Being the owner of a 2015 Starboard Pocket Rocket for a couple of months now I thought it might be appropriate to submit some feedback on this board, but first some background info on me and other boards I have ridden just to put you in the picture. That way you can make your own decision whether or not I am qualified to advise.
Surfing has been a large part of my life for roughly thirty years. In the early days, yes, I was a short board ‘nazi’ and nil other surf craft really qualified in my books. My main focus was on the Far North Coast NSW and Southern QLD, where I resided at the time, but I also spent considerable time in VIC on the Surf Coast and visited WA and that great big reef up north in QLD. So all up I have ridden many many waves of all types from long points to shallow reefs. If I had to name a favourite spot, BSW would go close as I’m goofy.
While in the prime of my life a few injuries and some complications resulted in a fair bit of expensive metal being inserted in key areas of my body and surfing became almost impossible for me, thus keeping me out of the water for about ten years. Then paddle boarding came about in a big way and I thought that maybe I could get back into the ‘swing of things’ on one of those ‘monstrous’ things. So about five years ago I grabbed an 11 foot
NSP and as they say, the rest is history. Since then I have had the opportunity to ride a number of boards, from heavy Chinese ‘pop outs’ to several nice lightweight demo’s. As I became increasingly ‘bitten’ by the sport I spent a fair bit of time on a
Starboard Drive and later the
Carbon Converse+, where the lightness of the carbon construction opened up the realisation that these boards could actually be thrown around a bit (almost like the old days on a short board). I was however always eying of something shorter and more maneuverable, but at the same time I didn’t really want to sacrifice too much stability and floatation. So after doing a bit of home work I decided on the
Starboard Carbon Pocket Rocket and ordered one.
The board has now seen plenty of waves ranging from 1 foot mush to 4 foot perfection (well almost) and thus far my impression is:
I LIKE IT - A LOT.
The Starboard Pocket Rocket (carbon). The board is 8’5” long, 30” wide and has a nice rocker that is more pronounced under the wide’ish nose section. Volume is claimed to be 131 litres and the carbon model weighs in at 8.03kg. Maximum recommended rider weight is 85kg. Although this board has the capacity for five fins, out of the box it comes standard with a tri fin set-up, with the centre fin being a 170 Hexcel (box) and the side fins being 4.5” Hexcel’s (FCS). It has 3/4 deck grip and a solid “kick” built into the tail pad. Underneath, a mono concave runs almost the entire length of the board, flattening out near the rear of the centre fin box, before running into a V for the last few inches. The rails are nicely rounded, becoming more noticeable and sharper near the forward fin boxes, continuing towards the rounded tail. This type of shape / design is common on surf oriented SUP’s and surf boards, because it’s tried and tested and works well.
So, how does it go? While paddling the Rocket around you quickly notice that this is more of a surf board than a paddle board. The shorter length and increased rocker makes it a little slower than longer boards with less rocker, but it’s not really designed for any distance paddling. Getting out through the breakers isn’t a drama as the wider nose seem to float up and over the white water. While ‘hanging around’ waiting for waves the board is quite stable and predictable, even in choppy conditions. It takes slightly more effort to get onto the waves than with bigger boards, but this should be expected. You’re still at an advantage to most other surf craft out there. On the other hand, don’t let late and heavy drops deter you. This board actually handles these with ease, so if you’re confident enough, go for it. I turned my rocket straight into a quad fin, keeping the 4.5’s at the back and installing 4.7’s out front. This was in order to achieve speed and a degree of looseness and so far this has worked well, so well in fact that I haven’t yet surfed it in the thruster configuration. But that’s just me, I’d encourage everyone to play around with the fin set-up / configuration to find out what works for you and the waves you ride. I’ve found the deck grip really good, I certainly prefer it to the ‘Startouch - grippy when wet’ type deck. It feels softer and warmer underfoot and is quite grippy, real confidence inspiring. I should mention the tail kick. Get your back foot up against this and the board responds instantly, allowing you to point it where you want it to go. I’m of the opinion that the Rocket surfs the best when your foot is on that block. It really allows the rider to drive some tight turns, even hard snaps and controlled slides, thus remaining in that wave pocket where all the action is. The tail V also assists here, in the release of the board for turn initiation. Set up as a quad,I’ve found it very fast, especially if you transfer your weight forward and start pumping it down the line to beat that section. The concave of course also aids speed.
Any negatives - Not really, my other board is a Starboard Converse+, and once the waves are really small and ‘gutless’ I do prefer to hop on this board as its’ dimensions allow for relaxed easy cruising in tiny waves.
I hope this review/feedback has been of some benefit to those of you considering the Pocket Rocket - I certainly have no regrets and would be happy to recommend this board.
Cheers
