Bought back my old quad

[IB_Surfer]

Here is a weird story:

I had a custom quad made 4 years ago. It was my first attempt to fiddle with quads and it did not go well.

For starters, the shaper messed up the paint job since he was not familiar with epoxy, so the laps showed through, I was bummed. However, he took $100 off and I took the board anyway ( I don't get boards from him any more). It's a quad step-up semi-gun, I wanted to try a quad in steep big waves. The first time I tried it I could not catch waves easily, so I replaced the side fins (F4's instead of FEA450's) and it worked better. The back fins needed to be big, 400's, so it ended up feeling like a thurster, which at the time I did not want. Ended up selling it after only a few months for $300.

A couple year laters and with more quad experimentation I started thinking of having the same board made, thinking that maybe I had overlooked it's versitility. I looked on Craigslist to see if a similar board was available and, well, found my old board for $125!!

Anyway, I need to fix a small ding, epoxies can't take on water, but I am going to have fun trying different set ups. Just thought it was an interesting story. Here is a pic when I picked it up from the shaper, looks a little more weathered but still in great shape. Can't wait.

[naniekso]

and the cow comes home!!! looks crazy good

[Manhattan Beach Grom]

That's a cool story!!

[IB_Surfer]

So turns out the damage was too close to the stringer and had to have it professionally repaired. Just got it back and used it at blacks beach in shoulder high surf and had a lot of fun with it. Got the FEA450's paired with 400 centers in back, I'm going to try 375's next to see if it glides a little easier.

[kremerica]

I've been aching to try a round-tail quad like that for a while. How does it ride in normal (shoulder high mushy) waves?

[IB_Surfer]

Been fun trying the different set ups. I put smaller back fins (375) on a mushy good day and it was a blast, almost as easy to catch waves as a fish but with thruster performance. I forgot and had them on when it was big I did feel it slip out a bit, so put in the 400 and it did fine, just like my thruster. I just replaced the FEA450 front fins with FJC1 front fins, gonna try that next.

So far I think it catches waves easier than my thruster and, with the exception of having the smaller fins on last time it works the same as my thruster. It keeps more speed on the turn, kind of weird when I'm used to the stall when I cutback. It's also a lot faster as it glides down the line that the thruster, but at times a little too much so. Fun having it.