Rocket in red – Fatstick 12.6ft review
Having checked out Fatstick’s all round 10.6ft in April, we thought it worth getting our mitts on something more performance-orientated from them.
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.
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.
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.
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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