Daiwa Airity X Match Rod Review
Last Updated on 6 September 2024 by James Bevan
Overall Rating
Score derived from the average of these ratings:
Build Quality - 9.5
Casting Ability - 9.5
Playing Fish - 9.0
Value For Money - 8.0
The Daiwa Airity X stands out for its amazing blend of sensitivity and strength, which, with Daiwa’s commitment to quality and innovation, is not surprising
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The Airity is a very popular range of rods built by the reputable Daiwa with the originals being manufactured back in 2009.
Due to it’s popularity Daiwa continued to update the lineup over subsequent years leading to more specialised, supreme versions and ultimately producing works of art like this beauty.
Marketed as a match rod, the Airity range offers versatility across many disciplines. With 3 different lengths in the match rod range (10, 11 and 12 foot) the rod could be used as a pellet waggler rod as well as a more conventional float rod.
Let’s check out the specifics on how it performed when reviewed.
The Rods Build Quality & Features
What Does This Mean?
When rating the build quality of a rod, consideration has been given to the basic components.
These include the materials used in the blank, handle, reel seat and line guides.
We also take into account any additional features that make life on the bank easier for anglers.
The Daiwa Airity X, from the moment you pick it up, feels like a rod that boasts exceptional build quality.
It utilises Daiwa’s X-Dream Construction technology with a super slim 30 Ton Toray carbon blank with V joint technology. This basically means that this material delivers an impressive strength-to-weight ratio for a lightweight yet immensely powerful rod that equally offers a good degree of sensitivity needed for float fishing.
The rod really does look the part sporting quality Daiwa fittings throughout. The handle is unique looking, slim and exceptionally comfortable to hold even for smaller hands.
The reel seat is equally as slim and compliments the transition between the handle and the blank beautifully.
I tested this rod on a pellet waggler session at a local commercial and the reel seat held solid throughout.
Features & Specs List
- HVF Nanoplus
- V-Joint Alpha
- Slim blank profiles with flex and power
- Power versions also available
- Tournament reel seat
- SeaGuide S/Steel Zirconia guides
- Hard EVA handle with Armlock
- X45X Full Shield
Table To Show The Weight And Length Of The Different Versions
| Version | Weight | Closed Length |
|---|---|---|
| Airity X Slim Match Rod 10ft | 155g | 157cm |
| Airity X Slim Match Rod 11ft | 170g | 172cm |
| Airity X Slim Match Power Rod 11ft | 175g | 172cm |
| Airity X Slim Match Power Rod 12ft | 185g | 188cm |
Casting Performance
What Does This Mean?
How a rod casts is one of the key fundamentals that determine a great rod from a mediocre one.
Easy, frictionless casting that provides accuracy and distance is all rated in this category.
The Airity casts beautifully, helped by the Fuji SiC guides that are featured on it. The line transition was consistently smooth and felt frictionless in testing ultimately leading to good distances (30 metres for me) with exceptional accuracy.
Playing Fish
What Does This Mean?
The ability to play fish effectively is an important feature of any fishing rod.
Fishing is a sport, and as part of
this sport, feeling the pulls, lunges and the fight of a fish is an exhilarating feeling that adds to the overall experience and enjoyment of angling.
As such, this is all taken into account when rating fishing rods.
I was fortunate enough to catch a number of fish when testing this rod with a mixture of silvers, F1s, and Carp.
The quality materials used in the blank meant that the rod felt subtle enough to handle the smaller fish but when needed had enough power to be able to comfortably control pellet waggler caught carp, up to 8lb with relative ease.
The blanks ability to be well balanced like this is thanks to the rods semi-parabolic action and multi-strand graphite construction with Bias Carbon V-joints.
I really enjoyed playing fish with the Airity match and felt confident even when really leaning into the bigger fish.
Value For Money
What Does This Mean?
How much any fishing rod costs is always going to be a key factor in an angler’s final choice.
A rod can have all the bells and
whistles under the sun but if you have to re-mortgage your house to purchase it then all of a sudden it isn’t the best choice for some.
When rating how much value for money a rod brings, consideration has been given to how the rod performs in all the other categories vs its price point.
Okay, the elephant in the room is the rods price. While not the cheapest match rod on the market, the quality, performance, and features it offers, if you can afford it, make it worth every penny. This rod is designed for anglers who demand the best and are willing to pay for it.
The Pros & Cons Of The Daiwa Airity X Match Rod
Here is a list of advantages and disadvantages I found with the Daiwa Airity Match Rod when reviewing it:
Pros
- Fantastic sensitivity, balance and strength
- Lightweight design making it a pleasure to hold
- Amazing casting accuracy
- Adapts beautifully from playing small silvers to larger Carp
- A really comfortable, unique looking handle
Cons
- Premium Price Tag
How The Rod Compares To Its Competitors
Here’s how the Daiwa Matchman compared to other pellet waggler rods we have reviewed:
| Name | Overall Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Daiwa Airity X Match Rod | 9 | £389.99 |
| Shimano Aero X5 Pellet Waggler Rod | 8.8 | £144.99 |
| Guru N-Gauge Pellet Waggler Rod | 8.3 | £84.99 |
| Preston Ignition Pellet Waggler Rod | 7.9 | £59.99 |
| Daiwa Matchman Pellet Waggler Rod | 7.6 | £40.00 |
| Nytro Aryzon Pellet Waggler Rod | 7.9 | £69.11 |
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the Daiwa Airity X Slim Match 11ft is an outstanding waggler rod that combines cutting-edge materials, intelligent design, and refined performance into an absolute joy to fish with.
Its balance of power, finesse and features make it a worthy investment for course anglers looking to gain an edge on challenging venues. If you can stretch to the asking price, this rod is unlikely to disappoint.
Thanks for reading.
Tight Lines
Hopefully, you have found this review of the Daiwa Airity X Match Rod useful. If you would like to see more fishing tackle reviews you can do so here.