Wednesday Review - Daiwa Tournament ISO Reel

This entry was posted on 4th July, 2018

Reviewed by Carpology Magazine…

 

Tough and powerful, combined with sleek and stylish looks...

LET’S FACE IT: Daiwa are an absolute powerhouse when it comes to reel production. Whether you are of the cult SS3000 or Tourney school, or a space-age Basia/ISO fashionista, the Japanese tech heads at Daiwa have got it completely covered. The new Tournament ISO sits towards the top of Daiwa’s pedigree tree of reels with a price tag and set of high tech specifications to match. Labelled as a ‘tougher’ big pit reel, with the matt black aesthetic and solid construction it is likely to appeal to the anyone looking for a high-end workhorse that has the sleek stylish looks of the very top end Basias.

The Big Questions

What am I getting for my money? In a word, a serious piece of top end machinery. Beneath that minimal, understated exterior you have some serious tech goodness. First and foremost the seven ball bearings give you a super smooth feel, and Daiwa’s revolutionary ‘Mag Sealed’ finish means that you’ve got NASA technology inside there as well, literally. Mag Sealed is Daiwa’s way of protecting the inside of the reel from water using a hi-tech magnetised oil to form a membrane between the rotor and reel body, meaning zero friction, and zero water, grit or anything else finds its way in. Add the patented Daiwa Quick Drag, Line Safe Clip, Air Rotor and Air Bail features to that list as well.

What do they mean by ‘tougher’? Okay, so the Tournament ISO isn’t built like an Infinity BR or a Tourny 5000T, or indeed the proverbial brick outhouse, but if you’re in the market for a sleek top end piece of precision casting equipment, that probably isn’t on your agenda anyway. The ISO has the crisp, slimline looks and feel of the Ferrari class Basias, but being constructed from Zaion and with its Mag Sealed element proofing it is built to take a beating and the rigours of some serious big water carping.



What the hell is Zaion?! Quite simply, it is possibly the ultimate reel material. Being 50% lighter than aluminium and 20% stronger than the usual Nylon/ABS materials usually used for reel bodies it has the equivalent strength of Magnesium. It is actually a type of high density carbon strain material and has the perfect blend of strength and lightness – exactly what you want from a big pit reel.

Is it a one trick pony? Just because you have bought a big pit reel, that doesn’t mean you can only use it on big pits. At just over 500g the ISO weighs in with the featherweight class, and the slim bodied construction and feel means it will pair perfectly with almost any carp set up. The nice touch of a spare spool means you also have the option of loading up with 530m of 0.35mm line for some serious big water work, or by switching to the shallow spools you can have 300m of 0.35 on there, getting your full set of three out of a 1000m spool.

Do I really need a set? If you’re forking out over five hundred notes for a reel, you want something worth the money, right? Whilst the Tournament ISO doesn’t have the bling factor of the Basias and might not immediately shout about itself, we are guessing that is probably why you like it. It might look like a ‘blacked out’ custom, but it has a set of tech specs to match anything out there and the understated midnight black matt finish and uber minimal graphics belie its powerhouse interior and tap into the current paradigm of reel trends. All in, it is a seriously classy reel, with the functionality and tech to back it up. Possibly the perfect mid-top end carp reel? We think it might just well be.

Key Features - AirBail & AirRotor - Zaion Body - Magsealed - DS5 Rotor - 35mm Long cast spool - QD Quick drag - T-Shape soft touch handle knob - HIP-High Impact Line Clip - Spare spool supplied - Black screw heads - Black air bail - New deep cut machined spool skirts - LD = Long Distance - C = Compact

Buy The Daiwa Tournament ISO Reel