Knowing when to use a quad?

[Tazza]

Hey guys!

So right now and for the past week the Gold Coast has been having amazing waves and today I'm thinking of chucking on an extra fin and going quad.

So with that I was wondering what are the best waves to ride with a quad fin?

And the other is do the bigger fins go at the front of the smaller at the front?

Cheers guys! hope you're all having awesome waves!

[pico_train]

The smaller fins go on the back plugs, bigger ones on the front. Enjoy!

[drowningbitbybit]

So with that I was wondering what are the best waves to ride with a quad fin?

In my experience (disclaimer: in my personal opinion, on a particular board, on australian waves, on the third tuesday of the month, when gemini is rising in sagittarius, etc etc) I find that riding a quad goes better on waves with a slightly slower entry - slightly crumbly even. The quad fins don't lock in to the face for an angled take-off as well as a thruster, so you take the drop down the face and then bottom turn back into it.

[IB_Surfer]

Well, I am not going to answer your question but will give you my tale, and I think you can make up your own mind:

A while back I wanted to try a quad for big surf, had been using only a thruster. So I bought one, put in M5 fronts and GX centers in back and, well, it failed miserably in hollow big walls, the tail slipped out every time I tried to cutback hard. So I go out and buy some different back fins, Ended up with M5 sides in front and M3 centers in back. Well, that worked, but so good that it slowed the board down and felt the same as my thrusters.

So, since then I use my quad in mushy big surf and my thruster in walled hollow surf.

On a parallel line, I was watching a movie about Kelly Slater surfing Teahupu (forgot name of movie). his board had what appeared to me where size 5 fronts and some bigger size 7 backs, it totally blew me away, but watching the video I saw him drop into some incredible waves, the takeoff almost freefalling, then the board grabs and shoots sideways. I'm not Kelly, so am not going to try that fin combo, but food for thought

[hit_the_lip]

I surf a quad when it's mushy and I need speed down the line. Surf a thruster set up when It's a throwing lip and more hollow, a more technical wave.

It's absolutely insane to me that pro's are surfing chopes and Jaws on quads.