I have recently had the same problem with 2 quad fin boards, both shaped by the same shaper, of which they are the first 2 he has made. The first board to the point that the stress on the tail, along with the combination of a cracked plug and water inside the crack, created a 16" crack in the same line as the rear fin toward the nose. I posted this problem on this forum and the answers seemed to point to a) poor glassing b) improper plug installation. I wasn’t sure that was the case, however, with the second board noticed that my toe indents, mostly from punting/landing, had packed down really hard around the top of the plug and when I removed the tail pad, the plug was cracked.
The top of the board is glassed with 2 x 4oz glass, bottom 4oz Resin Research Epoxy and the blank is a US Blanks PU red density. Both boards are less than two months old.
I want to continue using FCS fins and plugs, so changing that set-up isn’t an option.
Other than a thicker glass job over that section of the tail, what else can be done to reinforce the plugs for the occasional hard landing and my overly boney feet. Also, due to the size of my feet (12) I don’t have an option but to land airs with my feet on or near the rear fin plug. The Stretch boards are ridden by Nathan Fletcher, whose entire surfing style is dependant on punting??? Has anybody else had this problem with the rear fins of their quad?
Help please.
