Catman, I can tell you what, there is nothing wrong with graphite at all. The Penn 320 GTi is made of it, and its hard to find a reel better than that for that price.
Anyways, I finally got my tidewater in the mail today, and it feels like it could wench in a horse. It is super smooth, the clicker is a few decibels shy of a gunshot, and it can hold a truckload of line. The only thing bad about it is the brake is a little touchy, but that isnt anything that cant be compensated for. Overall looks like an excellent reel.