Cripes put the Tabou 125 Rocket next to the old Free style wave & the older board looks like a gun slalom board compared to it! No wonder these new boards are stable! Has deck grip to kill but the area you use is padded..next problem is how to set up the footraps..heaps of holes..also i assume the screw supplied is for some sort of vent..?
Make sure the screws go into the screw holes... Miss, and it'll be, well, screwed
There should be a vent for that screw somewhere near the mast track. Make sure it goes in and stay in nice and snug. Theres plenty of debate on here about whether to take it in and out after each sail. Me personally, I dont bother, but I dont leave my boards out in the sun on the beach or in a hot car all day.
The Rocket seem like a great board. You will have a ball on it. Remember if you going to catapult hang onto the boom and go with it - it will save you putting a dent in your new boards nose. Trust me a new board with a dent isnt pretty 
Hi,
yeah make sure the vent bolt is screwed in before you sail, otherwise the board is screwed.
With footstraps, Rockets have plenty of options. If you are not sure where to place them then screw them into the middle positions. From there you can see if you prefer them to be inboard or outboard. Outboard is generally used for hiking out and blasting. Inboard for more of an upright stance.
I hope you really like the Rocket. I enjoy sailing my two.
I 've decided to put the footstraps outboard ( even though I think Id find it easier inboard..learn correctly from the start, although if Im doing a lot of lightwind work maybe not..?) I also used the holes at the front of each option as i figure at 5'6" maybe I need that as I have a smaller stance..?
Re vent ..I will usually have the board stored on top of the car in a cover although tomorrow I have to go to a specialist appt so i was going to see if i could store it in the car..is it really a problem with the heat? How come all this stuff re vents these days.. Ive never heard of it with older boards? I hate having a new board at least the part where Im worried about wrecking it..No more beach starts with a 45? cm fin.. grr Ill have to waterstart like everyone else or uphaul..
Next problem will be how to carry it.. we have special cradles on top of the car for the kayaks & they are too narrow for the board.. I may have to put one of the older boards in first & then tie the new one on top of that..Oh what a lot of problems to have..
Ok Mineral -Here are some pics comparing the Hifly 258 with the new one..I wanted to take the Hiflys fin out so it was easier to see the difference easier but the screw is stripped. The difference is very obvious in the flesh. Tabou is the blue one.
Nice board. Looks like inboard and outboard settings are pretty close though. Looking at where you have the straps on the Hifly, I'd agree with Mobydisc and try the inboard setting 1st.
ooh ah.... luverly ....
The rude man logo is missing but being an artist you can paint one yourself :). Actually you'd think they'd give you those things as a decal to stick on if you wish.
Footraps :) (sic) forwards is probably ok but if you want to achieve blistering speed you should try them all the way back, the back ones anyway.
.oh well it hasnt died yet..at least I dont think so..?
If I have trouble Ill change things..
flash as now, girlie
Process I follow, however each to his own in regards to the vent. Some never take them out.
I take board out of trailer, get Philips head for fin, tighten vent screw (just nip it tight, dont wrench on it), fit fin, fit base to mast track.
when I come back in, I take out mast base, loosen vent screw, take out fin, put board in trailer Vent screw washers I check about every month or so to clear any sand and or check rubber O ring condition. O rings you can get from shop or local hardware store. Never fit board bag until end of season, so the board doesnt sweat in the bag and go all gungy
Isn't the Tiki Man a Starboard graphic, not Tabou?
No Tabou's I've seen have a little rude man on them.
Rockets are sweet looking boards, the graphics have a certain style to them.
flash as now, girlie
flash as now, girlie I have to put my board in its bag at the end of each sail as its tied on the roof & I dont want to damage it..If you left the zip a bit undone it would dry out wouldnt it?
The trouble with just loosening the vent, is the #@%$$ thing can come right out while traveling, I've lost a couple that way. (But if it's in a bag, you should be able to find it again)
The other problem with vents is sand getting into the hole and stopping a good seal as well as abrading the rubber "O" ring.
Some boards manage to survive not having the "O" ring undone, but a lot of others have been destroyed, (the pressure inside blows them up causing de-lamination of the bottom).
That nice blue of yours will probably get hot in the sun, I'd make sure the screw is undone unless it's in the water.
The other thing with front and back footstrap position, I think it's better for light sailors to have them back and heavy sailors to have them forward. It's about the board's attitude, light forward means the board sits too flat, and there's more board in the water slowing it down, gives it a "sticky feel". Heavy too far back means the nose rides too high, making the board "push water" again slowing it down.
Having them outboard means you have control over a bigger fin, in fact you need a bigger fin to stop the windward rail sinking.
Board looks very slick sbc. Buttons and pedals will be in different positions though. Have fun
flash as now, girlie
Nice board SBC,
Here's another idea incase you run out of cardboard,
- Some people (with the right sized vent screw and mast base) are able to remove the vent screw, turn it upside down, and lock it into their mast base, when the board is out of the water. The beauty of this is that next time you go sailing, you can't insert the uni until you have taken the vent screw out of the mast base.
-It's like a forced reminder to do your vent screw up
...and my 2 cents,
- I agree with the guys saying to start with the straps inboard. To enjoy the board as mush as possible in your first few goes you want to minimize the differences to what you're used to. It will feel foreign enough getting into the straps after the Hyfly without having the straps way out on the rail. There's time for that later!
Have fun on the new board.
flash as now, girlie
My Tabou Rockets generally stay in their bags when not in use and live inside my van. I sometimes undo the vent screw but not that often and after two years they are still okay. Usually before going out for a sail I'll undo the vent bolt and leave it for a while and then put it back in before getting on the water.
The board bags are nornally not completely zippered up so a bit of air can get in the bag. The boards are normally rinsed in fresh water before being packed up.
nice thread here.
i'm just new in this sports, and this thread really works for me.
It feeds my mind..
thanks
re vent screws
after sailing boards without them for years I have had a couple of mishaps where I have forgotten to put them in until out on the water. Shock! Horror! Guilt. Quick trip back to shore to put in the screw.
What I do now: After each sail I undo the screw and put it into a little cloth drawstring bag which I attach to my front footstrap with a red pipecleaner.
It is so obvious I can't forget to put the screw in before each sail, and the screw can't fall out during transport.
I'm told it looks really girly but it works.
