I want to give a thorough product review of the Krash Footrocket hull I ordered as well as of the transaction itself.
Perhaps one thing that quite a few people on this forum know that I have been waiting for this Krash hull for nearly a year. I don’t think it’s fair to view the deal through only that aspect. So here’s a run-down with the details:
I tried a glass FR at Surf Slam 2012 (September) and was so impressed with the handling that I told Nick Barton, owner of Krash Industries, I would be in touch to order a full carbon FR. I sent a substantial deposit 10/5/2012, with the mutual understanding that I wouldn’t need the hull before January/February 2013. I was planning on stuffing a 155 mm mag pump into the hull that, at that time, only accepted up to 148 mm pumps.
In February 2013 Nick informed me he was changing his molds for the bigger pump and offered me the first hull out of the new mold if I was willing to wait for it. He topped it off by offering me a free Krash graphic wrap. That sounded great to me – busy with two jobs and working towards another graduate degree, I really didn’t want to deal with composite work on a new hull and then paint it, too.
We didn’t talk about a specific time line, but I knew it would be a few months. It’s important to note that he was also working on moving hull production for all Krash hulls from Australia to Thailand at the same time, as well as developing a whole new hull (the ‘Predator’). Long story short, my hull finished about a month ago after a few setbacks and Nick being a perfectionist about it. Yeah, I was getting antsy about it, no two ways about it. Nick was patient with me the entire time and I wish I could have been as patient as he was – due to some personal life changes, I really wasn’t in an immediate hurry to receive the hull.
I picked up the hull from the SeaTac airport yesterday and have to say that the wait was 100% worth it. His new Thai facility produced a full visual carbon hull that is simply beautiful, a work of art. The finish work is amazing everywhere, not just in highly visible places. The pump tunnel looks just as nice as the hood does. It is the best finished visual carbon hull I’ve ever seen. The graphic wrap isn’t an afterthought, either – it fits the lines of the hull 100%, the pieces on the hood line up with the hull, and even the chin pad that I received with the hull has matching graphics. To top it off, the entire hull was clear-coated after the graphics install, so that wrap will last. And the clear coat is not some cheapo 30 minute job, either. While there are a couple of very small flaws, it really looks excellent. (The clear coat quality is one detail that took a few weeks to resolve and get up to the level that Nick expected)
The bond rails even have wrap and clear coat on them. This is the first ski I’ve seen where I would definitely not put turf on the rails. Way too nice for that. Quite honestly, I was shocked at that level of quality in fit, finish, and looks.
Everything fits very well, the inserts are clean with consistent depth, the hardware is quality stainless, the motor mount plates and foothold plates are nicely machined and anodized aluminum.
The new pump tunnel and intake for the 155 pump are huge and look to be designed very well. The scupper install is super clean, as are the exhaust and all water tubes. The removable front sponsons fit 100% perfectly to the hull. The hood lines up properly with the rest of the hull and has a deep lip that sits inside the hull opening, preventing the hood from moving sideways. The tray is huge with plenty of room for the adjustable holds and also incorporates a large front foothold.
The inside of the bilge is finished very well – clean, functional, all business, while still looking super nice. Hell, even the hood seal channel looks as nice as any other part of the exterior. I am not a layup expert, but I do know that the entire thing feels extremely solid. There isn’t any flex whatsoever in any part of the hull. It isn’t as light as some other carbon hulls on the market, sure. The hull weighs 71.6 lbs and the hood is 8.4 lbs. But I don’t think I could ever break it or even stress-crack it. This hull feels and looks bullet proof.
To sum this up:
1.) Anybody worried about a hull produced in Thailand only needs to take a look at this thing in my garage and forget all about it. The build quality, fit and finish are excellent and well exceeded my expectations.
2.) Anybody worried about wait times, consider this: My hull was a unique project that involved not only a complete re-design of the bottom deck mold, but also a move of the production facility to a different continent. Nick is now knocking these out with 4 weeks lead time, as I understand it.
3.) While I have not ridden this very hull in my possession now, I have tried a glass FR and was blown away by the handling. Tiny hull that responds to your body input like nothing else I’ve tried.
I do not know what retail price is on these hulls now – but you are getting top quality for it. I am nothing short of impressed with the end product, even if it took a while.
Bottom line, yes it took a while. Not anybody's fault, it was mutually agreed to. Nick is a standup, honest guy and he more than made up for it.
I'll post more pics later.
Perhaps one thing that quite a few people on this forum know that I have been waiting for this Krash hull for nearly a year. I don’t think it’s fair to view the deal through only that aspect. So here’s a run-down with the details:
I tried a glass FR at Surf Slam 2012 (September) and was so impressed with the handling that I told Nick Barton, owner of Krash Industries, I would be in touch to order a full carbon FR. I sent a substantial deposit 10/5/2012, with the mutual understanding that I wouldn’t need the hull before January/February 2013. I was planning on stuffing a 155 mm mag pump into the hull that, at that time, only accepted up to 148 mm pumps.
In February 2013 Nick informed me he was changing his molds for the bigger pump and offered me the first hull out of the new mold if I was willing to wait for it. He topped it off by offering me a free Krash graphic wrap. That sounded great to me – busy with two jobs and working towards another graduate degree, I really didn’t want to deal with composite work on a new hull and then paint it, too.
We didn’t talk about a specific time line, but I knew it would be a few months. It’s important to note that he was also working on moving hull production for all Krash hulls from Australia to Thailand at the same time, as well as developing a whole new hull (the ‘Predator’). Long story short, my hull finished about a month ago after a few setbacks and Nick being a perfectionist about it. Yeah, I was getting antsy about it, no two ways about it. Nick was patient with me the entire time and I wish I could have been as patient as he was – due to some personal life changes, I really wasn’t in an immediate hurry to receive the hull.
I picked up the hull from the SeaTac airport yesterday and have to say that the wait was 100% worth it. His new Thai facility produced a full visual carbon hull that is simply beautiful, a work of art. The finish work is amazing everywhere, not just in highly visible places. The pump tunnel looks just as nice as the hood does. It is the best finished visual carbon hull I’ve ever seen. The graphic wrap isn’t an afterthought, either – it fits the lines of the hull 100%, the pieces on the hood line up with the hull, and even the chin pad that I received with the hull has matching graphics. To top it off, the entire hull was clear-coated after the graphics install, so that wrap will last. And the clear coat is not some cheapo 30 minute job, either. While there are a couple of very small flaws, it really looks excellent. (The clear coat quality is one detail that took a few weeks to resolve and get up to the level that Nick expected)
The bond rails even have wrap and clear coat on them. This is the first ski I’ve seen where I would definitely not put turf on the rails. Way too nice for that. Quite honestly, I was shocked at that level of quality in fit, finish, and looks.
Everything fits very well, the inserts are clean with consistent depth, the hardware is quality stainless, the motor mount plates and foothold plates are nicely machined and anodized aluminum.
The new pump tunnel and intake for the 155 pump are huge and look to be designed very well. The scupper install is super clean, as are the exhaust and all water tubes. The removable front sponsons fit 100% perfectly to the hull. The hood lines up properly with the rest of the hull and has a deep lip that sits inside the hull opening, preventing the hood from moving sideways. The tray is huge with plenty of room for the adjustable holds and also incorporates a large front foothold.
The inside of the bilge is finished very well – clean, functional, all business, while still looking super nice. Hell, even the hood seal channel looks as nice as any other part of the exterior. I am not a layup expert, but I do know that the entire thing feels extremely solid. There isn’t any flex whatsoever in any part of the hull. It isn’t as light as some other carbon hulls on the market, sure. The hull weighs 71.6 lbs and the hood is 8.4 lbs. But I don’t think I could ever break it or even stress-crack it. This hull feels and looks bullet proof.
To sum this up:
1.) Anybody worried about a hull produced in Thailand only needs to take a look at this thing in my garage and forget all about it. The build quality, fit and finish are excellent and well exceeded my expectations.
2.) Anybody worried about wait times, consider this: My hull was a unique project that involved not only a complete re-design of the bottom deck mold, but also a move of the production facility to a different continent. Nick is now knocking these out with 4 weeks lead time, as I understand it.
3.) While I have not ridden this very hull in my possession now, I have tried a glass FR and was blown away by the handling. Tiny hull that responds to your body input like nothing else I’ve tried.
I do not know what retail price is on these hulls now – but you are getting top quality for it. I am nothing short of impressed with the end product, even if it took a while.
Bottom line, yes it took a while. Not anybody's fault, it was mutually agreed to. Nick is a standup, honest guy and he more than made up for it.
I'll post more pics later.
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