Daiwa 26 Tournament Surf 45: The 10th-Generation Surfcasting Flagship With AIRDRIVE

For anyone who does traditional surfcasting (nage-zuri) in Japan, “Tournament Surf” is a special name – Daiwa’s flagship dedicated surfcasting reel, used in competition for years.

The Tournament Surf 45 has now reached its 10th generation. The headline: it is the first dedicated surfcasting reel to adopt Daiwa’s AIRDRIVE DESIGN, the concept that made waves in general-purpose reels. Here is every change.

The Tournament Surf 45 is built for one job: casting bait rigs a metre further and retrieving them faster when fishing for kisu (Japanese whiting) and karei (right-eye flounder). The 26 model renews the rotor, bail and spool under AIRDRIVE DESIGN.

Specifications

Released October 2026. Line sizes are Japanese gō numbers.

The two models differ in gear ratio and spare-spool taper. The HG05PE (113 cm per turn) retrieves fast; the 06PE (95 cm) winds heavy rigs and sinkers more easily.

Features

1. AIRDRIVE ROTOR – a first for a surfcasting reel

A near-spherical rotor that starts turning more easily. Big-spool surfcasting reels tend to have big, heavy rotors, but Daiwa has kept this one’s weight equal to the 19 model. No weight penalty, so you feel the lighter start in full. Kisu fishing means slowly dragging the rig while feeling tiny trembling bites. A lighter start, I think, translates directly into sensitivity and more comfortable dragging.

2. AIRDRIVE BAIL, 25% smaller

A bail 25% smaller in diameter, saving weight and reducing line trouble. In surfcasting you make dozens of full casts a day, so fewer bail problems is reassuring.

3. MAXSIZE SPOOL, 10% larger

The largest spool to suit the new rotor: 10% larger in diameter, at 74 mm. A bigger spool means less resistance as line leaves on the cast (more distance) and more line per turn (faster retrieves). In surfcasting, both translate into fish.

4. LC-ABS (Long Cast ABS)

A next-generation spool lip that moves the line contact point forward. Daiwa quotes about 5% more distance than ABS II and fewer tangles. In surfcasting, 5% is 10 m for someone casting 200 m.

5. A stopper lever 3 mm longer

Easier to reach with a finger, especially when winding right-handed. A small detail, but one you touch on every cast.

6. Line-level indicator

As line runs low, the number “45” appears on the spool, so you notice immediately after a break-off.

7. ZAION, MAGSEALED, CRBB

• Light, stiff ZAION carbon for body and rotor.
• MAGSEALED to keep out seawater and sand.
• All ball bearings are corrosion-resistant CRBB (11/1).
• Aluminium gears and spool.
• Manual bail return so the bail cannot flip during the cast.

8. Spool compatibility

Older 45 mm spools fit the new reel, but the new MAXSIZE SPOOL does not fit older reels. Owners of the previous model can use their old spools as spares.

Compared with similar reels

1. 19 Tournament Surf 45

The biggest change is the larger spool, adding distance and retrieve speed, while the rotor weight stays the same – a pure performance upgrade. And old 45 mm spools work as spares, so less waste when upgrading.

2. Daiwa 21 Surf Basia 45

The Surf Basia sits one step below – about 40,000 yen cheaper and very capable, the standard for anglers getting serious about surfcasting. For competition and maximum distance: Tournament Surf. For enjoyable weekend kisu fishing: Surf Basia.

3. Shimano 24 Freegen

Shimano’s upper surfcasting reel. The 35 ultra-fine-line version weighs 460 g and lists at 63,000 yen, and is popular for distance and winding sensitivity. The Tournament Surf costs more, but its 410 g and the light start of the AIRDRIVE ROTOR are big strengths – over a day of casting and dragging, 50 g and a lighter wind show by evening. Many will choose by rod brand and spool compatibility with what they already own.

HG05PE or 06PE?

For numbers of kisu and fast rig recovery: HG05PE. For karei, heavy sinkers or heavy current: 06PE. If kisu is your main target and you are unsure, the HG05PE.

What surfcasting demands of a reel

• Distance – a big spool and lip design to reduce resistance as line leaves.
• Fast recovery – lots of line per turn to bring rigs back quickly.
• Sensitivity – a light start to feel tiny bites and changes in the bottom.

The 26 Tournament Surf 45 raises all three: MAXSIZE SPOOL and LC-ABS for distance, the larger diameter for recovery, and AIRDRIVE ROTOR for sensitivity. In surfcasting, tackle differences become distance differences, and distance differences become catch differences – a fishing where a top model clearly earns its place.

Things to note

• 109,000 yen – expensive even among surfcasting reels.
• The new MAXSIZE SPOOL does not fit older reels.
• No drag figure is published (as a surfcasting reel, it is normally used with the drag locked).
• It is a dedicated bait surfcasting reel – for lure fishing on the surf, a general spinning reel suits better (see the 26 Freams).

Summary

• 10th generation, with the first AIRDRIVE ROTOR on a surfcasting reel.
• MAXSIZE SPOOL (+10%) and LC-ABS for distance.
• AIRDRIVE BAIL, longer stopper lever, line-level indicator.
• HG05PE and 06PE, 410 g, 109,000 yen.
• Compatible with older 45 mm spools.

Autumn brings the late-season kisu and winter brings karei – the best time of year for surfcasting. If distance on every cast and the feel of a dragged rig matter to you, put it on your list.

Read next

• Daiwa 26 Freams
• How to read a surf beach
• Tide, wind and swell
• Japanese PE line sizes
• Japanese flounder: hirame and karei

MINAGIMAN

JAPAN ANGLER

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Born in 1994. Originally from Hyogo Prefecture, I moved to Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture in search of the sea. I am an Enshunada surf angler who enjoys surf fishing. I am also active on YouTube, and my fishing grounds range from Irago to Iwata.