Tabou Rocket Wide

[GURGLETROUSERS]

Quote; 'Who needs freeride boards anymore?'

Many of us, actually! We've read how the manufacturers, the sponsored riders, and the magazine testers have all gone overboard at this new concept, and can only wonder if the laws governing handling of high speed craft over bumpy chop have somehow been circumvented?

Short and very wide is now being claimed to be smoother, comfier, and more controllable at high speed in high wind chop, than our longer narrower tradional high wind freeride boards.

Quite some breakthrough if really true.

[GURGLETROUSERS]

Just musing aloud, but ......

This weekend (Sat and Sunday) was strongish offshore with viscious swirly gusts and dead patches at our local beach. Not ideal, but if we want to windsurf we must make the best of what we're dealt.

Knowing what to expect I took my 14 year oldBic Techno E medium 112 litre board (263 long by 63 wide) and 5.5 sail. That cobination works as well as any in those conditions. So half the time was planing, sometimes skitishly, and the other half was grinding to a halt in the dead patches. (Ready for the next strike, and lift off!)

Point is, a) I was the only one out (Windy weekend, for heavens sake), and b) I was on a 14 year old 'cooking' Bic. While out, I wondered how one of these new wide 'wonder' boards would have enhanced the experience? I couldn't see how. Given that the wind dictated a 5.5 sail, and the board instantly sprang on to the plane in the gusts, how could things have been made better? 112 litres floats in the dead spots, and the 263 length gives some semblance of directional stability when suddenly struck by a gust, so I couldn't see what was lacking.

I'd like to put it to a head to head test against one of these new concept boards, in those conditions, but alas, those who champion the new would nowadays rather do something else but windsurf, when conditions don't suit! (Yet they still call themselves keen windsurfers!!)

[Sailboarder]

[Sailboarder]

[adywind]

You know GURGLETROUSERS i think exactly this kind of narow, thick, unstable and in general very technical for intermediates to sail boards you seem to like so much made windsurfing so unpopular in the 90s. While it seems with the new trends the sport shows at least some comeback, they make it easy and fun for everybody again.Give them a chance man, try some positivity for a change.

[GURGLETROUSERS]

Where to start Andy!

Quote; 'Try some positivity for a change.' I was THE ONLY ONE OUT ON THE WATER at our regular beach,this windy weekend. Or did you miss that point!

Quote; 'This kind of narrow thick unstable and generally very technical to sail etc etc' The Bic Techno series of boards were specifically made to be EASY to sail, yet still be satisfying in performance. Far from killing windsurfing they probably helped to save it. Experienced windsurfers can still enjoy using them FOR FUN!

I can only repeat; in the conditions I described, and used my 'old' Techno 112 in this weekend, how would a 'new trend' board have been better, or more fun? Why was nobody out there with me using one, if the sport is making a comeback because of them?

Doesn't compute, as they say!

[swchandler]

G.T.,

The upside to the rapid pace of change is the fact that there is a constant flow of good used boards hitting the market that are just a few years old. While some folks wouldn't be caught dead with a board more than a couple years old, there are always some savvy folks out there that know that yesterday's standout board is still a great ride. That in itself helps keep the sport alive and growing.

[scargo]

GT: I don't necessarily agree with the point that a narrower platform will respond better to being hit by a gust when you're slogging. I would think the advantage goes to the quickest board to pop up on a plane, because that sudden accelleration is what lowers the apparent wind speed and makes the gust more manageable.

That said, I have some of the same thoughts you do. I'm ready to accept (and have argued) that width contributes to early planing more than volume does, because as long as the board isn't completely submerged, the water doesn't "care" how much is protruding above the surface. On the other hand, I'm having a hard time believing that wide boards can cope with chop as well. That's why I always though the holy grail for freeride boards was finding the right balance between early planing (width) and speed in chop (width).

To go back to my specific example, the Rocket Wide 118 is wider than my Rocket 145, and I have to think that once planing, it will ride about the same. The shapers claim that the thinness cut down wind resistance at speed, and that sounds plausible but I'm not convinced it could make that much of a difference.

There are some good reviews out there comparing various wide shapes (which seem very similar in their dimensions), but to me what's missing is a head-to-head comparison of the really wide vs. the merely wide.

[GURGLETROUSERS]

Agreed Scargo, especially to your last point of wanting an honest comparitive test of very wide v. merely wide, in the full range of conditions the boards are intended to be used in. But is any windsurfing publication, which must rely on advertising to keep afloat, ever going to dare to do so?

British Boards mag under Ian Leonards test editorship (in since the 80's with extensive experience of thousands of boards) dared to criticize a Starboard offering whereupon Starboard withdrew all of their advertising, leading to the mag loosing money, and eventually folding as a monthly.

If there was such a test there would likely be one of three conclusions.

1) Swings and roundabouts! i.e. very wide better in some respects but worse in others, suggesting change just for the sake of it.

2) The new very wide is better all round and should therefore be the standard offering for the future.

3) The new very wide is not superior to the merely wide in any real sense, and should not take over.

In the absence of such an honest appraisal we can't be sure. A point of significance however, is that in an interview withe current head of Bic Sport (a few years ago) he was asked why they hadn't updated their old (longer, narrower) Techno 145 with a more contemporary shorter wider version? He replied that they had built and tested several prototypes but had found no significant advantage over the old. They preferred to keep the old, and keep the cost down by avoiding change just for the sake of it.

An honest admission, to my mind.

[NOVAAN]

Bottom line: try one you might like it. I did but went back to a less wide board.
That said, I nave nothing but good things to say about the wide board I had. For early planning, ease of use and "fun boarding", I say give wide a try...... Again were talking lakes and bays not extreme Gorge windsurfing....
Last thought and I'm done here. My wide board got going very easy with less strain on my back, shoulders and elbows.. The transition from slogging to planning was much less strenuous. Ok one more thought. If you go wide, get the lightest construction available. These are big boards and can be heavy......I'm off to a new subject. Happy bloging