The present invention is an improved feed spacer, spiral wound element incorporating said feed spacer, filtration system and a method for making and using the same. In one embodiment the present invention includes an improved spiral wound element having: a central collection tube with a plurality of openings along its length to receive permeate; at least one filtration envelope extending outwardly from and wound about the tube and at least one feed spacer sheet wound about the collection tube wherein the feed spacer sheet being in planar contact with the outer surface of at least one filtration envelope. The feed spacer sheet is a net comprising a first set of substantially parallel filaments crossed with a second set substantially parallel filaments to form a plurality of parallelograms having an acute angle less than 70°, the net oriented such that a line bisecting said acute angle is approximately parallel to the axis of the central collection tube and wherein the net has a strand thinning parameter greater than 1.3.