Channel Islands "Rocket9" Surfboard Review by Noel Salas Ep 15
Reviews 7 years ago 56,395 views
Click to buy: SURF STATION - https://www.surfstationstore.com/collections/channel-islands-surfboards/products/channel-islands-rocket-9-surfboard No obligation, but these links & ads help support the site and keeps the reviews coming! If you decide to buy somewhere else or would like to support the show, please donate at https://www.paypal.me/surfnshow This episode is about the Rocket9 by Channel Islands Surfboards. The Rocket9 is a small wave high performance signature board by Dane Gudauskas. Noel goes into detail on the attributes of this board along with his favorite fin set up. Noel tests two Rocket9 PU boards that are the same dimensions and have the team light glass job. This board design has a single to double concave with a slight Vee out the tail for easy rail to rail transitions. This board felt great in both clean and choppy conditions due to the single to double concave and was easy for him to set his rail. It has a low entry rocker and a medium to aggressive tail rocker for that high performance feel in both small to medium size waves. The outline is a bit curvey so it likes to be in the pocket but still has that drive because of the concave and low entry rocker. The rails feel a bit normal under his arm so not too full and not pinched. Noel rode these two boards as a standard thruster and also had a twin fit set up with a small trailer fin. Noel explains that he is a thruster surfer most of the time but he did not like Rocket9 as a thruster but liked it better using the Merrick Twin Fin (MTF) set up and a small trailer fin. He used two different size trailer fins and liked the results of them both. Noel recommends that if you custom order this board to order it with a 5 fin set up for multiple options for each individuals style and preference. Here is what the Channel Islands website has to say about the Rocket9. “The Rocket9 is suited to your average waves like we find around California. It works great in beach breaks because it can be skatey when you want to generate that speed, but then you step back on that tail and you can absolutely hammer some vert wall. I also think that with the shorter nature of it, it fits really well in the tighter transitions of beach breaks. I have ridden it on big open walls of some point breaks in Morocco and it went well too, kind of like a little scalpel or snowboard, but I think the optimal range for this board would be 2 to 6 foot beach breaks. The Rocket9 outline has the wide point forward a bit and the tail is pulled in making it super snappy and maneuverable. The swallow gives a great fast release as well. One of the major desires for this board was I wanted was to go fast and then turn hard when I wanted in waves ranging from super average California beach breaks all the way to grinding little tubes. It’s one of the most versatile boards I have ever ridden. I like to ride my Rocket9 two inches shorter than my normal shortboard length. With the wider outline up front its able to hide a bit of volume under the chest to make the paddling still super easy even though you are on a shorter board. “ – Dane Gudauskas To go to the CI website just copy paste the link below in your web browser.http://www.cisurfboards.com/board/rocket-9/#
I'm 6 foot 3 inches in height and in New Zealand we refer to wave height by the feet height of the back of the wave. So when we say a wave is 3ft high it is regarded as a 'good head height wave' so if I'm at the bottom of the wave standing at full height then a 3ft wave will have the the top / crest of the wave at the same level as the top of my head or just above the top of my head. So when you say you will ride the rocket 9 up to 5 to 6ft wave height are you referring to a near double over head height wave (as we would measure it in NZ)? Or would it be based on the 'face height of the wave' and therefore a 5 to 6ft wave you are in fact describing as a head height to just over head height wave? Cheers, Frank.
Just wondering, ive heard the board is not very durable in PU construction. Is that because of the PU or does the low durability come from a weaker glass etc. As an example, would the rocket9 with PU be no different to a JS board with PU in terms of durability?
thanks
10. comment for Channel Islands "Rocket9" Surfboard Review by Noel Salas Ep 15
The difference in the board with the AMT's is insane. so much more speed and drive, loose but heaps of control. the board goes like a cut snake from the off !
my experience with the Rocket 9 is if the waves are really punchy and hollow it'll work as a thruster, but if the waves are not so critical, the twinny trailer combo just raises the fun factor through the roof !
thanks again for the advice Noel, spot on as usual bro.
I think you will love the Sampler as a small wave performance board in the 1-4 range. Great Summer board for sure.
The Rocket 9 is a bit more versatile and I think it goes good in 2-6 foot surf. It has a bit more rocker and a pulled in swallow tail so it will surf like a high performance short board.
Both boards are epic you just need to pick what you are looking for. The Sampler is a legit Groveler and the Rocket 9 is a good daily driver as a Thruster and maybe go Twin Fin with a small trailer for blazing speed in the small stuff. Cheers.
The Rocket 9 will paddle better for sure with the point front of center and less rocker. I also like it because of the pulled in swallow for a bit more performance too. I think it will go good in 3-6 foot surf. Enjoy and let me know how it goes.
On another note I think you will enjoy the Rocket 9 and Fever for the wave size you are looking for. Both of these boards can handle steeper faced hollow waves.
I'm 23, 6'0 and 155 lb. Been surfing most my life but am probably in the intermediate range. What length board would you recommend for me? Been looking at the 5'8 and 5'9 mostly.
Thanks
Trying to get a board that works a bit better with steep faces than my twin fins but still in the small-mid waves range (for the fun beachies out front my house). I'm thinking this is the board i've been looking for but can't decide between the 5'8 or 5'9.
Kind of a tricky for you to answer but thanks in advance for your response.
20. comment for Channel Islands "Rocket9" Surfboard Review by Noel Salas Ep 15
I used the Large CI Tech 1 fins in my new Flex Bar Rocket 9 at Rincon on a bigger day and it was fine but I felt like I was doing the exact same turn over and over - which was pretty boring.
Saw your vid and got the True Ames Stussy Twin w/ trailer fin and OMG, I LOVE IT.
http://www.trueames.com/collections/system-fins/products/copy-of-s-double-twin-combo-set-futures-compatible.
I'd suggest these for ANYONE with a Rocket 9. They're the twin fin (w/ trailer) setup that is closest to a thruster but still 100% noticeably better on this board. I went from the same ol' boring turn... to what will the board do next!
Also - I want to say it helped that i could watch you surf on your Rocket 9's and see how well the twin/trailer setup worked for you. I needed proof on the twin setup to push me to take the plunge on yet another set of $100 fins. Worth every penny - thanks again.
I just got the Rocket 9 as a custom 5'8" with 29,2L. I'm 5'8, weigh 180 pounds and am from Costa Rica (I'm almost always surfing beach breaks like Hermosa on the weekends). I am new in the "twin fin world" and wanted to ask you about it since I want to try it out on this board after what you said on the fin set ups.
I have noticed twin fins don't come in your standard "S", "M" or "L" templates. Is this correct? I wanted to see if the MTF template you tried out will fit me and what size to get it in; according to my weght. I normally use "M" fins and they suit me perfectly, so I want the same in twin fins.
Also, I cant find the MTF model you mentioned on the Future Fin webpage... I think they are Channel Island fins but cant fin them on their webpage. Where can I find this set up? And how would you pick between those fins, the Futures AMT twin fin model and the Futures T1 twin fin model? These are all the models I can find for Twin fins for a Future fin box set.
Hope you can help me out with the fin set up! If you're ever in Costa Rica let me know and I'll hook you up with some nice surf spots.
Thanks,
David
I had just one last question > between the large thruster set up and the twin AMT fins, which would be better for small surf to generate speed? or turns? I was wondering about the difference between these two set ups in small surf.
Thanks again man, much appreciated!
David
I am 5'9 at 170lbs and ride a Large fin 90% of the time. Granted I am not surfing hollow beach break like Hermosa every weekend but I think you could even ride a L fin in that hollow surf up to 3-4'. I want to maximize speed in smaller surf and when the waves get a little bigger I want to do more turns then I would switch to your Medium YU's.
The reason for riding a M fin in the bigger surf is to get the fins and rails working together and the M fin will help you control speed and not cause the tail to lift and make the board feel like its going to slide out. The boards of today inherently have enough lift in their designs already so we do not want the extra lift from a L fin in big waves.
The AMT fin set just makes the Rocket 9 super fast in small waves and it helps drive through the mush on wave like Jaco beach. These fins will barrel ride just fine in 3-4' and under after that I would switch to your Medium YU's.
With all of this being said my point is to have fun and try multiple fin sets if you can afford it and change the feel of your board. This is what makes the Rocket 9 so versatile and fun to ride.
What you have said makes perfect sense since Large fins normally have longer bases and more drive. I have been using the Medium Yu fins from Futures for the past year with my New Flyer model, they worked out perfectly and are great "all-rounders". I was torn away from Large fins because I felt they created too much resistance for my turns; but with what you have mentioned I will try some out on the Rocket. My brother has the Large AM2 fins so I'll steal them from him whenever it gets flat and mushy and give it a try haha how would Blackstix work on this board? I have the EA Blackstix 3.0 model and they are supposedly good for generating speed.
Last night, reading and looking at fins, I ran into your Channel Islands "Twin Fin" surfboard review and you do a great comparison between the AMT fins and the T1. Seeming as the AMT have less rake and are more pivotal (they like the pocket like I do) I'll buy those. Thank you for that review as well!
How big of a wave do you think the AMT could work in? Are these good for barrels? I regularly dont surf waves bigger than 8ft and summer is coming, so if we are lucky we'll get some nice 4-5ft barrels. I was just thinking if Twin fins (and the AMT, specifically) are only for small waves and I'll have to use my regular Thruster set up for when the waves get a bit steeper and bigger on the Rocket. But now that you mentioned I should use the Large thruster set up for when they are small and mushy, I am a bit confused!
Thanks for the response and sorry for the chatter, I'm just excited I found a great source for fin knowledge. It's hard to find people that know what they are talking about down here; wish I could sit and chat with people like you guys and spare myself some time and money!
David
30. comment for Channel Islands "Rocket9" Surfboard Review by Noel Salas Ep 15
Thank you. Best wishes from Basque country, spain.
50. comment for Channel Islands "Rocket9" Surfboard Review by Noel Salas Ep 15
BTW the way I use the Trace, I follow you on Trace, I also met with the Trace team in HB last month..great technology. Maybe I will see you out at Trestles some time.
Or, check out the vid of Kong Elkerton killing it at Bells Beach in 1983/1984("the early years", especially gouging at 3:05 to 3:20 on that vid),… and use that soundtrack,…. as a good example of a soundtrack to use. Everyone has an opinion y'know. I have to turn the volume off for the tune you have on the vid.