I say get the 4.3. It will get you out on the most days in Perth conditions. If you're learning just with a mid length and don't have a downwind board to fall back on you will need some power to learn.
Also if you're able to do downwinders a fair bit then you can use the 4.3 overpowered. You can still hold onto a parawing and use it to get going downwind in winds that are way too strong to go upwind. That would effectively mean the 4.3 would cover the majority of Perth seabreezes, normal riding on the light to mid days and hanging onto it to get going on down winders.
Now to throw another spanner in the works. If as with many Perth foilers downwinders are your main focus then is the Power Pack a better option for learning? Maybe the flying characteristics aren't as good as the pocket rocket but it have to be a lot easier to learn the stow and redeploy.

eppo said..

BWalnut said..

Jonny316 said..
I think if I like it I'll end up with two! Maybe 4.3m to start then at 88kgs and a relatively small
board? My gut is that generally some power will make it easier at least during the learning stages?

I always prefer to be underpowered, but I think most people prefer to learn with plenty of power.

I'm 86kg and learned on a 3m PR in 25+ knots.

My board progression was 90l, 77l, 68l. All my boards were 5'11"-6'6"

I used a ton of foils while I sorted things out. At least 10. It's just about learning how to match your foil to the swell speed which is different than with a wing where you can ride any foil and different than DW SUP where your foil choice is about what you can paddle up.

If there's one thing I'd say its: Don't buy 2 Pocket Rocket sizes that are next to each other. I had 2.4m and 3m and I really should have had 1.9m and 3m. So if you buy the 4.3m, aim for the 3m next.

I don't necessarily agree with that. I do and i don't and it depends.My mate has that gap but also he's goofy so can take off on his heel side (in WA) running with the bump direction. As a natural footer you are always heading slightly into the bumps in WA and you need that extra power. If it's in its lighter end of the range i'm forced to take off on my toes to use the swell bumps and it's defintely not as easy. Maybe in the smaller sizes you idea holds true but i am finding having the 3.6/4.3 works really well with our winds here. Recon if you are a goofy footer you could have that gap. Kinda depends like everything.

Valid points, and I'd trust your local knowledge over my river riding experience.

Purchased the 4.3m. I'll start next year but I know I'll end up with two! Like like every wind sport I've done (sailboarding, kiting, kite foiling, winging etc) I get there is no "perfect" size. My gut is with a small ML for my weight more power won't hurt and it would be hard to hide/justify a bigger board at home! Appreciate the advise from everyone though - anyone selling a 3.6m PR cheap to complete my quiver?

Use the swell to your advantage! Let it pull you up in the right moment, don't try to force it.

flowstate said..
just picked up crispy new 3.6m v1 Pocket Rocket. Any tips pumping onto foil, coming from a low aspect stump puller?

It will pump across the window quite well and you can head at the wing slightly more than you think and this will make it drop back and then spike forward when it repowers back up. If you can grab a pump just as it fully spikes from deep in the window you can get up in very light circumstances.

any gains in range/ease of handling using a two point vs. single point harness loop on the PR v1 ?

BWalnut said..

flowstate said..
any gains in range/ease of handling using a two point vs. single point harness loop on the PR v1 ?

I couldn’t get much out of the 2 point so I stuck to a mono loop!

🤙🏽

eppo said..

AnyBoard said..

flowstate said..
just picked up crispy new 3.6m v1 Pocket Rocket. Any tips pumping onto foil, coming from a low aspect stump puller?

It will pump across the window quite well and you can head at the wing slightly more than you think and this will make it drop back and then spike forward when it repowers back up. If you can grab a pump just as it fully spikes from deep in the window you can get up in very light circumstances.

yeh that’s what i loved about the V1 compared to others i tried. as it hunts the edge of the window you can actually use a few
of these thrusts to build up speed and go -
whilst most i tried woukd just fall back in the window and lag there

any vid out there of PRv1 movement, partic of when/where to grab that quick bar pump?

UisceBeatha said..

flowstate said..

eppo said..

AnyBoard said..

flowstate said..
just picked up crispy new 3.6m v1 Pocket Rocket. Any tips pumping onto foil, coming from a low aspect stump puller?

It will pump across the window quite well and you can head at the wing slightly more than you think and this will make it drop back and then spike forward when it repowers back up. If you can grab a pump just as it fully spikes from deep in the window you can get up in very light circumstances.

yeh that’s what i loved about the V1 compared to others i tried. as it hunts the edge of the window you can actually use a few
of these thrusts to build up speed and go -
whilst most i tried woukd just fall back in the window and lag there

thanks!
Practicing working 3.6 PRv1 around the wind window and bar pressure, am momentarily feeling that lift/drive sweetspot, just cant yet manage to hold it long enough to sync with wing & foil pump cycle.
Such a dramatically diff beast to my 5m stump puller, super looking forward to my skill level doing justice to the PR’s performance.
Headed to lagoon flatwater clean wind spot tomorrow, take all the open ocean variables out of it, hopefully hone in on that bar/window sweetspot.

flowstate said..

UisceBeatha said..

flowstate said..

eppo said..

AnyBoard said..

flowstate said..
just picked up crispy new 3.6m v1 Pocket Rocket. Any tips pumping onto foil, coming from a low aspect stump puller?

It will pump across the window quite well and you can head at the wing slightly more than you think and this will make it drop back and then spike forward when it repowers back up. If you can grab a pump just as it fully spikes from deep in the window you can get up in very light circumstances.

yeh that’s what i loved about the V1 compared to others i tried. as it hunts the edge of the window you can actually use a few
of these thrusts to build up speed and go -
whilst most i tried woukd just fall back in the window and lag there

thanks!
Practicing working 3.6 PRv1 around the wind window and bar pressure, am momentarily feeling that lift/drive sweetspot, just cant yet manage to hold it long enough to sync with wing & foil pump cycle.
Such a dramatically diff beast to my 5m stump puller, super looking forward to my skill level doing justice to the PR’s performance.
Headed to lagoon flatwater clean wind spot tomorrow, take all the open ocean variables out of it, hopefully hone in on that bar/window sweetspot.

For me it’s not really intentionally stalling the wing deep in the window with the bar that allows for great success at the bottom end. It is more using the bump energy which points you more at the wing momentarily and this causes the wing to drop back and then power up again as you unweight the board hard while pumping the wing when it power spikes. With time you can get up with bump assistance in much lighter conditions than you could in flat.