QUAD TALK

[Surf Hound]

Off to another subject... I live above Santa Cruz - moved from Hi a year ago and have only surfed the SC area in Ca. I plan on driving south soon for warmer water and surf diff spot. I have always wanted to surf the San Onfroe area - where would you recommend for a decent left and minimal crowds? SC is the land of the rights and cold water (for me as I am from Hi). I am ok with less quality wave for less of a crowd. I have a new board being built that should be ready in a week that I am driving to Ventura to pick up so I was going to pop the cherry of my new board further south when I pick it up.

[Lebowski]

Maybe I haven't experimented with different fins enough, but I can't imagine that the difference in drag between the centres and the side fins would be noticeable at paddling speed.

Not really paddling speed, but when catching waves, seems to glide way easier into the wave.

I can't see any technical reason why the centres in the back would allow you to glide easier into the wave.

From my perspective, if I have a particular day when I'm feeling good and catching waves easily, there are so many factors that I'd put it down to before the foil of a fin. Ie. chop levels, what I ate for breakfast, wind direction etc.

I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just that there are so many variables in surfing that it's hard to quantify small changes like that, and from a purely scientific perspective, I can't see why either pair of fins in the back would make a noticeable difference to catching a wave.

I'd also have thought that a quad should have more hold in a steep wave face, due to more fin(s) engaging the wave. These are my thoughts and I'm happy to be proven wrong on any/all of it.

[pandarturo]

Lol that's true,I guess the time honored quote works better than any fin size, "paddle harder"

[IB_Surfer]

Maybe I haven't experimented with different fins enough, but I can't imagine that the difference in drag between the centres and the side fins would be noticeable at paddling speed.

Not really paddling speed, but when catching waves, seems to glide way easier into the wave.

I can't see any technical reason why the centres in the back would allow you to glide easier into the wave.

Talking from experience, not sure if there is anything written on the subject or not. I can actually tell differences between different templates too. But anyhow, just finished an overhead big day with quad GX sides in back and they actually help up ok.

But now I am more interested in what people use for their setups that works. What works for you?

[IB_Surfer]

Off to another subject... I live above Santa Cruz - moved from Hi a year ago and have only surfed the SC area in Ca. I plan on driving south soon for warmer water and surf diff spot. I have always wanted to surf the San Onfroe area - where would you recommend for a decent left and minimal crowds? SC is the land of the rights and cold water (for me as I am from Hi). I am ok with less quality wave for less of a crowd. I have a new board being built that should be ready in a week that I am driving to Ventura to pick up so I was going to pop the cherry of my new board further south when I pick it up.

I drive up and surf central cal every so often when visiting my daughter in college. The water temps get about 5 to 8 degrees warmer around the LA area and stay the same all the way down to San Diego. So, huntington beach, Newport beach, they are all goo sopts.

If you want minimal crowds, when you get to san onofre look for the southern entrance, south of the power plants. "The Trails" feature many spots where there are less surfers. It's not as good as the north entrance, that has places like Church's and Old Man's. Just be carefull, the tails also has the clothing optional area

[IB_Surfer]

Not sure what you mean "side fins or single in back". I have never mixed and matched. Quad set up = AM2's or Controllers and thruster = Pancho Sullivan model.

I mean center fins or side fins on back. The AM2's you have, for example, what do you have in the back? Double (centers) or single foil (sides) and what size? They aren't the original centers, they are usually smaller. It should have the size on there.

chime in: what size does everyone else use? I used PC5 in front, GX sides or centers in back.

[pandarturo]

Depends I just got done rgmb2 they are pretty fun but to much hold abd tons of rake, but they are also a thruster.

[Surf Hound]

Oh ok. I don't know what they are.... Whatever comes in the 5 fin pack for AM2. I am too comfy on my chair to go to the garage and look. I am doing a dawn patrol tomorrow so I will look then. Thanks for the info of goin south of the power plants. I think my board will be done next week so the next decent swell I am heading down.

[IB_Surfer]

Thanks.

Anyone else care to share their Quad set up?

[pandarturo]

Lol okay I've run Jordy fronts am2 backs, Eric arakawa quads, rgmb 2 with am2 rears, am2 fronts Eric rears. All kinds I think the best combo was the rgmb 2 fronts with am2 rears not to much hold and just enough looseness. Well see how it feels tomorrow we have a 3 foot Hawaiian swell coming in I'll report back.

[IB_Surfer]

I have one board that's FCS and ride it with PC-7 and GX-Q but that is the only FCS fins I own.

I did not read this correctly first time around. GX-Q are actually GX side fins, like mine. So, we use a symilar set up, I have been using PC5 with GX fiberglass sides.

[IB_Surfer]

I think the best combo was the rgmb 2 fronts with am2 rears not to much hold and just enough looseness.

Really? AM2 are about size 5, that is a bunch of hold. Never thought of using the same size backs thought that quads ALWAYS had smaller rear fins, will have to try full size rears like you. Since I have a 3 or 4 different sets in size 5 or there abouts I can try a bunch of different setups.

Very interesting...

[pandarturo]

Yeah just play with it man!

[IB_Surfer]

This is the website my shaper recommended. I guess I do have some playing around to do...

http://www.mckeesurf.com/?page_id=267

[IB_Surfer]

So, as a test, I changed up my Fish (though we where not talking about my fish on this last post). I usually use FCS twin keels in small or mush and usually MR quads in bigger mush or bigger slow waves.

After the past posts I decided to try something different. I had some M7 fiberglass fins I had from an old board and some GX fiberglass side fins from my longboard. Used them today on my fish on a big mushy day, foot overhead and rolling in Baja. It rocked! I think I will have to play with all my quads now!

[pandarturo]

Lol good to know welcome to the club. I save my thrusters for big hollow days

[IB_Surfer]

Today we had head high heavy walled sets, decided to try PC5 sides in front with PC5 center in back (had an extra center from a broken set). Did ok, not as much release getting in as I expected from my quad, but then again I am comparing to small back fins I used to use. Weird, it felt much like my thruster, both set up's paddled about the same. Will have to try some M3 centers in back

[Surf Hound]

So are you saying that you are not sliding now? This swell has been decent up here in Santa Cruz the last 3 days and I was paying attention and I experienced nothing but hold with my AM2s. I forgot to mention this earlier but I tweeted Kelly Slater on using quads once. He actually tweeted back and said he rode quads for the holding aspect as we'll. I think with the right set up for your board you will find that quads will hold a line better than a thruster. My guess would be if you were sliding --going with a bigger fin w/ more area and correct shape will fix that. The fins I use are always MAX hold on the Future Fin pamphlet that's comes in the pack. I actually have the poster pinned up in my garage so I can reference at leisure. Fins can change everything or sometimes nothing. Kinda weird....

[IB_Surfer]

Yeah, no sliding, but I went quad for the ease of paddling, not the hold.

I toyally agree, I need to find a setup that is easier for paddling into waves than my thruster but also holds good.

I'm thinking of trying k2.1 quads, anyone try those yet?

[hit_the_lip]

Yeah, no sliding, but I went quad for the ease of paddling, not the hold.

I toyally agree, I need to find a setup that is easier for paddling into waves than my thruster but also holds good.

I'm thinking of trying k2.1 quads, anyone try those yet?

I have the k2.1's in a quad setup, I dig em. One thing you will notice about the K2.1 quad set, is they are very small compared to other quad sets. I have mediums. But it seems like they stick up more vertically so they dig into the wave better. The k2.1's aren't cheap, I bought the 5 fin set for a hybrid 5 plug board I had shaped, set me back $115. I believe the K2.1's are FCS's flagship fin, the best surfer in the world surfs them, and these are his signature fins, so you know they are going to work good. Thats my theory anyways, and they work good for me.

On a different board, I have the GMB-5 Quad set (the mayhems), I don't like them as much as the K2.1's.