quad fin placement

General Discussion
1

I’m hoping to get some input on quad fin placement. I’m thinking 6-7 inch board, 13 in the nose, 21 wide, and 15 1/2 tail. Round tail. mike

2

Hey Roost,

Without knowing the widepoint placement and rocker and bottom shape of your board, I can’t nail it for you but I can give you a good starting point.

Front fins up 11 1\2

Rear fins are set so that the leading edge is 1 3\8 behind the trailing edge of the front fins.

Front fins on that tail width is 1 1|8 off rail. 1\4 inch toe.

Rear fins are 1 3\4 inch off rail and slightly less toe.

As far as cant, go 2 degrees less on the rear than the front.

Don’t be afraid to use double sided foiled fins on the rear. REALLY smooth.

Good luck with your new board!!

C

3

I had a quad with almost the same measurments. I think the quatro set up has never been topped for four fins. The rear fins are placed about 3’’ on the inside of the outside fins and about even with where you would place a thruster fin. I have seen others where the fins are almost directly behind the front fins on the rail and I have never liked the way those rode. I also liked Twinzers, which were highly underrated.

4

New retro quads are better than the old new school ones

Seriously though, place the back fins half the distance as the front fins. Thats how all the groovy new school kids place them now days…

5

Thanks for the information. I’m looking for general guidelines. I found an old post from I don’t know when. I’ve never owned or rode a quad. Part of the joy of building your own is trying this stuff. If you don’t like it sell it for materials and try again or go a different direction.

Solo. My second board was a swallow tailed twinzer. Just gave it away to a kid. I kept it around so I could see how much I improved. Wavy railed with a duck billed nose. Worked good in chest high waves, though. That board and a friend motivated me to keep trying. He saw it cartwheeling towards the beach, looks over at me and yells,“What the f…k is that thing!?”

Ben. I like the idea of being part of the “groovy new school kids.” That’s why I wear green Etnies and baggy cords. Maybe I’ll learn to play the guitar and sing melancholy songs. Thanks all. Mike

6

Hey Rooster,

here’s what I did:

5’10" x 21 1/4" x 2 1/2 " from a 6’9" A blank

15" nose 16 1/4" tail

double wing

butt crack 11 1/4" wide 6 3/4" deep

rear fins 5 1/2" up from the tip. no toe in

front fins 11" up. 1/8 toe in

This is the quad fish that was up at Big Sur. I do not know about the differing lengths between mine, what your are doing and any changes that makes in the fin placement.

Tim

7

Rooster, go straight to the quad fin master. This guy has been making quads for ever and fully believes in them and has made boards (with 4 fins) and still does for the Toms (Carroll and Curren) and most of the pros as well as a few thousand stoked customers. This is the definitive answer for quad fin placement… GO McKEE!

check http://www.mckeesurf.com/brucemckee/multisystem.htm this has the answers to all of the questions. Good fella too!

8

Gumby,

That site is fantastic. Thank you. Mckee’s a generous guy. How many pro’s post numbers like that? Hope others to take a look.Mike