I have their new smaller version, appropriate for my size (5'5") called a Storm Nymph. (Best not to google this in the presence of decent company.) I am perhaps a 3+/4- "senior citizen" boater. My previous boat was a Wavesport Diesel.
Mark Brenneman
One year.
Mike Aronoff
I was one of the first, I think the first, to buy an Elf. I then purchased another and another, all still being used today by members.
Wayne McDaniel
I bought my first one (used) in 2017, so eight years for me.
2. How has yours worked out on the spectrum from indestructible to fragile?
Cotton
They are pretty darn tough. The Kevlar/glass layups that Chris Soileau (builder of River Elfs) uses seem to hit the sweet spot between weight and durability. I've had make repairs a few times to the hull just beneath the seat. It's straightforward to add a little glass and resin. Chris provided some color compound to mix with resin, so it matches pretty closely.
Gary
I find the boat very durable. Hull is still stiff. No cracks. One or two times per year I have done minor hull maintenance.
So far the only maintenance has been to add resin with a paint brush anywhere the purple gel coat has been scraped off and the underlying white S Glass is exposed. I haven't had any gouges deep enough to expose the tan Kevlar layer, or deep enough to warrant adding more than resin, e.g., I haven't added narrow fabric fibers/strings or larger woven cloth patches.
It's very helpful that Chris provides pigment, and resin meant for hull maintenance that is more abrasion resistant than the resin used to build the hull or that might be used for more extensive patches. And of course if the hull were to wear thin or crack in one area, it's pretty straightforward to add material outside and/or inside to restore structural integrity. Very nice that the seat is fully removable in the event repairs are needed in that area. I'm not aware of any approach that can make an equivalent repair to a plastic boat.
I'm a little more careful with the Elf versus a plastic boat when it comes to banging down a low-water run, dragging the boat, seal launching, etc.—but only a little more careful. (If I paid $4,000 for a plastic boat I'd probably be more careful with it as well!) I've had a few serious boat-hits-rock incidents, both nose first and banging into a rock sideways, and incurred only cosmetic damage.
Ken
Some folks also are shocked at how nonchalantly I bang about on rocks. It seems sufficiently indestructible to me. I chose a provocative pink color that I love, although it does seem to show the many scratches more prominently. (Out of an abundance of caution I ordered the reinforced carbon hull, which they said was really only recommended for avid creekers.)
Mark
In-between indestructible and fragile, but leaning in the direction of fragile. I/m much more mindful of scraping over rocks, missing some and wincing when I don't manage to avoid them. That said, I've paddled my Elf over 75 times in the past year without any serious damage. All the many scrapes and gouges have been minor and repairable.
Mike
I never babied them and never had more than scratches.
Wayne
Only fair. I had a recurring problem with the seat breaking loose from the deck. I got tired of fooling with it and bought a new one in 2022. No problems with this one. And no problems with either in terms of cracks, gouges, etc. from hitting rocks, which you would think would be the main problem.
3. What is the effect of the lighter weight in the water: pros, cons, things you need to do differently?
Cotton
When I first started paddling the River Elf, I noticed that it was very responsive when I took a hard/strong stroke. I've paddled it more than my other boats since then. When I get in a heavier plastic boat now, I notice right away that the boat doesn't move as swiftly when I set a stroke. The boat design is for high-volume boating. Most of my paddling recently has been on the Potomac, Shenandoah Staircase, and Lower Yough. The boat seems well-suited for river running on those rivers with substantial, but not threatening, flows.
Gary
A very interesting question. My composite experience is mainly with the Elf and with a mostly Kevlar boat (13' slalom design Augsburg K1) I built back in the day and was my main ride for 8 years. Overall, leaving aside durability, I think a lighter boat is more fun to paddle.
My main thought is that a significantly lighter boat makes it easier and faster to initiate or change boat movement, and to a lesser extent continue boat movement. (I think once a heavier boat has momentum, the force needed to maintain that momentum is probably still more than in a lighter boat, but not as noticeable.) So it takes less force to start moving forward, to start turning, to slow or stop movement. This applies when using the paddle to move the boat, and also when water features act on the boat. Easier and faster is usually a good thing if you're in control, not so much if you're getting tossed around. For example, in a series of waves, a lighter boat will probably react faster and more strongly to the bow being hit by a diagonal curler. If you're planning to use this feature to your advantage, that's a good thing; if you're surprised by what the curler does to you, it could be disconcerting.
Of course, the difference is most important when comparing boats of similar design. My 12' long heavy plastic 12R is going be faster than the 8½ ' long Elf when applying the same paddle force, although I wonder if the Elf is faster for the first 1-2 strokes?
Ken
I find the Elf to be wonderfully maneuverable and stable. While I was flipped numerous times in my Diesel over the years, I do not recall ever being flipped in the Elf. The few times that I have found myself in what might be considered "big" water, l did perhaps feel a bit more vulnerable to being tossed about on the waves in this light boat, but this is easily enough compensated for with a steady paddle in the water—a good skills test!
A veteran paddler in Canada tried my boat out and was very uncomfortable in it due to lack of edges. Personally, I do not find it a problem to make quick and easy turns in the Elf.
Mark
With the lighter weight I can accelerate more quickly than I could with my Zen. The first few strokes get me up to speed quickly, but the Elf is not particularly fast on flat water.
The Elf surfs well, as good as if not better than my Zen. Catching waves is aided by the lighter weight.
The Elf does seem to get pushed around a bit in bigger water, both downstream and ferrying. But I've adapted, and this has not been a real concern
The Elf rolls easily due to its light weight and its displacement hull.
Mike
Obviously, I liked them. They are a pretty generic displacement hull that responds well in moving water up to class IV, probably OK in V too, but not with me.
Pay attention to what you are told by Chris re: sizing, but consider your paddling style. One of my Elfs was the XL due to my 6'3" and size 13 feet; it was comfortable and OK but needed more weight than I had at 170. Due to my underweight, it got bounced around by big diagonals, etc., I downsized, for me the M is right. All of them surfed and maneuvered well.
Wayne
I don't really notice any difference in the water due to weight. Maybe that suggests that I'm not a very skilled paddler. But my previous plastic was a Dagger Nomad that had a very similar size and shape, and the two boats handle the same as far as I can tell.
4. What's not to like? That is, are there downsides? (Other than cost.)
Cotton
My only complaint has been that my boat came with a rigid Kevlar seat. The distance between the top of the seat and the rear of the cockpit was so small that it was hard storing things behind the seat in the stern compartments. When I raised this with Chris, he said that the seat back is strong enough for me to cut some of it away. I did that and it works fine. Chris has changed seat options now. He offers several different seats, including an IR backband. I would definitely purchase that option. I enjoy the River Elf and am thinking about getting a new one.
Gary
Obviously the Elf is a high-volume river runner and creek design. I think it does what it's designed to do really well, and I like it a lot. So my comments apply to this type of boat, not a different "species" like a half-slice or any boat with a different volume distribution and harder chines.
So, things I think some people might not like:
One thing that surprised me and took a while to get used to is the height of the deck immediately in front of the cockpit—higher than anything else I've ever paddled. I got used to it, but for a while I was banging my hands against the deck when I rotated from one side of the boat to the other with the paddle held close to the deck, for example when switching from a left rudder to a right rudder when surfing.
The boat doesn't have a drain plug, something that I think is a nice convenience.
My understanding is that adjustable thigh braces are in development, and I think this would be a really nice feature to add. Currently the thigh braces need to be permanently attached with fiberglass and resin, and it's recommended the buyer/user do this themselves as it's difficult to get the location just right without a personal fitting (which would require visiting the River Elf home base in Florence, Alabama. Not everyone wants to try installing the braces themselves.
Ken
Count me a happy Elfer. I love getting into it and soaring over the water; it is definitely faster, more maneuverable, and much stabler than my old Diesel. I am not quite as happy with their custom-made skirt—it is a terrific pain to get it on the cockpit, although once that is accomplished, it does the job.
Mark
I like the Elf very much. I need to spend time on scratch and gouge repair; other than that, no particular downside.
Mike
They don't have edges, as that's not the design. I missed edges but adapted my leans to make things work well enough.
Wayne
Not really any downsides other than the seat issue noted above.
For more information:
The River Elf website has comprehensive FAQs, including explanations of the boats' construction and the materials used..
—Larry Lempert