FCS Quads - What are you using ?

[pridmore]

fair point but the challenge to shapers is to make a board with the drive, speed, hold but also keeping it pivotal and very manouverable......

[Cpt.Caveman]

I guess if you believe that the epitome of surfing is high performance surfing on a high performance thruster, then the answer to "what board do you want?" is pretty simple. If not, then the answer to the question is "what you have the most fun on".

To this day, the two boards that I've had the most fun on in their preferred conditions have been the Webber Mini Fish twinny (5'9" x 20 1/2" x 3 1/8" huge double concave, huge raked flexy fins), and my Quadfather (6'0" x 19 1/2" x 2 5/8", single to double, roundtail quad).

I used to surf plenty of lower volume thursters before them, but I don't think I have ever caught a wave and been really blown away by the speed and flow that I could muster and throw into turns like I have with those two boards. I'm sure another few years in surfing could have brought the same effect, but why wait? I'm having a ball now and I'm far more excited to go for a surf than I used to be, so I'm going to keep on doing just that. If I ever decide that I need to get back on a thruster, I will (but right now its a big fat "IF"...).

[Natho]

Yipppeeee we are starting to get some balanced discussion going now on quads. I think we are all starting to agree they do have their hang ups, as do aspects of any board. Its all relative to the type of surfing you do and the type of waves you surf. They also have their positives in speed, drive and hold. As said, the trade off on the speed, drive and hold is the board's lack of ability in pivoting and turning relative to the tri. For a beginner/ intermediate wanting to learn to execute a good bottom or top turn, My opinion is that a tri is a better starting point than a quad.

I guess Ijust got sick of the whole quad thing being pushed to the flock without some balance in the discussion and with peoples own agendas being left aside.

I myself take my surfing very seriously and I aim to improve my own technical approach to surfing. I want to become a better performance surfer.So that is the angle i take in my approach to these threads. If you are happy just going as fast as you can down the line then there is nothing wrong with that. Just don't expect to improve your technique too much at the same time.

[Trev]

I think we are all starting to agree they do have their hang ups, as do aspects of any board. Its all relative to the type of surfing you do and the type of waves you surf.

I don't think anyone ever suggested they were perfect.
You strike me as the one with the hangup. Probably some good forums somewhere else where you'd be more happy.

[diggerdickson]

Me, its all about enjoying my surf, speed, and that beautiful feeling of powering through a cutty at speeds I havent experienced before. I dont give a rats about performance surfing like what you would call it. I havent found a hang up yet with the quad for my style of surfing and what I want to acheive with it, that doesnt mean I dont like to go vertical and have ridden thrusters all my life till now, all I can say is im enjoying the change, sometimes they say a change is as good as a holiday, and the holiday I certainly needed to get that grommot desire back in my surfing.

[ric_vidal]

I myself take my surfing very seriously and I aim to improve my own technical approach to surfing. I want to become a better performance surfer.

We never would have guessed, Natho Perhaps you take things too seriously, I think the average forumee can sort the chaff from the hay on all manner of topics.

How dare you be an individual.

[bohdidontsurf]

Whilst I was surfing a lot in the 80's I never rode a quad back then, so I never experianced the problems that plagued the design, both board planshape and fin placement. I first rode a quad about 4 years ago and I still vividly remember the speed, the hold on the face, the drive and the projection. Yes they can be a bit stiff on your backhand but this very much depends on the rear fin depth and rake you are using. I have only found them to make me surf better on my forehand, not worse. As for being in the pit, you just need to dig your arm in a bit deeper or stall with your back foot. But you have to ride them for a while to work all that out. I mostly ride quads and when I do occasionally ride a thruster again, I dont enjoy it as much. Horses for courses, quads are not for everyone. Twin fins are for no one !

[diggerdickson]

I know its off the topic, but I cant help it here. I remember a piture of tc stalling in hawaii I think it was with three quarters of his board out of the water, just jamming the back down. This photo influenced me heavily as he was stalling in a rather heavy situation out of memory, but I could be wrong, and its my favourite method of stalling even to this day. If anyone has a photo of that would love to see it again, a awesome shot.

[Trev]

I know its off the topic, but I cant help it here. I remember a piture of tc stalling in hawaii I think it was with three quarters of his board out of the water, just jamming the back down. This photo influenced me heavily as he was stalling in a rather heavy situation out of memory, but I could be wrong, and its my favourite method of stalling even to this day. If anyone has a photo of that would love to see it again, a awesome shot.

Saw a guy do that at Moffats recently. Well last time there was decent swell.
He was a young guy and he took off inside one of the heavier sections on which I would have just put my head down and gone for it (if I took off at all).
Then, at the critical point he jammed his back foot down and stalled back inside the barrel before leaning forward and accelerating. He'd long passed me before he popped back out.
Now i know good shortboarders do that regularly but there are two interesting things about this particular move.
1/ Riding a 9 footer.
2/ No leggie (not even a plug).

[Trev]

I think we are all starting to agree they do have their hang ups, as do aspects of any board. Its all relative to the type of surfing you do and the type of waves you surf.

I don't think anyone ever suggested they were perfect.
You strike me as the one with the hangup. Probably some good forums somewhere else where you'd be more happy.

that's a bit overboard Trev, don't you think??
f**k man...
i'm happy to have people like Natho, and a few of the other rippers on here...
if i ever get to a point where i'm regularly busting the fins right out the back of the lip, launching into the air or whatever, and want some advice on how to dial my posture or counter-balance my weight etc...
> then it's good to know that there's a few people you could ask for tips..
22 years in, i've got the basics down pretty well, and can link it together smoothly enough, but there's a shit load of refinement i'd like to make...
why the f**k would you want the forums to be saturated with amped-up average hacks, that don't want to listen to the negatives as well as the positives??
i'm all ears, and would much rather be aware of the whole picture...

You're quite right Iggs. I was fighting fire with fire. He started it
I agree we need good variety. Nothing like a good verbal stoush now and then. And some controversy. That's what the forums all about.
ps. I wasn't the only one who suggested he go elsewhere.

[Trev]

Im talking about the lack of centre pivot point that many quads have from which to base your turns.

As an example a thruster is going to give you a specefic centre point reference when executing a bottom turn at speed on a good wave, and allow you to pivot and turn more vertical quicker..

Ive just found quads get a bit more awkward at high speed when coming of the bottom. They don't tend to pivot as quickly as a thruster in good, fast waves.

.

Natho, this might be a stupid question but is it possible the difficulty in the high speed bottom turn is because the quad is actually travelling faster than the thruster? If as everyone seems to think, the quad is faster, wouldn't this contribute to the problem. I understand what you say about the pivot point on the thruster but??????

[el rancho]

i love what this thread has turned into!

i think the happiest surfer will be the one with a variety of boards, both odd and even finned. to make the most of the conditions and to get a different experience!!

my 5'10 twin finned swallowtail MR copycat board from the 70s is bloody fun to ride, you can take any drop you like and be confident the fat nose will take care of business. but gee, if you need to pull up into the pocket quickly well I've got no hope. but it doesnt bog down in sub 2 ft surf like hi performance thrusters so its great for qld!

having said that, i know its limitations and so when the surf gets serious i surf my other shorties. i have heard many people say, and i agree that twins are good for cleansing the palate. so there is no reason a quad cant be the same, or log, or single!

moral of the story is, know what your boards do/dont do, try new ones and always strive for improvement.

ps. my fave board for sheer thrills was a mates 6'1 burleigh boards single fin, it just holds you in that perfect zone for beach barrels.

[Davros]

Bonzers, what about bonzers....

[Natho]

Arh go f@rk yourself Trev.

[pridmore]

thrusters go great , obviously or most pros wouldnt be on them..(except for some Kelly dude ??? ).but quads go well also, so do 1, 2 ,5 finners and all the other designs and stuff out there, we all like different things in a surfboard and that is part of what makes surfing and surfboard special IMO.....I have some great quads, some great thrusters too....loving my quads ATM and that what I am shaping mostly but this thread is about quad FCS fins...or was.... actually shaped myself a newy today too....and got 2 new sets of fins so pretty pumped for it.....

[JET01]

I'm with you Davros...

Try as many boards as you can...

I would hate to be one of those guys that just stay on the one board. The conditions vary at my local beachy so why shouldn't my boards. But i'm not going to argue with people in that mindset... Just means more waves for me.

Just picked up a second hand 5'10 x 21 1/8 x 2 1/2 Twinfin fish with MR-TX glassflex fins, will be the shortest board i've ridden... looking forward to the next smallish swell in sydney to try it out.

[Trev]

Arh go f@rk yourself Trev.

???
It was a genuine question.
I'm assured you are qualified to answer it.

[black duck]

The lads I surf with the most of the time stick to the 1 thruster in all conditions, they have other thrusters but will buy one and then just ride the shit out of it for a year or so until they grab the next. Their theory is you just want to know the board under your feet that well. I just want to ride anything different can get my hands on

2 basic types of quiver IMO.

1. Rasta style quivers - every board shape you can imagine, from Alaias through to performance thrusters. All radically different and completely different to ride. Looking for "other" things.
2. Parko (Pro) style quivers - refined board shapes, all similar, so you can jump from one board to the next without noticing significant changes. A typical CT surfers quiver and the aim of most guys i know who want consistency in their surfing. Less variables = more control.

The guys that choose No 2 style quivers will have less problems adjusting to each board type, hence be more consistent in their surfing.

If you don't surf a lot, developing a no 1 style quiver can be problematic as the adjustment between boards can be so radical it takes a few sessions to get super comfortable with the differences, unless your a Rasta or similar surfing freak. Therefore, you spend all your time trying to get used to the board instead of just surfing. When you add varying weather and surf conditions to the mix it leads to a massive amount of variables.
The down side of No 2 style quiver is the sameness.