Hey Dave - great to meet you mate and thanks for the shout out - always enjoy your reviews and look forward to seeing you out on the briny again - take care till then
Yeeeooowwww Haggis good connect mate 🤙😉 Thanks again. Super rewarding to be recognised and welcomed by such nice folks. Really appreciated it. Same If your ever stuck down in the CHCH slops let me know 🤙
Thanks for ur input on the board, you are right on point. In my case Im 30, 1.88m and 84 kg, on the athletic side, ride this one for shoulders+ surf, the dims are standard: 5,11 a and 33.25 lts. I do not really know if I could ride it shorter. looking at the comments im thinking for going for a QK or Phsycho killer for the bigger days. Awesome content btw, thanks mate.
Nice that's good going mate. Wish I was able to ride one down at that length and volume. Yeah you might like the quiver killer or even go to one of the more step up specific models if you want that super surety in solid waves. I generally prefer a PU poly or a PU Epoxy for bigger waves too. The weight and damping give me more Confidence. The EPS Epoxy is a bit lighter and more lively but can be a little more slippery and corky when it gets bigger. Cheers
Great review! Would be rad if you could test a Christenson like a fish or a Lane Splitter with the new Christenson fins from FCS 2! Keep your great job!
Thanks Mate. Lol if you can get someone to send me the board and fins would love to ;-) I'm not sponsored and don't get any boards, money or anything for anyone I'm afraid so reviews tend to just be what I happen to have or buy myself and I'm buying less and less now I make my own. Thanks for watching the channel
Really enjoy your reviews, thank you! You have reviewed quite a few shapes and was wondering what's your favorite daily driver for waist to slightly overhead in all around conditions (steep or sloop)? Is the Seaside still a favorite or is it this, Rocket v3, or something else (Uber XL, Rocket Redux, etc). I'm 6'2", 210 lbs (96kg), pushing 50 years old, so I keep my eye out for boards in the volume range you've been reviewing. I'm looking for a long lasting, durable (epoxy), daily driver. I surf a rocky river mouth (East side BI Hawaii) that ranges from 2-5' (1-3' Hawaiian) in the summer and some overhead days in the winter and try to get out everyday it's rideable (5-7 days/week). You probably get the question a lot, but which one would you suggest?
Hey buddy. That’s a pretty open question that could have pages of comparisons written but if your looking for something super durable I mean really durable you probably want a lib tech board which would narrow your selection down quite a bit. Rocker Resux, Quiver Killer, Swordfish be good all rounders but again you would probably be limited to which one comes in your volume. Yeah for sure I still like the seaside but depending on your volume you might not want to take that out in too hollow or two big a conditions less you’re a really good surfer on lower volume. Something like a Dominator 2 might be good for you. Depends a lot on how long a board you want to carry too. The Party crasher might be really good if your looking at not minding a little longer board. My favorites are still Bean bag for tiny waves. Seaside for fishy feel with some added performance in chest to slightly overhead local waves. Uber XL Rocket Redux Quiver Killer Psycho Killer all great boards above that will depend on what you want to prioritise on. Hope that helps a bit. Come back if you want some more specifics but if you want really durable it’s probably Lib Tech no1 choice after that your heliums, thunderbolts etc are pretty decent. Then the Spine Tech, Lightspeed, Carbon Wrap Hi Fi etc your not that much more durable than a good PU in terms of them hitting rocks etc. Being heavier you may be quite happy on one of the more parallel outlines that have a bigger wave range like the Quiver Killer. I find that a really dependable board if others complain about it it’s usually the fact it’s not whippy enough for them and they might prefer say an uber but then your wave range is tighter. If I was going for durable and large wave range for a single board quiver travel board I would go Lib Tech Quiver Killer.
hey mate enjoyed ur review cheers! was hanging out for the second half haha.in mean time i ended up getting the 7'3 sunday after over a year and a half break from surfing. only surfed it once 3-4 ft east coast northland and rode it as a twin -amks.i love the projection down the line made sections and got some nice feeling top turns. i did find my bottom turns abit slippery . i also had a bit of difficulty at first with paddle position almost nose dived first wave and other waves rolled under me.i eventually paddled in deeper on a the wave and maybe adjusted my positioning and got some good ones.I was able to duck dive it to my suprise and also ride backhand .All in all im happy with it cant wait to surf it next swell and may experiment with a trailer fin. id like to get another board for bigger waves / punchier waves. would u say the seaside and beyond or ci mid would overlap alot? thunderbolt moe etc look cool but exspensive.
Tx for the review. I just bought this 2nd hand in 5‘9 in PU and I am going to take it to my next trip. Actually this is one of the few boards where I have no idea which fins to take? Any suggestions for FCS2? Quad or Thruster?
Hey mate. I only had the thruster option on mine so didn't get to play around much would have liked to try it as a quad as it's quite a fast board already but I think allot of people just ride them thruster. I just rode mine with the Matt Biolos fins. Large for me but i'm 84 kg and on a bigger board. I would just go with whatever your go to thruster fins are to start and go from there.
Hello, hows things? Mind if I ask what are your thoughts on tail pads? I'm getting new board and wondering whether to put one straight on or surf it for a bit without one and see how it goes? Can they be a hindrance? Been surfing an 8ft board for a while but without a pad, new board will be 6'6" Thanks. Great channel keep the vids coming :)
Hi, good thanks 😊 Yeah I sometimes leave a pad off a board for a bit myself. Sometimes don’t even put them on certain boards like fish and more retro or longer boards where you know your less likely to be surfing from one position on the back of the board or it’s just a nice looking board that’s likely to spoil the look with a pad. The downside can be less grip, more pressure dents and you don’t have a reference you can feel as to where your foot placement is at. It’s really a personal preference thing for the average guy.. Sometimes I will just leave a pad off till I’m sure I like the board rather than adding another 10-15% to it’s value case I don’t like it and sell it.. That’s being a little tight but hey pads are as much as 10 plus percent of the board spend these days. Most of shorter more performance orientated boards I do like a pad on for grip and foot placement reference and to protect the tail from pressure ware etc to be fair though. Hope that helps. Basically do what suits you. I don’t see a hard and fast right and wrong for average surfers. I ware boots all year round though so I have good grip anyways. No grip just wax might be harder to grip on bare feet.
@@lawson45uk Hi, thanks for the reply. Yes, I think I'm going to wait for the board to arrive then decide if I want to put a pad on or surf it straight away without one. I'm also a bit undecided if with a 6'6" and the type of more cruisey surfing I'm doing now, might not really warrant a pad :) Thanks
Het y mate. If you look through the comments in this and the Redux I think i have gone over it in a lot of detail a few times so worth a look there but the Redux is wider up front less rocker shorter per volume (though there are wide two sets of dimensions) I would say both cover a decent wave range but in different ways.. The V3 definitely designed for a more solid wave and biger high end. I would think of the V3 more along the lines of a JS Black Box or similar in it's intent probably just a bit more volume and tail area per length too. I would personally ride a V3 shoulder high plus but my ability and the waves we get locally dictate that. Rippers would get this going in a range of waves and appreciate a tighter nose. Redus paddles better per volume, generates speed more easily, better in smaller waves and still responsive. Really depends on what your looking for. I like both for different reasons. if you want a good all rounder the Psycho killer is worth a look. If you ride quality waves 2-4ft uber XL too. If you want to cover everything with one board yeah V3 if your more likley to see bigger better waves more often redux if your more likley to see smaller waves more often but still ride the off 4ft plus and psycho killer should maybe be on your radar too. Check some of Real watersport and noel salas surf n show reviews too there really good recources. Hope that helps thanks.
@@lawson45uk thanks for the input, looking for something kind of versatile where I can progress without switching too constantly of surfboard as my first board (I would say im a beginner nearly crossing to intermediate); we get mostly 1-2ft waves however we do get in occasions 6+ but like 20-30% of the time only.
Pretty good mate. Its not an ultra durable hard deck skin or anything but being epoxy holds up pretty good. If you want really hard wearing boards something like a lib tech is probably the best. FireWire Helium etcpretty decent too but your hifi and carbon wraps though a bit tougher than a lightly glassed pu you still need to look after them. Had my puddle jumper a good while and that's barely got a pressure but I'm not hard on boards. Cheers.
@@lawson45uk i have helium and lib tech too like both, in windy choppy condition i prefer libtech Hydra in perfect light onshore and offshore conditions helium Evo or Hydroshort , libtech its bit too heavy do, im thinking about get custon Hydra in Carbon wrap , i would like to get hydra but longer and narrower i have 5.9 libtech hydra and i m thinking keep same wide 21.75 and 2.7 thickens but strecth it to 6f for better paddling in slow fat mushy waves (im 6.3,90kg) what do you think about this idea? will t work? thanks
@@kickamatus ha ha yeah different techs in diff boards for different days aye. Something's just go great together well. Helium I prefer a good day too but also surprised it does work in chop it's so light. No reason why not mate. If your on NZ or Australia us or UK you should be able to get in touch and custom a lost board. I'm short and fat so works for me. Taller guys definitely makes sense to not be affraid to add a little length and keep it refined. I have a slim dims puddle jumper works great. 6'2". Hydra should be ok. It is made to be ridden small but mine was 5'11" so a narrower thinner one like that I would have though would be ok.
Yeah mate I ride big volume for my weight we surf a really slow wave and I'm not a flash surfer by any means. I'm 5'5" 85 kg and In my 40s at a more powerful break I could happily drop 4 litres but I don't travel heaps either that's the honest answer mate 🤙
@@lawson45uk Thanks mate! Puts my mind at ease though cuz I just ordered the 6'2 LibTech Rocket Redux (last one I could find in US) and was worried that I'm going way to fat and boaty. I'm normally around 32-34L (V3, QK, SR, and Stealth), but wanted a cheater board for when it's really fat/slow, or full of longboarders, or I'm tired/lazy/sore. I'm 6'0 at 75kg. Also mid 40s so yea after 2 or 3 consecutive days it gets tough...
@@nalukeko Yeah it’s all a balance mate, nothing wrong with pumping the volume up for a smaller wave or just to have some fun. Might not be quite as sensitive in the rails as your smaller ones but it won’t be a boat either. You will catch you plenty of waves generate speed more easily. I know plenty of people that chuck an extra few litres in the right board and it’s not an issue.. I have a 6’0” x 23” 45 Litre bean bag for slops and love it.. When the waves have nothing to give your just kidding yourself if you think your gonna chop hop a pro board and make enough speed to actually turn. Plus our age our minds still think we are 21 and we don’t notice were actually slowing down on pop ups and reaction time etc. Rocket Redux is a nice board too.. Good paddler and good speed 😊
I guess That was ok compare. Kinda hard actually I think for my ability and the amount of different boards I ride the difference in the multitudes of operation can start to get quite slim. I think the uber xl is very much pumping up the volume and practicality on the more performance ends it's that responsive squash tail that will let average surfers surf their best on the right day right conditions. I think its not designed to be crazy fast or have a crazy wife wave range but it's definitely a practical performer for every day riders in decent small to medium sized waves. That ironically means lots of hybrid features so does have some similarities by nature but it's smooth and clean and balanced. Something like the V3 has some more aggressive concaves and more dramatic features to try and do many things at once. Like the super deep concaves and wide tail under the back foot to steps and notches in the tail to try to give the speed and the response. I have heard lots of good feedback on both and it also depends on your surfing and your personal preference. Friend of mine that rides very similar board and volume loves the uber xl but hasn't got in as well with that quiver killer. I like both. Sometimes the differences get to be small enough it might just depend on what you like what your looking for what foot dominant you are (front or back) if you like to perform note rounded or more snappy turns if you lean more to a quad or a thruster what concaves you like. This is why I gets hard to recommend sometimes you can get 90% to a good board for most but the last 10% of what you like personally is exactly that sometimes. What you like personally..... I know that's not a conclusive answer but Hope that helps. Have a look at both reviews and a lot of people can say yeah that's my style or no it's not. Real watersport is another greet resource from sensible sized normal folks riding. Cheers.
Hey Dave - great to meet you mate and thanks for the shout out - always enjoy your reviews and look forward to seeing you out on the briny again - take care till then
Yeeeooowwww Haggis good connect mate 🤙😉 Thanks again. Super rewarding to be recognised and welcomed by such nice folks. Really appreciated it. Same If your ever stuck down in the CHCH slops let me know 🤙
Thanks for ur input on the board, you are right on point. In my case Im 30, 1.88m and 84 kg, on the athletic side, ride this one for shoulders+ surf, the dims are standard: 5,11 a and 33.25 lts. I do not really know if I could ride it shorter. looking at the comments im thinking for going for a QK or Phsycho killer for the bigger days. Awesome content btw, thanks mate.
Nice that's good going mate. Wish I was able to ride one down at that length and volume. Yeah you might like the quiver killer or even go to one of the more step up specific models if you want that super surety in solid waves. I generally prefer a PU poly or a PU Epoxy for bigger waves too. The weight and damping give me more Confidence. The EPS Epoxy is a bit lighter and more lively but can be a little more slippery and corky when it gets bigger. Cheers
Great review! Would be rad if you could test a Christenson like a fish or a Lane Splitter with the new Christenson fins from FCS 2! Keep your great job!
Thanks Mate. Lol if you can get someone to send me the board and fins would love to ;-) I'm not sponsored and don't get any boards, money or anything for anyone I'm afraid so reviews tend to just be what I happen to have or buy myself and I'm buying less and less now I make my own. Thanks for watching the channel
Really enjoy your reviews, thank you! You have reviewed quite a few shapes and was wondering what's your favorite daily driver for waist to slightly overhead in all around conditions (steep or sloop)? Is the Seaside still a favorite or is it this, Rocket v3, or something else (Uber XL, Rocket Redux, etc). I'm 6'2", 210 lbs (96kg), pushing 50 years old, so I keep my eye out for boards in the volume range you've been reviewing. I'm looking for a long lasting, durable (epoxy), daily driver. I surf a rocky river mouth (East side BI Hawaii) that ranges from 2-5' (1-3' Hawaiian) in the summer and some overhead days in the winter and try to get out everyday it's rideable (5-7 days/week). You probably get the question a lot, but which one would you suggest?
Hey buddy. That’s a pretty open question that could have pages of comparisons written but if your looking for something super durable I mean really durable you probably want a lib tech board which would narrow your selection down quite a bit. Rocker Resux, Quiver Killer, Swordfish be good all rounders but again you would probably be limited to which one comes in your volume. Yeah for sure I still like the seaside but depending on your volume you might not want to take that out in too hollow or two big a conditions less you’re a really good surfer on lower volume. Something like a Dominator 2 might be good for you. Depends a lot on how long a board you want to carry too. The Party crasher might be really good if your looking at not minding a little longer board. My favorites are still Bean bag for tiny waves. Seaside for fishy feel with some added performance in chest to slightly overhead local waves. Uber XL Rocket Redux Quiver Killer Psycho Killer all great boards above that will depend on what you want to prioritise on. Hope that helps a bit. Come back if you want some more specifics but if you want really durable it’s probably Lib Tech no1 choice after that your heliums, thunderbolts etc are pretty decent. Then the Spine Tech, Lightspeed, Carbon Wrap Hi Fi etc your not that much more durable than a good PU in terms of them hitting rocks etc. Being heavier you may be quite happy on one of the more parallel outlines that have a bigger wave range like the Quiver Killer. I find that a really dependable board if others complain about it it’s usually the fact it’s not whippy enough for them and they might prefer say an uber but then your wave range is tighter. If I was going for durable and large wave range for a single board quiver travel board I would go Lib Tech Quiver Killer.
hey mate enjoyed ur review cheers! was hanging out for the second half haha.in mean time i ended up getting the 7'3 sunday after over a year and a half break from surfing. only surfed it once 3-4 ft east coast northland and rode it as a twin -amks.i love the projection down the line made sections and got some nice feeling top turns. i did find my bottom turns abit slippery . i also had a bit of difficulty at first with paddle position almost nose dived first wave and other waves rolled under me.i eventually paddled in deeper on a the wave and maybe adjusted my positioning and got some good ones.I was able to duck dive it to my suprise and also ride backhand .All in all im happy with it cant wait to surf it next swell and may experiment with a trailer fin.
id like to get another board for bigger waves / punchier waves.
would u say the seaside and beyond or ci mid would overlap alot? thunderbolt moe etc look cool but exspensive.
Tx for the review. I just bought this 2nd hand in 5‘9 in PU and I am going to take it to my next trip. Actually this is one of the few boards where I have no idea which fins to take? Any suggestions for FCS2? Quad or Thruster?
Hey mate. I only had the thruster option on mine so didn't get to play around much would have liked to try it as a quad as it's quite a fast board already but I think allot of people just ride them thruster. I just rode mine with the Matt Biolos fins. Large for me but i'm 84 kg and on a bigger board. I would just go with whatever your go to thruster fins are to start and go from there.
Hello, hows things? Mind if I ask what are your thoughts on tail pads? I'm getting new board and wondering whether to put one straight on or surf it for a bit without one and see how it goes? Can they be a hindrance? Been surfing an 8ft board for a while but without a pad, new board will be 6'6" Thanks. Great channel keep the vids coming :)
Hi, good thanks 😊 Yeah I sometimes leave a pad off a board for a bit myself. Sometimes don’t even put them on certain boards like fish and more retro or longer boards where you know your less likely to be surfing from one position on the back of the board or it’s just a nice looking board that’s likely to spoil the look with a pad. The downside can be less grip, more pressure dents and you don’t have a reference you can feel as to where your foot placement is at. It’s really a personal preference thing for the average guy.. Sometimes I will just leave a pad off till I’m sure I like the board rather than adding another 10-15% to it’s value case I don’t like it and sell it.. That’s being a little tight but hey pads are as much as 10 plus percent of the board spend these days. Most of shorter more performance orientated boards I do like a pad on for grip and foot placement reference and to protect the tail from pressure ware etc to be fair though. Hope that helps. Basically do what suits you. I don’t see a hard and fast right and wrong for average surfers. I ware boots all year round though so I have good grip anyways. No grip just wax might be harder to grip on bare feet.
@@lawson45uk Hi, thanks for the reply. Yes, I think I'm going to wait for the board to arrive then decide if I want to put a pad on or surf it straight away without one. I'm also a bit undecided if with a 6'6" and the type of more cruisey surfing I'm doing now, might not really warrant a pad :) Thanks
Between this model and the redux which is more all around? What advantages one has over the other model?
Het y mate. If you look through the comments in this and the Redux I think i have gone over it in a lot of detail a few times so worth a look there but the Redux is wider up front less rocker shorter per volume (though there are wide two sets of dimensions) I would say both cover a decent wave range but in different ways.. The V3 definitely designed for a more solid wave and biger high end. I would think of the V3 more along the lines of a JS Black Box or similar in it's intent probably just a bit more volume and tail area per length too. I would personally ride a V3 shoulder high plus but my ability and the waves we get locally dictate that. Rippers would get this going in a range of waves and appreciate a tighter nose. Redus paddles better per volume, generates speed more easily, better in smaller waves and still responsive. Really depends on what your looking for. I like both for different reasons. if you want a good all rounder the Psycho killer is worth a look. If you ride quality waves 2-4ft uber XL too. If you want to cover everything with one board yeah V3 if your more likley to see bigger better waves more often redux if your more likley to see smaller waves more often but still ride the off 4ft plus and psycho killer should maybe be on your radar too. Check some of Real watersport and noel salas surf n show reviews too there really good recources. Hope that helps thanks.
@@lawson45uk thanks for the input, looking for something kind of versatile where I can progress without switching too constantly of surfboard as my first board (I would say im a beginner nearly crossing to intermediate); we get mostly 1-2ft waves however we do get in occasions 6+ but like 20-30% of the time only.
nice review, is it carbon wrap durable ?
Pretty good mate. Its not an ultra durable hard deck skin or anything but being epoxy holds up pretty good. If you want really hard wearing boards something like a lib tech is probably the best. FireWire Helium etcpretty decent too but your hifi and carbon wraps though a bit tougher than a lightly glassed pu you still need to look after them. Had my puddle jumper a good while and that's barely got a pressure but I'm not hard on boards. Cheers.
@@lawson45uk i have helium and lib tech too like both, in windy choppy condition i prefer libtech Hydra in perfect light onshore and offshore conditions helium Evo or Hydroshort , libtech its bit too heavy do, im thinking about get custon Hydra in Carbon wrap , i would like to get hydra but longer and narrower i have 5.9 libtech hydra and i m thinking keep same wide 21.75 and 2.7 thickens but strecth it to 6f for better paddling in slow fat mushy waves (im 6.3,90kg) what do you think about this idea? will t work? thanks
@@kickamatus ha ha yeah different techs in diff boards for different days aye. Something's just go great together well. Helium I prefer a good day too but also surprised it does work in chop it's so light. No reason why not mate. If your on NZ or Australia us or UK you should be able to get in touch and custom a lost board. I'm short and fat so works for me. Taller guys definitely makes sense to not be affraid to add a little length and keep it refined. I have a slim dims puddle jumper works great. 6'2". Hydra should be ok. It is made to be ridden small but mine was 5'11" so a narrower thinner one like that I would have though would be ok.
Would help to know YOUR dimensions. 6'3" is pretty long for a Rocket...
Yeah mate I ride big volume for my weight we surf a really slow wave and I'm not a flash surfer by any means. I'm 5'5" 85 kg and In my 40s at a more powerful break I could happily drop 4 litres but I don't travel heaps either that's the honest answer mate 🤙
@@lawson45uk Thanks mate! Puts my mind at ease though cuz I just ordered the 6'2 LibTech Rocket Redux (last one I could find in US) and was worried that I'm going way to fat and boaty. I'm normally around 32-34L (V3, QK, SR, and Stealth), but wanted a cheater board for when it's really fat/slow, or full of longboarders, or I'm tired/lazy/sore. I'm 6'0 at 75kg. Also mid 40s so yea after 2 or 3 consecutive days it gets tough...
@@nalukeko Yeah it’s all a balance mate, nothing wrong with pumping the volume up for a smaller wave or just to have some fun. Might not be quite as sensitive in the rails as your smaller ones but it won’t be a boat either. You will catch you plenty of waves generate speed more easily. I know plenty of people that chuck an extra few litres in the right board and it’s not an issue.. I have a 6’0” x 23” 45 Litre bean bag for slops and love it.. When the waves have nothing to give your just kidding yourself if you think your gonna chop hop a pro board and make enough speed to actually turn. Plus our age our minds still think we are 21 and we don’t notice were actually slowing down on pop ups and reaction time etc. Rocket Redux is a nice board too.. Good paddler and good speed 😊
O.k.v3 comper to the udxl?
I guess That was ok compare. Kinda hard actually I think for my ability and the amount of different boards I ride the difference in the multitudes of operation can start to get quite slim. I think the uber xl is very much pumping up the volume and practicality on the more performance ends it's that responsive squash tail that will let average surfers surf their best on the right day right conditions. I think its not designed to be crazy fast or have a crazy wife wave range but it's definitely a practical performer for every day riders in decent small to medium sized waves. That ironically means lots of hybrid features so does have some similarities by nature but it's smooth and clean and balanced. Something like the V3 has some more aggressive concaves and more dramatic features to try and do many things at once. Like the super deep concaves and wide tail under the back foot to steps and notches in the tail to try to give the speed and the response. I have heard lots of good feedback on both and it also depends on your surfing and your personal preference. Friend of mine that rides very similar board and volume loves the uber xl but hasn't got in as well with that quiver killer. I like both. Sometimes the differences get to be small enough it might just depend on what you like what your looking for what foot dominant you are (front or back) if you like to perform note rounded or more snappy turns if you lean more to a quad or a thruster what concaves you like. This is why I gets hard to recommend sometimes you can get 90% to a good board for most but the last 10% of what you like personally is exactly that sometimes. What you like personally..... I know that's not a conclusive answer but Hope that helps. Have a look at both reviews and a lot of people can say yeah that's my style or no it's not. Real watersport is another greet resource from sensible sized normal folks riding. Cheers.
@@lawson45uk thanks