This will be the next test set up finwise to help tame its over lively attitude a little. After that I will test it as a quad. And I haven’t ruled out a five fin setup either, if need be. Maybe I will add a set of rear quad fin plugs out on the rail too.
Epic!!! Know the feeling of no nose. Yew.
The true art is learning how to fly a new design. They all perform differently.
When I hear somebody say, “It’s a dog,” it makes me question whether they are not good enough to or have not made the effort to learn how to ride it. A lack of willingness or an inability to venture beyond the familiarity of their comfort zone.
Ultra-light vs. Cropduster vs. Cessna vs Gulfstream…
Surfed it a few days ago with a large fin area widow maker set up. It certainly settled it down compared to the first surf. No swapping of ends like last time. Solid off the bottom and held a very nice trim line. Felt like a miniature longboard. Lots of fun.
Surfed it today as a quad (McKee-ish fin positions) with a centre stabiliser. This feels like the set up that suits it best. It will take off on a mere ripple, clock serious down the line speed, and pinball from section to section with ease. The upright planshape front fins are intended to provide a more immediate response and counteraction to its general “fatness” tendencies.
I was able to take off today well beyond the small pack that was present and easily traverse the flat spot between there and where they, who were all on standard shortboards, were sitting and taking off. Pretty happy with what it does, and how it does it. I want to surf it more, which I guess is a good sign.
Keep pushing the envelope Rohan.
Well done RDM always nice to see someone not following the herd .
I think I may have finally hit the sweet spot with the fin set up. I added some more plugs to give me the option of of an edge fin quad set up (yet to be tested), and an extra plug for the McKee quad set up to move the rear fins back to a more thruster type distance from the tail.
All of the previous fin set ups had some drawbacks that ultimately I couldn’t come to complete terms with, but the spaced McKee quad set up seems to have fixed most of those niggles.
After testing all of these setups I’ve come to the conclusion, that for me, having around 30% of any fin hanging over the rail line when you lay it down flat, is what will do the trick, even for unusual designs like this one, where most of the standard placement rules don’t apply.
RDM,
Just curious. Have you ever tried that board with the center fin all the way forward and with the two (2) rear side fins behind it (trailing, all the way back)? Sort of an inverse thruster arrangement.
Not yet. But I’ll add it to the list of set ups to try.
Given the extreme width of the board a centre fin pushed way forward wouldn’t have much rail interaction going on when the board is leaned over. Would probably act more just as a “centre” for the two rear fins. Maybe a lower profile, full length, bonzer type runner in the centre instead and some larger rear side fins.
Seems like a center fin moved forward would help control lateral drift while initiating turns with one set of rear twins. Who knows.
