Opened since 2015
About Us
Flyfin Boats -Built by a team obsessed with precision
Welcome to Flyfin Boats
Boat Builders Papamoa
About us -Flyfin Boats is a boat builder based in Papamoa Beach, New Zealand. We build premium aluminium fishing boats engineered tough for New Zealand conditions, serving Kiwi fishermen and families who demand quality and reliability.
At Flyfin, we offer a wide range of boats models to fit your every need. From the Centre Console to the Hard Top, each model has its own unique features tailored to your boating style. Browse our collection and find your perfect boat.
Our boats are the top choice for both fishermen and families, providing key advantages over other aluminium boat manufacturers. With a reputation for superior performance and durability, our boats are sure to meet the evolving demands of the modern boater.
The man behind Flyfin
Nicholas Fenton
Owner & Designer, Flyfin Boats
Some people discover their calling. Nick Fenton was born with his. As a kid growing up around Whitianga, he was already building boats for the local lagoon — not as a hobby, but as a compulsion. The water, the craft, the problem of making something that moves well and looks right. It was always going to be boats.
After finishing school in 2002, Nick went straight into the industry, joining Tristram Marine in Hamilton as a composite boat builder. He worked across mold and plug making and the woodwork department, learning the fundamentals of how boats are actually built — not just designed. That hands-on grounding would shape everything that came after.
He went on to study a Bachelor of Design with Honours in Marine Design at Massey University, where a philosophy started to crystallise that still drives every Flyfin today: practical and strong boats don’t need to be ugly. It sounds simple. In practice, it’s rare.
From there, Nick contracted across some of the most demanding corners of the marine world — designing hydrofoil speed boats, then moving into project managing builds for the superyacht industry. By the time Flyfin Boats was formed in 2015, he had a depth of experience most boat builders never accumulate.
The First
FLYFIN
Was Born
The first Flyfin was built for a family member. FF — friends and family — is where the name came from. Word spread the way it only does when something is genuinely different. People saw the boat, wanted one, and came knocking. A business grew from that.
A deliberate shift to full aluminum construction became a turning point. Nick had never been fond of the New Zealand aluminum boat market — but the realisation came that it wasn’t the material that made bad boats. It was the way they were being built. Switching to aluminum was a conscious choice that unlocked freedom of design, making it possible to build exactly what each customer needed without compromise. From that point, the standard was set: there are no “B” grade surfaces at Flyfin. Every part is well resolved. Every surface considered. The whole boat is the product.
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The amphibious system became central to Flyfin’s identity. Until 2019, the only amphibious boats widely available were inflatable Sealegs models. Nick saw a gap for something more specific — purpose-built fishing and family boats that were safer, more practical, and better performing, designed for customers who live close to the coast and want direct access to the ocean from their own backyard.
What Nick is most proud of today is the level of refinement. Flyfin boats are designed and engineered to look like a product — not a backyard build. Super strong, with clean lines that reflect the care behind them. That full-circle from a university philosophy to a finished product on the water.
The vision from here is clear: Flyfin as a household name for performance offshore boats — amphibious and conventional. A range that brings customers into the brand at an accessible entry point, and at the top end, delivers a build quality unseen in New Zealand or Australia. A product, and a customer base, to be genuinely proud of.
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Boats we have built
Our Experience
Our flagship Amphibious model utilises thegroundbreaking Tectrax system – the world’s only fullyelectric amphibious boating system built right here inAotearoa.
Flyfin and Tectrax have set a new benchmark in marineinnovation by creating the lightest electric amphibioussystem on the market, purpose-built for New Zealand’sunique conditions. The Tectrax technology delivers 40%more torque than conventional alternatives, offeringwhisper-quiet, emission-free operation and significantlyenhanced deck space for a superior on-water experience.
Customers and industry experts alike have praised Flyfin’scutting-edge engineering, clean design, andcommitment to sustainability—qualities integral to ourmission and to New Zealand’s environmental future.
Our non-amphibious aluminium boats range from 4.5 to 7.5 meters, built with the same engineering standards and construction quality as our amphibious line. These hulls are designed for customers who prioritise traditional water-based performance without amphibious capability, offering lighter weight and optimised hydrodynamics for marine use. Each boat is custom-built to customer specifications, allowing full control over layout, finish, and equipment selection. Whether you need a compact fishing rig or a larger offshore platform, we deliver the same precision welding, quality materials, and attention to detail that defines every Flyfin boat.
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