Filed in: Surftech Reviews | On: October 12th, 2008 | Comments: (11)
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I’ve been procrastinating on this post for a while but finally got around to writing it. I tried Surftech’s 5’6 Xanadu Rocket Fish many months ago thanks to the good guys at Surftech Hawaii. I had seen this board out in the line-ups of Oahu’s popular surf spots e.g. Diamond Head Cliffs, Kewalos, Bowls, Rockpiles, etc and it seemed like the most consistent Surftech board out there in the surf. After a few unsuccessful tries, I was able to borrow the Xanadu Rocket Fish just in time for tiny waves! Bummer. Regardless, I took the board out to see how it would do in crap surf and after the first three sessions I thought this board was a total tool. The deck seemed way to flat and I couldn’t seem to get this board to work…probably because of the poor surf more than anything. Xanadu Wave Rocket in waist high garbage Here’s another short clip of the Wave Rocket in knee high slightly onshore dribble. The board worked great this day…I was flying down the line while all the shortboarders were bogging 🙂 I was about to give up on this board and return it to Surftech when I decided to take it out to Diamond Head during a small swell. With low expectations, I paddled out and caught a few in between waves. Amazingly, this board turned on with speed and tight turns coming with ease. It seemed like a completely different board from the first few sessions and the more I rode this board the more I liked it. After that fateful Diamond Head session, I rode the board almost every day for a month. This board was simply magic for the typical waves we have in town (weak and fatter on most days). The board paddled easy despite it’s short length (5’6 x 21″ 3/16 x 2″ 1/4) and this board paddled into waves better than any board I’ve ever rode which I attribute to a perfect entry rocker. This board is blazing fast down the line and with each pump on an open face the speed you can generate is mind boggling. Even with all that speed, the board is still very maneuverable with loads of drive off the bottom but just loose enough for tight turns in the pocket. I’m not sure if Surftech has discontinued making this board as it’s no longer on their website but you can still find them in most surf shops. Here’s tip for those looking to buy one. The most common thing I hear from people who own Rocket Fishes is they always wish they got the next smallest model (board comes in lengths of 5’6, 5’8, 5’10, 6’0). At first glance you’ll probably want to err on the safe side and get more than enough board but the rails are boxy and full making for a full volume board and the Tuflite skin make these boards extremely buoyant. So if you’re thinking of getting the 5’10, you should probably get the 5’8. A few more notes, I did try a friend’s 5’8 and there was a pretty big difference in volume…I can see why you’d want to get the smaller board. The 5’8 for me was too buoyant and thick for me and made the board feel more like a funboard…easy wave catching but less responsive. Future Rasta Keel Fins
The Xanadu Rocket Fish also comes with Future keel fins which work ok for stock fins but I’ve heard that the Future Rasta Keel Sea Shepard fins work insane on the Rocket Fish. I hope to get a pair of those fins and try it out and I’ll be sure to report back when I get them.
11 Comments »By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to the TERMS OF SERVICE. Any violations of these terms may result in account suspension or deactivation. Please keep your comments civil and in good taste. To report a comment, email info@surfboardshack.comSurf Prescriptions New Toy, on July 19, 2009 @ 7:10 pm |[…] waves pretty easy but didn’t quite have a whole lot of speed in the mushy garbage surf as the Xanadu Wave Rocket. The board required you to surf in the pocket as it lost a lot of its speed way out on the […] Simon, on November 6, 2009 @ 12:42 pm |Thanks for taking the time to write this review; i enjoyed reading it. But: Who the f is this reviewing this board? Whats your credentials? Why should i, or anyone else, listen to anything you have to say mate? For all i know you could just be some fat basterd from the back end of benderville with an obscure interest in all things rocket shaped… Give us some context dip-shit! Give us the pinch of salt that any savy reader needs to be taking your advice with. Your, Age? Weight? Years surfing? etc. You’re obviously a very eloquent writer so lets not waste your words hey. Neal, on November 17, 2009 @ 9:21 am |Simon, wow you sound like you Ragnar, on November 28, 2009 @ 8:58 am |Future Rasta Keel Fins in FCS fin system (that’s what the Xanadu has)… You need some kind of converter? Oh, and the board is still on the surftech.com site.. T&C Glenn Pang G1 - Gobbler, on April 26, 2010 @ 1:57 pm |[…] time the board worked better with its stock fins. The G1 rides similar to a retro fish like the Xanadu Wave Rocket — when you pump up and down the face it has a similar rhythm like a longboard…slow and […] Olivier C, on August 8, 2010 @ 7:04 am |Neal & Surfshack, Keep up the good work, and keep us updated! There aren’t many surfboard reviews out there, so the few which can be found are appreciated. I’ve recently discovered the Takayama Scorpion, Donald’s been shaping them for a while but it’s a new entry in the SurfTech catalog. Any chance you guys can grab one and let us all know what you thought of it? T&C Glenn Pang G1 – Gobbler « glavnibaja.info, on November 11, 2010 @ 6:04 pm |[…] time the board worked better with its stock fins. The G1 rides similar to a retro fish like the Xanadu Wave Rocket — when you pump up and down the face it has a similar rhythm like a longboard…slow and […] bigger fish, on October 11, 2011 @ 10:25 am |I’m with that aussie bloke that got on you, you are a freakin midget. Altomonsta, on December 28, 2011 @ 11:10 am |Love this board! Surfed it for first time today (5’10” surftech) and it was so fun. I was riding it at an outerisland point break at about waist to head high and it caught waves easy, was so loose and kept under my feet nicely. Can’t wait to ride it again tommorow. I’m 5′ 7″ and 175lbs and probably what most people call an average surfer (surfing about 11 years or so). Other boards I ride are a 5’11 biscuit, 6’4″ twinzer, 9’9″ log and 9’6″ SUP. It catches waves as easy as my twinzer and the biscuit but rides different and looser then both. Definately something new and fun. Leave a comment |
Channel Islands Biscuit, on June 8, 2009 @ 3:47 pm |
[…] seemed that the board took a bit more energy to get it started. The 5′6 Xanadu Wave Rocket seems to generate a burst of speed right off the bat…the Biscuit took a little longer but […]