The Tabou Pocket Air on land:
In addition to the wingsurf-windfoil hybrid "Magic Carpet", the Pocket Air model is the second concept from Tabou, which is designed to offer the dual benefit of wingsurfing and windsurf foiling. The Tabou Pocket Air is available in one design and in a total of four sizes between 87 and 117 litres. We tested the most interesting size for advanced wingsurfers with 87 litres (5'4) in combination with several foils from RRD and Naish.
The Pocket Air is equipped with a double rail, and a short mast rail has been installed in the deck for windsurfing use. The comfortable loops are screwed into plugs with an unusually wide stance - almost ten centimetres wider than usual. In contrast to other hybrid concepts, the Pocket Air in this size only has one loop position far inwards, which has to be used for both waving and windsurfing foiling. If you are bothered by the large crotch width, you should mount the loops in holes that do not belong together. A large handle has been built into the underwater hull, which is ideal for carrying.
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On the water:
The Tabou Pocket Air is quite stable in the water when motorised with a wing. However, the wide stance takes some getting used to, and small riders are inevitably travelling in the John Wayne memory stance. The board has some resistance when starting off, which is probably due to the wide nose, but probably also to the larger-than-average carrying handle in the underwater hull. In any case, you have an advantage on the Tabou if you actively pump, then you can soon leave the noticeable glide threshold of the Pocket Air behind you. In the air, the Tabou hangs perfectly on the foot in wing use, looks compact and offers a lot of safety in manoeuvres with its flat deck. The shape, which is only 162 centimetres short, is also happy to take on jumps. Anyone who is past the stage of being a beginner winger and wants to practise their first tricks will find a lot to like about the concept.
We were less convinced by the windfoil suitability - at least for this size. The mast track is located directly in front of the front loops, a position that windsurfers are not normally used to. While the Pocket Air with its 87 litres is still a medium sized board, it requires a lot of sensitivity when starting off with a sail and, above all, stronger wind, because the planing threshold is even more noticeable with a sail. As expected, the board looks extremely small and compact in the air under windfoil conditions. This is great for foil styling, jumping and as long as you are in the air, but it also has its limitations as soon as you come into contact with the water, e.g. when starting and turning. This problem may be less noticeable in larger sizes, but in the 5'4 size the concept for windsurf foiling doesn't really work.
Conclusion:
The Tabou Pocket Air 5'4 is a compact and comfortable wingboard - and should be seen as such. The dual use for windsurfing in this size is only attestable for very light and experienced freestyle windsurfers and only with small sails (<5sqm). If you want to regularly swap the wing for the sail, you should look for a board with more length and consider, for example, the hybrid board Tabou Magic Carpet or a larger version of the Pocket Air.
Compact & comfortable to drive
Some driving resistance when starting off
Step width too large for small surfers
