Surfing Waves

Hi Everybody,

In October i staied in a surfcamp in Portugal and one night we had a discusion about what are the diferent pro's and con's from a truster and a quad fin systhem. I am using boards with 5 fin options 6`2 and a 6`6 for bigger waves. I like the 6`6 better with a quad in bigger waves. More gripe farst. But is this right and if why so? Can anybody tell? What and why so?

Thanks for ya help
Jules

I used to surf a single fin and loved that. I quit surfing and started with a three fin configuration longboard but now have a quad fun gun. I love my board. It can do some amazing things so I am not about to go to a thruster however if I ever get good enough to know the limitations of the quad fin then I may. It sounds to me like there are pluses and minuses but if you are not used to one or the other my own opinion (what I did) is to go with the quad till you have a problem that you can't figure out then try other fin configurations. The really good surfers may look at the waves and figure out they need this type of fin set up for this break and that for that other break but for a newb you might as well start with the best latest design then see how you like that.

Thrusters are more stiff and rigid, but the control is noticeable. Quads are faster looser and generate speed a lot easier in my opinion.

Depends on fin set up. My quad with big back fins surf about the same as my thruster. My quad with smaller back fins glides and catches waves easier but I give up some hold.

I swap back and forth depending on conditions, thruster for steep walls, quad with smaller back fins in mush or small waves

I agree with Oldmansurfer. I'm a beginner intermediate and I find having a decent amount of fin in the board (quad fcs controllers on a wide tail hybrid) gives me the speed to get up and past the breaking section so that I can then figure out whats going on and get a feel for some turns, cutbacks, etc. Until I'm struggling there is no point in me going down some fin area to a thruster or smaller back fins as it will just mean less time on the clean wave face.

On my bigger wave board I've got it set up as a thruster but unfortunately I've been injured since early summer so have been restricted to head high waves. It seems to me to be quads for smaller waves to generate your own speed and thruster where you need to control or shed off excess speed. Cant wait to get out at our local point again for some bigger waves.

nottyR6 wrote: Until I'm struggling there is no point in me going down some fin area to a thruster or smaller back fins as it will just mean less time on the clean wave face.
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Exception: if it's big and mushy or just not walled and hollow, the small back fins are the real deal. Consider it as a small wave or high tide option

Thank's so in gerneral a Quat is loser with small fins in the back and quicker than a trusther! In steap waves it is best to stick with the trusther or biger back fins with a quat! Well and it is the personal feeling i have about to surf on or the other! cheers! Jules