http://www.hanaleifinsystems.com.au/pages/probox/fins_setup_primer.html
go to the quad set-up page
or any of the set-ups when you made up your mind
i think resinhead knows a lot about these shapes
so you better listen even More closely to Resinhead
Thanks again resinhead. Can you tell me where you placed the fronts? I'm guessing they are somewhere around 12 up from the tail. I was thinking of going with the box fin setup like the scorpion (front sides -14.25, rear sides 9, and the box at 5.25), but I'm not married to the idea. If this is the board outrunning that section on the far right, I'd go for that over being able to ride it as a single fin any day!
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i think resinhead knows a lot about these shapes
so you better listen even More closely to Resinhead
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I'm listening and writing it all down.
12 is a safe number. Just remember the spacing between the fins, and the type of fins you run. On the board I posted I run higher aspect fins, they look funky but they are loose and fast. (Thank you Larry Allison) If you run a deeper fin, then the board will have more traction but more drag. Everything is a give and take.
So I say 12 is a good starting point because given the size of waves you are running in has a lot to do with the set up. I think the board in the picture is set with the fronts at 13.5, and the rears fall into place where the fin touches the rail at 1 1/8 with a gap of 1 1/2 between the boxes.
I feel the benefit from the quad (At least the way I have learned to set them up) is that you can surf the board from a more forward position. More forward will give you more drive / speed. Your foot is over the cluster which is up about 10 inches. Thruster cluster position is pretty much on the tail or up 6 inches from the tail. So on bigger quad boards you don't have hop around between turns and trim as much....You can make the board work from a more forward position, which makes you look like a more fluid surfer, and takes less effort to look like a fluid surfer.
Someday when I grow up I'll be a fluid surfer...but at least my gear is not holding me back.
Thanks, all. I'm going with the quad with the fcs fusion trailer. I'll save the box setup for another board type.
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Asking for exact measurements is difficult, you need to take into condsideration of rocker, rail line and tail width. But if you set it up like a tri fin fronts, then placed your back quads as above the board will work fine. You might even push the fronts up 1/2 to 3/4, So if you were thinking 11" in the fronts, put them at 11 3/4.
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One last question about rocker consideration. I basically tried to back off my rocker measurements as a percentage of the difference in board size from my 7'6 egg (10 in.) and came out with 2 3/8t x 4 5/8n. Again, I intend on using it in decent to mangeable (non potato chip or gun) conditions, but I am interested in some of the advice given on flatter rockers on wider boards. I would think that since the fins are pushed more forward, a quad can accomodate a flatter rocker than can a thruster. Here is the rocker outline.
thud...thats me kicking this thread in the guts again....
yeah have 2 NPJr 2+1's one for everyday (6'6) and one for cleaner/bigger/longer stuff (6'10), they are both great boards, only issue is I have trouble enjoying the 6'6 in surf much under 3 ft its still fun but would ride my fish instead, so thinking about ordering a FCS fin box dohicky that allows sticking fins thruster fins in the back. I cant help though feeling this is not what the board was designed for...but guys who have done this did it work for smaller stuff =<3ft with shorter ranged waves?
Secondly I initially had that slippery feeling because my rear fins were to far back, now its a lttle bitier....but yeah so strange that slippery feeling fun but a little disconcerting at first anyone else feel the slip and is it becuase of the 2+1 configuration or would a tri fix that?
dont get me wrong I surf decent waves 10x better on the 2+1's than a thruster but love the plan shape so much on the 6'6 want to surf to in smaller stuff....so thinking FSC PC 7's as has a wide rounded square...any advice welcome e.g. dont waste your money or yeah it works for me in smaller waves
Definately worth trying, IMHO. My board was completely different with the different setup.
I am falling in love with my 2+1 again. I have a decent quiver of thrusters,quads etc… but the only and I mean only time someone will compliment me on a ride or give me some space (respect) in the crowed Sydney line ups is if on my 6’6 2+1. Maybe because the lines and flow are so different people think “hey that looks nice” not knowing the fin config. Anyway I have no idea why I dont ride this board 90% of the time (even performs in Sydney beachies) as I’m always stoked when I leave the water, unlike frustrating days on my thrusters. Maybe I’m a slave to fashion becuase Oz aint as accepting as Cali when it comes to different.
These guys are such a wealth of knowledge at hanalei, I am so glad you added that link . I emailed them asking about some of their pdfs and got quite an excellent and detailed reply. Seriously considering buying one of these fin kits as I like the idea of being able to switch the cant instead of it being stuck in once position.
So cool… karma boost for that link! 
I recently looked into this.I have been riding a 2+1 on my all time favorite longboard - an 8’6" Josh Mohr (Bob Pearson) and have been using the same on other longboards (Yater) for a while, and having grown up on singles and loving Bonzers (6’9" egg) I thought trying a 2+1 on a regular ‘shortboard’ would be a good experiement. The board in question: 6’9" - 13 1/4" 20 1/4" 13 3/4" and I concluded:
You can’t get off the shelf side bites small enough to work on a sub 7’ board - I think the smallest they make / I could get were 3 1/4" which means using a 5 1/2" center - and its still just too much fin. True Ames make a 4 1/2" long box fin with a reverse offset so it sits past the end of the box = close enough to the tail for a sandard 3. I use one of these with 4 1/2" ‘side bites’ which means its just a plain old thruster and this works best on this board. In my opinion, side bites would have to be closer to 2" to work on a board of this size - something like 2 1/4" with a 6" center… I think the Campbell Brothers have got it right on this question - you want 2+1 on a small board? Go Bonzer.
nah…this combo works great, note the side fins larger and the rear fin smaller. I have a Bonzer and this is so much more versatile and with the drive on a bonzer. love my bonzer to.
The 2 + 1 Fin Set-up
After much trial and error, surfing and sanding, I came to a great balance with these fins, scaling thrusters up and single fins down, moving forward and back. Placed at 6 1/4 and 12 1/2 , I surf this 2+1 most days on the East Coast of Oz ( apart from the Quartets now) and they love ALL conditions from 1-2 ft beachies to cyclone season. Also a couple of seasons in Hawaii, with memorable sessions at Haleiwa and maxing Sunset.
They get away much faster than Thrusters, due to their forward placement but are drivier cause of the larger back fin, plus looser and smoother from the cluster.
Just stopped in and I was surprised this thread is still alive. I went with the quad + 1 (with nubster), and rode it with all possible fin permutations. Didn’t like it as a thruster, thought it was ok as a quad but loved it as a 5 fin (with the nubster in the forward position). Here is the finished product.
You are speaking my language mate - I am trying to get a 2+1 just right for a new board and your thoughts are much appreciated, thing is, I can’t read the sizes on your pic. Can you please tell us (me) what size these fins are and what size the board is? You placement info and templates are rad. Trying to keep the 2+1 stoke alive…
I think tail width and rider weight are big factors. A 16" or 17" tail has way more real estate to control and will support a lot more fin area than a 14" tail. I think a 200# surfer needs a lot more fin area than a 140# surfer. So it’s pretty easy to see why lightweight guys tend to go one way and the heavyweights tend to go another.
Unless making a single fin or twin fin, see little reason NOT to go with a five fin these days, the versatility is unmatched.
One 5 fin solution that addresses this thread is to go with a quad fin set-up matched with a short box. With this set-up you can try so many fin combo’s - tri, quad, 2+1, even put a FCS adaptor in the shortbox so you can run a Nubster with the quads as a 5 fin.
My latest five fin has become a quiver killer, 4’ to 10’ pretty much all I ride these days, and change fins according to set-up and conditions… Tri set-up when peakier, if walled up but not yet full on haul ass run it quad with a nubster (more top and bottom leverage), in full on race waves go quad.
Giving this oldie but goodie a bump.
Like DCasey, I am also making a 6’8 Speed Egg type board. The board is shaped and ready to rout fin boxes. 15.25 tail 15 nose 20.5 wide. 2 5/8 thick. single to double with some V out the tail. 2 3/8 tail rocker, 5" nose. Targeted for head to doubl OH point surf. I weigh 165#. I want to do a quad plus one for the fun of trying it as a single fin. But also want the flexibility of trying 2+1 and quad. Based on this thread it sounds like 12" for the front fins, 1" off rail, trailers back 1" and over 1", with center box around 5-6" off tail.
Any refinements to these numbers would be greatly appreciated.
Also, what is a “short box” referenced in the last post above? Is that just an 8.5" single fin box?
Make sure you get the “nubster” for the trailer. I found that putting the nubster in the forward setting worked much better than the rear. You wouldn’t think it’d make much difference but it does.