Fluid Motion E-Series vs Radar Strada Boots

[Ryno]

I've been running Radar Strada Boots on my ski for the last 15 months, and although I've been very happy with them as a whole, a couple of things concerned me.

Firstly the durability - the RADAR Logo on my front boot has cracked and fallen apart, which at first I thought was just cosmetic, however the seam where the rubber at the back joins the boot has started to split.

Secondly the release - I like the control provided by having the front laces fairly snug, but in this state I was concerned about the boot not releasing. I've had a couple of falls where the front foot has only come half out and this has tweaked my ankle.

 

Obviously the durability issue may have been addressed in the 2012 Strada boot as the logo has gone, but I've already heard reports of the front laces strap splitting, so I didn't want to run the risk of similar problems. I've also had no support when contacting Radar for a replacement under warranty.

 

The two boots that looked like they would provide a better release in a similar design were the Fluid Motion E-Series and the new O'brien Elite boot. But unfortunately the later is not for sale yet.

 

So I bit the bullet and contacted Paul at Fluid Motion for an E-Series to replace the front boot. I'm still planning to run my rear Strada, as that boot hasn't shown the same wear compared to the front boot, most likely because I don't run the laces as tight on the rear.

 

After a few skis on the E-series, I must admit I'm very happy with the purchase. I'm much more connected to the ski than with the Strada and no longer have the fear of the boot not releasing. The boot is also built of materials that should last for many seasons, so I'm confident I won't be looking for a replacement in 12 months time.

 

In fairness to an honest review, there are some negatives to going down the road of the E-series, these are:

1. Price... it cost me almost double the price of a Strada, though I did spec it up with the better plate etc.

2. Time to get the boot... although postage from Canada was fairly quick to Australia, it took a week or more to get the boot put together ready for shipping.

3. Boot sizing... There isn't a great range of sizes for the boots, so in order to get a tight fit I went for the SML/MED size which goes up to size 8 US. As I'm an 8 1/2 US I thought this would be a better fit than risking the MED size, which goes up to 10 US.

4. Donning the boot... The boot is more time consuming to get your foot in and out of than the Strada. Though this isn't helped by the fact I went for the smaller size as mentioned above.

 

So overall if you're thinking of going down this road, I highly recommend the purchase, it's fixed the two big issues I've had with the Strada and had added much more connection to the ski.

[DUSkier]

I agree the "E" series is an awesome product, have just finished my third season on them and have only just had my first "Breakage" the Shim that runs down the inside of the front boot cracked in 2. Easy and cheap to fix was back on water and next set was first round at Nationals!! Liners are only just staring to show a little wear and will replace cord lacing over Winter.

With putting them on try leaving the liner in the boot, I found this a lot easier.

Luvin the flighty too! Did a lot of my early Tourny skiing behind an Xlt with 225hp Yamaha (at Bedrock, Blanchetown) and our first boat was a Flighty Dominator with 200hp Johnson. If your wanting to know any setup tips for the boat try getting in touch with Peter Kent at Regal Marine. I spoke to him at length a few months back about how he used to set them up for Moomba.

[Ryno]

@DUSkier It's funny you mention Regal Marine, as their name is stenciled on the side of my trailer. Though as I'm the second owner so haven't had any interaction with that dealer down in Melbourne. I absolutely love the boat, especially now I have the Perfect Pass working well. The wake is awesome, and there's no pesky engine just using up space in the middle of the boat!

I am putting on my E-series boots as you have advised - they are way to tight for me to fit them any other way. And because they are so snug, I'm not running the shims inside the boot, and have removed them. The lateral stiffness without them is still way better than I had with the Strada front, so I don't think I'm losing much by running the boot without them.

[DUSkier]

Funny you say that, I only run the one buckle on the front boot as felt they were too sensitive, (especailly when coming off rubber) will try it again next season.

We still have an Xlt here with 350chev, soft slutch and pp classic that we use at the start of the season to "get in shape" super soft to ski behind with tiny wake is easy on the body. It is Brown metal flake and affectionately called "Brown Dog" =)

[Ryno]

Very cool... I must say I almost stumbled upon the 18XL by chance. I was looking for a new boat for slalom skiing that has an outboard, and a mate that does a lot of barefooting recommended the Flightcraft. Since purchasing the boat, it has exceeded every expectation. I can't believe you can get them for less than $10k over in the US, if I was over there I'd own five!

[SkiJay]

@Ryno If Radar won't show you any love on the warranty, talk to Precision Ski in Orlando. I had exactly the same problem with the logo and seam on a 2011 Strada, and even though I told them I hadn't bought the bindings there, Precision offered me a new 2011 boot for $50. I'm sure the $50 was 100% profit to them as a warranty return, but it allowed me to sell the new replacement for $150 on Ski-It-Again.

 

As for the front laces on the 2012 Strada, I took them right out. The front laces are unnecessary and a wast of time. I can get any fit I want (including so tight my foot goes to sleep) using just the Velcro strap. I have about 150 sets on them with no signs of wear on the boots or Velcro fasteners. I had a good clean full release with them a couple of months ago too.