FCS Quads - What are you using ?

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petelev4
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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by petelev4 » Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:10 am

i've been really impressed with the k2.1 pc quad set. great lines and not too loose in the tail

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by sandfly » Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:53 am

Hey Guard
What rear futures are you using on your quad with the 438s - 375s or 400s?

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by Firekane » Wed Apr 21, 2010 4:43 pm

I've used the STRETCH signature series in FCS in my 5'6 diamond tail and the Vector 2 Q1 in Futures on my 5'10 quad short board (both by Psillakis and awsome), both sets of fins seem to go alright, they are both very similar in base rake size etc though.

I did try a more upright fin for more pivot on the rear of the 5'10 but didn't like it, I seemed to slow the board up a little, tighter off the top, but as you ride a quad for its drive I stick with the 375 rears.

One thing I was told to remember with quads is that 4 has to equal 3, I think that means the area has to be the same, so smaller rear fins are a must. Perhaps someone else with more knowledge could elaborate on this.

Cheers

Kane

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by Cpt.Caveman » Wed Apr 21, 2010 6:07 pm

Firekane wrote:I've used the STRETCH signature series in FCS in my 5'6 diamond tail and the Vector 2 Q1 in Futures on my 5'10 quad short board (both by Psillakis and awsome), both sets of fins seem to go alright, they are both very similar in base rake size etc though.

I did try a more upright fin for more pivot on the rear of the 5'10 but didn't like it, I seemed to slow the board up a little, tighter off the top, but as you ride a quad for its drive I stick with the 375 rears.

One thing I was told to remember with quads is that 4 has to equal 3, I think that means the area has to be the same, so smaller rear fins are a must. Perhaps someone else with more knowledge could elaborate on this.

Cheers

Kane
I have a similar theory Kane.

The way I look at it, if you use the same size fins you usually use in a thruster you have just jumped 33% in fin area. Thats going to make quite a difference.

I prefer to scale down all fin sizes, and make the rears slightly smaller than the front fins (e.g. M3/G1000 or KFin/G1000). I've tried going big in front and very small in the back, and I found it a bit too schizophrenic. Maybe it would go better for me in fish-style quads, but not performance quads. I'm yet to find out with my newie :)
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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by dUg » Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:27 pm

petelev4 wrote:i've been really impressed with the k2.1 pc quad set. great lines and not too loose in the tail
what exactly is a K2.1 quad set? It it a combo of existing fins e.g. L + R K2.1 sides and 2 centers for the trailers? I reckon there is scope for a refined set based on scaled down trailers, like a 66% scaled down k2.1 side fin, or thinking more radically, a scaled down k3.

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by Cpt.Caveman » Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:32 pm

dUg wrote:
petelev4 wrote:i've been really impressed with the k2.1 pc quad set. great lines and not too loose in the tail
what exactly is a K2.1 quad set? It it a combo of existing fins e.g. L + R K2.1 sides and 2 centers for the trailers? I reckon there is scope for a refined set based on scaled down trailers, like a 66% scaled down k2.1 side fin, or thinking more radically, a scaled down k3.
If they made those fins I would buy them for sure, KFin/G1000 goes great for me but I can really imagine some great pivot coming out of that combination. Maybe similar to G1000 in depth and base, but with less rake/tip?
Davros wrote:Ego saved - surfing experience rubbish.

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by Firekane » Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:44 pm

That raises the question of what Kelly actually uses on his quads? I assume it is a version of the K2.1 but genetically modified for to be 4 fins, but can’t seem to find them any where.

On a side note: Future 375's have a slight cant in them so there is defiantly a left and right fin. But my FCS STRETCH rears are exactly the same, they don’t seemed to have a right and left, what up with that?. Could you (I have a five fin option set up) just moving one of the rears into the rear middle position when using the board as a thruster (and yes removing the other quad rear). I know this goes against regular theories but would it not just act like a small trailer fin keeping in mind it’s on a small wave board (5'6 x 19 1/8 x 2 1/4).

Beerfan

Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by Beerfan » Mon May 03, 2010 11:44 am

Beerfan wrote:Keels went pretty well, though i've got a few homemade fins to play with, so i made up some upright, narrow base fins for the rears. I find i need to use really small rears for some reason. I think i stand too far forward, and spent too much time on my old keel fish.

Image

Image

Due to a back problem, shit swell, and getting the snip, i lent my bat to my mate. Bad idea, he won't give it back!! Anyway i got a few clean waves this morning and i finally got to try this setup. The best so far!!, vert was easy, although im not used to going vert, so getting vert was easy, but trying to come back down was a bit...painful hehe. Loose enough, but not crazy loose. If the rears were double foiled i think it'd be my perfect setup. Looks like i'll have to make a double foiled set next night shift hehe.

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by Topher » Mon May 03, 2010 5:14 pm

Firekane wrote: On a side note: Future 375's have a slight cant in them so there is defiantly a left and right fin. But my FCS STRETCH rears are exactly the same, they don’t seemed to have a right and left, what up with that?. Could you (I have a five fin option set up) just moving one of the rears into the rear middle position when using the board as a thruster (and yes removing the other quad rear). I know this goes against regular theories but would it not just act like a small trailer fin keeping in mind it’s on a small wave board (5'6 x 19 1/8 x 2 1/4).
Dunno about your particular board and the 5 fin setup, but the according to FCS the stretches with the double foil rears ARE designed to be used in a thruster or quad. So give it a go.

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by Cpt.Caveman » Tue May 04, 2010 7:48 am

In my new snub-nose fish I've been having some success with Stretch SF4 quad set. The board is 5'7" x 20 3/4" x 2 3/4", with a bit of a pulled in tail for a wide fish, but still a very wide and straight outline. I tried M5 with the SF4 rears, and the rake on the M5 resisted turning a little too much for my liking, so the more upright SF4 fronts with the small SF4 rears did the trick.

Image

I think that these fins cater for wider fish style designs that actually require a slightly larger front fin to control the tail. I tried this combo in my Quadfather and it felt way too stiff and hard to turn, but then again a lot of the design elements in my Quadfather are built for hold (e.g. pulled in tail, low rails, round-tail, fins set back a bit, McKee fin set-up, etc.).

P.S. I tried this set-up as well, but it was crap. It resisted turning too much and would only go in one direction - straight. Its interesting that as a twin-fin only, its a very loose and exciting board, but add a couple of very small SF4 rears and it surfs like its 10 foot long:

Image
Davros wrote:Ego saved - surfing experience rubbish.

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by Beerfan » Tue May 04, 2010 9:06 am

but add a couple of very small SF4 rears and it surfs like its 10 foot long

Capt i find the same thing, though most quad rears aren't really that small. Smaller than the fronts, but not small in general.

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by sandfly » Tue May 04, 2010 9:59 am

Future Fins rear quad fins seem smaller in general then FCS, not sure why this is?

Am bit of a FF fan in general!

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by alakaboo » Tue May 04, 2010 11:07 am

Beerfan wrote:but add a couple of very small SF4 rears and it surfs like its 10 foot long
Capt i find the same thing, though most quad rears aren't really that small. Smaller than the fronts, but not small in general.
was talking to someone who uses the longboard sidebites in the rear slots and those old fcs curvy sides in the front. think the sidebites are smaller than the sf4 rears, but they are single foiled. they don't use anything else now.
sf4 fronts also have a bit of ?curve?. not sure how to describe what i mean...

i'm still getting used to my quads and haven't played with fins much, but i'm keen to go the opposite way, bigger rears and smaller fronts. i've done most surfing on singles and 2+1s, so want to see how that works.

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by dUg » Tue May 04, 2010 2:30 pm

Got a good look at a set of the K2.1 PC Quads in a bloke's Al Merrick poddy thing in the carpark yesterday. Fronts are standard k2.1 sides, but the rears are like a scaled down k2.1 side with a 70 / 30 foil. I've seen the guy surf before and he's not too shabby, and they seemed to be going well for him ( he's pretty much my size so a lightweight ) yesterday in 2 - 3' waves.

In my setup I started with TC Aqualines in the front and G3 sides ( no inside foil ) in the back and the hold was excellent in steep down-the-line surf of waves, but there was a slight tendency to track ( board's 5'9" ) in flatter sections.

Last week I swapped the G3's for some bamboo trailer jobbies I got from China, that are a GL rip-off. The tabs are set forward so the fins sit further back, and they are a lot smaller in surface area. Again since it's a rail style setup they have no inside foil.

Given this setup some thorough testing during this latest run of swell, and they are working really, really well.
fins1.jpg

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by Cpt.Caveman » Wed May 05, 2010 12:55 pm

Looks fun dUG

I think that all of this experimentation with quad fins is great. I'm starting to learn some basic principles now:

- Total fin area matters, so when moving from a semi-fish HPS thruster to a semi-fish HPS quad you are going to want to scale down all of your fins to keep the same total area (you just added 33% more fin area with the 4th fin), otherwise it'll bite way too much.

- Want the board to turn better off the front foot with check-style turns - decrease the size of the front fins.

- Want the board to pivot better when you put pressure on the back foot - decrease the size of the rear fins.

- McKee quads tend to feel smoother when you use fin sizes only one size apart (e.g. M5/M3, M3/G1000, etc.), otherwise the board will feel stiff off the front foot but pivot really well off the back foot (weird).


I'm yet to nut out more rail-centric quads, as my current snub nose 5'7" has the Fat-Bat placement. That'll be interesting :)
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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by dUg » Wed May 05, 2010 2:06 pm

Cpt.Caveman wrote:- Total fin area matters
My word. That's why I can't quite understand these blokes I see with the same fronts and rears in their setups. What are they aiming for there?
Cpt.Caveman wrote:I'm yet to nut out more rail-centric quads, as my current snub nose 5'7" has the Fat-Bat placement. That'll be interesting :)
LOL... you sound like you're at the same place I am with stringer centric quads ;). I have surfed a couple and they did little for me... I wanted something that felt *less* like a thruster to surf. So far that's exactly what I've found.

Hopefully I will get to try out the Fat Bat placement when the QF finally makes it to SA. You can bet I'll be changing fins though! :D

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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by BDL77 » Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:49 am

Right I need some help choosing a new set of quad fins.

Me 6'0 x 84kgs

I have been using:

--> PC5 front with M3 center back;
--> M5 Front with M3 sides back;
--> I've tried H2 medium quad set - felt too small.

Am I under finning myself? :?

I'm thinking of one of these sets for surfing in 2 to 4ft beach breaks.

1: Stretch SF4 Large
2: R2 Quad Large
3: Q-PC7
4: K2.1 PC Quad

Anyone ridden these sets? Or with all the C Drive talk should I be using a quad set of those :?

Thanks
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Re: FCS Quads - What are you using ?

Post by Topher » Thu Jul 29, 2010 11:33 am

I found I like fairly raked fins with bigger fronts and smaller rears. I like long fast turns, not snaps and stuff. Shapers quad-e works real good for me on a fatbat, prob similar to the rusty they are about a size 6 front and sx style rear. I found anything with a big rear (m3) was reall 'hangy' at the top of the wave and during takeoff. Only tried a few sets though.

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