SUP Mag UK lo-res free to readers July 2014 lo-res - free to read | Page 73

Rocket in red – Fatstick 12.6ft
www.supdirect.co.uk

Having checked out Fatstick’s all round 10.6ft in the last issue,
we thought it worth getting our mitts on something
more performance-orientated from them.

The ‘Red Rocket’ is a stand out head turner on
the beach with its Ferrari red livery, sexy racing
lines, needle like nose and svelte profile
– it demands you sit up and take
notice. While nowhere near the
lightest stick on the market it’s
certainly bomb proof and relatively
easy to get to the put in – a deep
set centrally located handle
makes for a comfortable journey
to the water’s edge.
The 12.6ft hull sports a
pronounced vee concave and
water piercing bow up front. This
suggests knife like precision
through the brine and should
hopefully translate into decent
speed.
Stepping aboard, the Fatstick is
initially twitchy under foot with plenty
of rocking from rail to rail – chop only
heightens this sensation. Give it some
forward momentum, however, and
composure is regained.

CONCLUSION
For those wanting to get into
racing on a budget the Fatstick
12.6ft is a great board to take your
first forays. Competitively priced
it’s a pretty quick stick with
plenty of crossover potential for
coastal paddling away from the
race circuit. Swapping the fin to a
more performance-orientated
skeg would deliver speed
improvements.
Price: £749

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Glide is impressive
with only a few
strokes needed to
get the ‘Red
Rocket’ racing along.
The nose cuts through
wavelets efficiently – as long as the
hammer is kept down, stability issues
won’t raise their ugly head.
Reacting to changes of foot position
the 12.6ft responds well to board
trim – something that will be a
constant as paddlers aim to find the
sweet spot across a variety of
conditions. Over flat water the
Fatstick glides efficiently, while
bumpy seas will require more
concentration and rider input.
Keen to check out the board’s wider
potential it was taken into some small,
mushy waves, which surprised by being
super fun. Catching runners with ease, it
surfed pretty well as long as you hang off
the very tail.
During downwind runs it flew. Even small
rollers and moderate breeze saw much fun
being had – the Fatstick 12.6ft a great
crossover vehicle for those looking at stepping
up from a recreational board.

b o a r d s

this issue
Fatstick 12.6ft
SickStick 9.6ft
RRD iWave 8ft
RRD 12ft Tourer/Active Flex 50 vario paddle
Point 65 Rum Runner
JOBE 12.6ft Aero Race
Circle One Diva Wetsuit
Nah Skwell Maxi G 7.3ft and 10ft Longboard
Exocet 9.8ft Discovery
Red Paddle Co 12.6ft Explorer
BIC 10ft Air
Aquaite Onda carbon paddle
Kialoa Pupu adjustable paddle
Ainsworth carbon/glass paddle
Rail Saver Pro tape
Nectar sunnies
Passenger Clothing
Leashlok Hawaii coiled leash

Fatstick cater for the more budget conscious
paddler, offering stand up paddle boarding kit at
competitive prices. The 12.6ft is their flat water
speed needle designed to get those looking to
take on their first race up to speed.

s h e d : h a r d

SUP Mag UK’s test station.
If you want your product
reviewed and it will be of
interest to SUPers
Email us: reviews@
standuppaddlemag.co.uk

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