below.
https://www.facebook.com/1438419582/videos/10227092172997066/
I raced the 550L 2G on a super flat day in the Ride the Bull modified racecourse and finished similar to where I would normally finish in relation to my peers. I do remember saying though, I wanted a lighter version for racing. Virtually all the skis in the intermediate group I have reviewed recently are very comparable in speed with few exceptions. I don’t have as much data as I normally have this year since I paddled less opting for cycling or running more. However, in 2022 I should be able to get more paddle miles in as well as enjoy my cycling times.
Summary
The Nelo 550 2G is a much different ski than its predecessor, more stable, faster with better handling characteristics due to its unique design. It has a relaxed, super comfortable ergo cockpit that invites leg drive along with a narrow catch. At 18ft long is very easy to store and handle though I do wish for integrated side handles. Build quality is excellent and you can special order virtually any color or design you want. They come in different size cockpits, ML,L, XXL that will fit almost any paddler. I enjoy paddling both the 540 and 550 2G. The 540 is more stable than the 550 with a shallower bucket and has an excellent speed/stability ratio. The 550 is faster and less stable than the 540.
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