Tabou Pocket Wave in the Waves

Tabou Pocket Wave 93 and Aerotech Charge 4.5 rigged and ready to sail.

 Harkers Island, NC 04 May 2013

Finally on Friday, May 3, 2013  the wind, sun and the stars aligned and I was able to get my first ocean/wave session with the Pocket Wave  here on Emerald Isle, North Carolina.  Winds were 4.5-4.2 on the Sound side but I rigged a 5.0 to help with the strong side shore current and light inside ENE side-side off winds.  Thanks to the 93 liters volume of the PW I was able to get out through the 3-5' waves/surf without too much difficulty and then there was plenty of wind power on the outside.

I had planned to switch to the tri-fins but a delay at work and being really anxious to get on the water led me to just go out with the single Maui Fin Company - San Carlos Weed / Wave 25.  Anyway, once out past the break,  the Pocket jumped up on a plane and just flew out over the big swells and waves. Coming back in I was amazed at how smooth and easy to turn it was on the swell and wave faces and how quickly it would turn too even with the single fin.   I kept thinking, "If the Pocket turns and rides the waves this well, the feeling of being on a Tabou Da Curve or Quad board must be incredible". 

Back on the beach some kids came up and upon looking at the board one said, " Wow, your board is cool looking"  and it is!

I sailed the Pocket again yesterday at Harkers Island across from the south end of the Core Banks and Cape Lookout, North Carolina. I was on a 4.5 and due to being way powered up most of the time,  I was  thinking of coming in to switch to a 4.2 and my 73 liter X-Wave. However, the Pocket still felt fully controllable in the high wind, big sound chop and wind driven swells so I stayed with it.  Amazing considering the board is 93 liters!  It is definitely a jumping machine too and I was easily able to make some  big sound side jumps launching up off steep, smooth 3 - 4' wind swell faces.

So far the Pocket  is turning out to be such an incredibly versatile board considering how well it performs as a high wind sound side board as well as a great wave/ocean board too.  Also because of  its ability to handle such a wide range of sail sizes!!!!   I would most highly recommend it to anyone who wants a one board solution for all around sailing here on the east coast and Hatteras, for 5.7 down through 4.5.  I have yet to try a 6.0/6.2 size sail on it so cannot comment on that.   I am sure the smaller size Pocket Waves would work super well for lighter weight sailors too for all the same reasons.