We use cookies to improve your experience. To find out more or disable the cookies on your browser click here.

AVAILABLE ON
Tabou Pocket 85 2014-631x420

TABOU POCKET WAVE 85L 2014 TEST REVIEW

Stats Volume (L) 85 Weight (Kg) 6.8 Length (cm) 231 Width (cm) 59.5 Price £1699

TABOU POCKET WAVE 85L 2014 TEST REVIEW

BEST FOR
A wide range of rider body type and style and a wide range of conditions.

RECOMMENDATION
Even our smallest testers preferred the stance in the widest setting.

BRAND CLAIM
“Ready for ANYTHING! This Power Wave shape continues to evolve into the one-shot wonder. A range of boards that can do the big hits when required, bust out freestyle moves when the waves go flat and boost air to the moon! A completely new range update that makes any condition easy and fun.”

OVERVIEW
Outline: Tear dropped shaped with wide point well forward of track flowing into a winger section by front fins with a swallowtail.
Deck: Pretty flat surfboard style flat deck rolling outward near rails.
Rail Profile: Huge tuck, moderating past straps, sharpening near sidebites and wingers.
Bottom Shape: Aggressive reverse rolled vee ridge with acute tuck at rails on bottom side. At front of mast track vee /deep double concave pronounces and then flattens out approaching fins with subtle vee behind foils.
Rocker Line: Slight nose lift. Even curve and healthy dose of tail rocker. Flat spot in concave but not on centre-line. Balance point of curve is behind wide point, around mast track.
Fin Configuration: Thruster set supplied. T-Lab Zinger G10 17 cm US box centre fin, swept back 11 cm SlotBox rear.
Pads: Juicy front and back heel bumper. Tail kick on rear. Pads raise heels and drop toes.
Straps: Double back screws.  Tabou standard fabric top.

PERFORMANCE
With a much straighter rocker line than its Da Curve stable mate, the Pocket is an early planing beast. In fact, our heavier riders were surprised to be up-and-running about as early as they were on 95s in fairly moderate wind. The stance spread – although not as wide as the Da Curve – and ‘up-on-your-toes’ footpad ride position is nice too, plus the Pocket is stable off the plane as well.  We all found it would glide through lulls impressively too, this amazing momentum being of great benefit during both wave rides in onshore slop and in general straight-line sailing – especially in gusty conditions. We never actually tried it in single fin mode as the thruster setup just worked straight off-the-bat (we also mostly kept the mast foot mostly right in the centre and the straps on the widest settings, regardless of rider size). In terms of getting ‘around the park’ sailing everything is effortless – great upwind performance, useful speed and good acceleration for jumps and all-round good behaviour and control in rougher water. On the wave it’s fun, driving nicely out of bottom turns and cutting smooth lines – be they tight or drawn-out – and we found the compact shape super loose without any unwanted or hard-to-control sliding out action at all. All-in-all this is a board that allows you to generate a lot of energy on the face and that could be used in almost any type of surf. A very popular choice amongst our group.

THE VERDICT
An easy-to-sail, fun, balanced shape. The Pocket 85 is joyously compact and drivy – one of those instantly comfortable boards that just does what it says out-of-the-box.

www.tabou-boards.com

READ THE OTHER REPORTS

FANATIC 82 QUAD
GOYA CUSTOM QUAD 84
JP AUSTRALIA TWINSER QUAD 82
NAISH STARSHIP 90
QUATRO CUBE QUAD 84
RRD WAVE CULT QUAD 83 V5
SIMMER QUANTUM 85
STARBOARD QUAD 82
WITCHCRAFT SHAMAN 88

TEST OVERVIEW PAGE

BACK TO TEST INTRODUCTION

You must be logged in to post a comment.