I’ve been surfing various types of bodyboards and now always quad fin them. I’ve had a balsa wood board from Ecuador that Rasty at the Balsa Surf Camp made me in 08 or so that I eventually put fcs boxes on for a quad.
I’ve taken the top 4 feet off a broken soft big board, sanded off the crap on the deck and painted on impermeable rubber paint, put fcs plugs for a quad fin. Left it with a kid in Nicaragua and he trashed it. Delamed and busted. I fiberglassed the bottom and repainted the deck. I screwed up the plugs and the glassing got so water logged. I’m riding a 45 inch waveskater that I put fusion boxes on for a quad while I repair the other board.
I like the idea of a rounded and rockered nose. The big free drops are a lot easier to make. I can’t use swim fins anymore, got full knee replacements. After I hurt my back back in 70, I only body surfed until a friend in Hawaii, in 78 got me into body boarding. Been at it every since, I’m 75 now.
Back in 94, I called the coast guard for the 100 mile bouy report for Westport WA, US. 27ft @ 17 seconds. When I paddled out, there were six guys, at the jetty for perfect NW mountains rolling in, no wind to speak of. One of the six said, “we don’t like spongers here”. I sat way outside, you know, old school wait my turn Oh yeah, I think I had 2 fins on whatever board I had at the time.
So the first couple sets, those six got some long rides down that right point and then came the clean up set. I was sitting perfect, and as I paddled into it I could hear em screaming from the beach.
As I paddled back into the lineup the dude that didn’t like spongers said, “was that the biggest wave you ever surfed.” “I don’t know,” I said, “maybe”. I was going so fast down that mountain that I couldn’t set the rail and got to the second section too late for the tube. Had those little plastic fins they sell for bodyboards. Now I use fusion boxes and quads. But I don’t think I wanna paddle out in anything bigger than 5 to 8 feet.
There is a caveat, I never have been a trickster, oh the rollo, especially off floaters, but I’m just bottom turn, hit the lip, bottom turn, as many as the beach breaks give me. The quads seem to give me both speed and snap. Freakin’ awesome.
I’m in Nicaragua up in the North, and it is really difficult and expensive to get material, limits what I can do.
I think I can find some pictures if you are interested.
Man I love this site.