I made myself a quad to see what all the fuss was about. Here it is:
5’11" x 18 3/4" x 2 3/16" double concave in slight vee starting at entry going flat behind rear fins. The grain exagerates the concaves, they aren’t as deep as they look in this shot.
Rocker: tail 1 3/4", nose 4 1/2".
Deck is 3 mm 80 kg m3 d-cell, bottom is mid density balsa 1.5 mm. 2.5 oz under 4 over top and bottom. Has a nice snappy flex in the tail but not too flexy under the front foot.
I could use slightly fatter rails than I would for a thruster due to the vee and better rail to rail action of quad set up. I used the double wings to get back a bit the pivoty feel you have with a thruster.
Used the McKee fin placment, with Glassflex M5’s and GX centres in back. I’ve surfed it in good 3-4 beachies and I like it. When I first jumped on it I thought that the flat tail rocker felt dead and unresponsive, but when I really cranked a hard turn on the face, the tail flex really kicked in, really loose but with hold. The quad set up lets me push hard in turns to get the tail flex happening, without getting into trouble. The glassflex fin flex pattern suits the tail flex as well and the double foils of the GX’s seem to make turns really flow.
This is probably my best board to date, all the ingrediants have come together nicely and I haven’t found anything I don’t like yet.
I made myself a quad to see what all the fuss was about. Here it is:
5’11" x 18 3/4" x 2 3/16" double concave in slight vee starting at entry going flat behind rear fins. The grain exagerates the concaves, they aren’t as deep as they look in this shot.
Rocker: tail 1 3/4", nose 4 1/2".
Deck is 3 mm 80 kg m3 d-cell, bottom is mid density balsa 1.5 mm. 2.5 oz under 4 over top and bottom. Has a nice snappy flex in the tail but not too flexy under the front foot.
I could use slightly fatter rails than I would for a thruster due to the vee and better rail to rail action of quad set up. I used the double wings to get back a bit the pivoty feel you have with a thruster.
Used the McKee fin placment, with Glassflex M5’s and GX centres in back. I’ve surfed it in good 3-4 beachies and I like it. When I first jumped on it I thought that the flat tail rocker felt dead and unresponsive, but when I really cranked a hard turn on the face, the tail flex really kicked in, really loose but with hold. The quad set up lets me push hard in turns to get the tail flex happening, without getting into trouble. The glassflex fin flex pattern suits the tail flex as well and the double foils of the GX’s seem to make turns really flow.
This is probably my best board to date, all the ingrediants have come together nicely and I haven’t found anything I don’t like yet.
You gotta know I like that Lazor Zappy looking stuff. Nice…board.
Those are full planks on the bottom 6 footers? Only 1/16, 1.5 MM not too thin a skin? How does the high density deck skin feel with that bottom skin? I never tried that combo. What do you weigh? I run a lot of bottom concaves like yours, and recently with the quads …surfings got a lot more dimensions… the stability and consequent speed…mind blowing. I started using inside foils front and now back; at first I feared over tracking but its the opposite …fast, loose AND stable.
Next move is doing a run of composite quads with the 4Way Fin System. I find the quads have a larger wave range than thrusters....do to stability and drive. Add an adjustable fin system and you've max'd the build, especially given the cost of a custom composite.
I really like the clean book matched bottom you've pulled off there. The wt. is almost scary lite. Is that #1 core? Must be. Would you go narrower or thinner for the bouyancy?
Full planks - much more expensive, but I can’t be bothered sticking all those hobby size pieces together.
Only 1/16, 1.5 MM not too thin a skin?
I have 1.5 mm on three boards with no issues
How does the high density deck skin feel with that bottom skin? I never tried that combo.
You can do it the other way around but you have to take steps to make a balsa deck last. D-cell is more durable so it’s just easier to do a d-cell deck with balsa bottom - you get the balsa springiness either way. The new d-cell is very flexible but with great compressive strength. If you were say 75-85 kgs you’d probably go for denser d-cell like 100 kgm3.
What do you weigh?
65 kg
I run a lot of bottom concaves like yours, and recently with the quads …surfings got a lot more dimensions… the stability and consequent speed…mind blowing. I started using inside foils front and now back; at first I feared over tracking but its the opposite …fast, loose AND stable.
Next move is doing a run of composite quads with the 4Way Fin System. I find the quads have a larger wave range than thrusters....do to stability and drive. Add an adjustable fin system and you've max'd the build, especially given the cost of a custom composite.
I really like the clean book matched bottom you've pulled off there. The wt. is almost scary lite. Is that #1 core? Must be. </span>
Core is .75# I used Bruce Mckee’s fin placement formular to the milimetre and it has turned out to be spot on.
Would you go narrower or thinner for the bouyancy?
Could be a touch thinner I think. But it’s summer now so in winter with a 4/3 it’ll probably be just right.
Whats your gut feeling on the biggest waves it could handle? if you could stretch the fin cluster with an adjustible system would you do it or just up your board size? I did a run of d cell decks but they lacked the lively feel…kind of a dull flex. But the boards were bigger and I ran 3.7oz under, and 3.7oz or 5.7oz over on the decks, all 1# cores. What did you band the rails with and how thick did you go. Did you do full laps top and bottom on final lam? What brand resin? Ive been using Aluzine, but its thin and drains and a bit yellow after a while. Not too wild about some of the recent builds. I glad your stoked especially being the best yet and a new fin array. I hope you get some juicy surf to push it in!
I did a run of d cell decks but they lacked the lively feel…kind of a dull flex.
This one is very lively - when did you buy your d-cell? they introduced a new formular early last year.
But the boards were bigger and I ran 3.7oz under, and 3.7oz or 5.7oz over on the decks, all 1# cores.
That schedule sounds good for bigger boards, juicy waves.
What did you band the rails with and how thick did you go.
I used a sharp hand plane and coarse grit blocks. Rails are the same as what you’d see on a standard PU performance shortboard.
What brand resin? Ive been using Aluzine
An Australian resin called Bote-cote. It’s made for wooden boat builders. It yellows a little but it’s idiot proof and you can sand it easily without any additives. It’s also quite flexy.
