Thinking about buying a quad fish for 3’ to 6’+ surf. I’m 215 lbs (+ full wetsuit), 6’2”, 33 yrs. I haven’t ridden fish style boards before. I’m afraid I’ll order one that’s too small, that will not float me and accelerate the way it should. At the same time I’m also worried about going too big and loosing the fishy feel such a board is intended to have. What I’m trying to say it that there’s a sweet spot I’m shooting for……as big and beefy as possible while still getting that snappy fishy feel. I was thinking 6’6” x 21.75” x 3” x 16” tail. I was thinking of going with a Kane Garden. When Swaylockies talk I listen. Looking forward to some great guidance. Thank you. Brian.
did you give any consideration to a pavel speed-dialer?
No, I don’t know much about that board but I’ll look into it. Thank you.
I think you’d like one with those dimensions. Best bet is to try a couple in various sizes and see what you think, though.
folks about these parts say a fish should be small
mine isn’t a quad, has keels, but @ 6’0 x 21.75 x 2.75
many of them say it is huge for me (I’m 5’6" 160lbs @ 50y)
but I like it.
Soulstice,
There’s a 6 months to year wait. I was told when Rich gets around to it he’ll get back to me so I can make an order. Shops don’t ship the boards because when they get some they go so fast. No one in my area has been able to get one for months. The board could cost as much as 900 bucks. I don’t need the most coveted board of our era just something that’s got a decent rep. Just the same thanks for the recommendation. I learned something and if I every see one sitting around I’ll snatch it up.
it depends on where you’re coming from. if you ride a log usually, a bigger, floatier board with comparatively little rocker will seem fine. if you’re coming from a shortboard, you will hate nothing more than being on a relatively rockerless too thick, too wide hunk of foam that won’t be nearly as nimble or fast as your shortboard (fast meaning fast to turn…we all know that long boards made of wood in new zealand are fastest down the line). As far as acceleration and such…once you’re up and moving, it’s all planing area; better to get it from width than length; at your weight, there’s no problems sinking a rail to make a board turn. As far as paddling power, foam will get you part way, but low entry rocker will get you there faster with a much more fun board to surf.
those dims you quoted are much more generous than what I’d recommend for you. you don’t provide any info in regards to you history, location, type of wave, skill level. with that information, it’ll be easier to make suggestions for you.
i’d say 6’0"-6’2", 20", no more than 2 1/2" thick, relatively flat deck to keep the foam, dropped rails for sensitivity, but again, flat decked way out, and a pulled type of tail a la speeddialer rather than a wide lis fish type tail; it’ll still get you to the same places in the mush but will hang in much better in the juice…bigger range. maybe 35-37L volume MAX. better in the 30-32L range; I’m about your size and weight and wear a 5/4/3 with hood booties and gloves just about year round.
I’m exactly your size & 37. I like fish & quad fish 5’11" to 6’0", 3" thick, and as wide as 22.5-23. Like was said above, width better than length, and at our size, burying a rail is no problem.
The deck can be almost completely flat. Tail rocker no more than thickness coming out; nose rocker 3" at most (which gives you 1/2" along the deck side…). Some guys like the noses pulled in a little so they don’t catch, but I mostly spend time on longboards so reducing length by 4’ also reduces nose-catching enough that I like a fish nose wide, like 17".
I vote for Benny’s vote.
First… EPS or Poly? You can go a little thinner with EPS.
If you where coming to me to build you a quad fish, I’d suggest a length over 6’0"…maybe 6’2" or even 6’4"… if you’re 6’2" yourself and plan on riding with a full suit in smallish surf.
Width… I’d go no more than 22.5, if you insisted, but I’d recommend 22" and do a double bump to pull the tail in a bit around the quad fins. Take too much away from the tail surface area and it’s not going to feel “fishy” at all.
Three inches thick, pretty flat deck, and down rails with a hard edge in the tail with no tuck at and behind the fins. Carry some volume into the nose and tail, too, but not too much. This helps with paddling and slow, mushy waves. Maybe a beak nose.
The speed dialer planshap is awsome, and so is its bottom. You wouldn’t have to go flat to vee since you’re doing a quad, but if it where a true retro fish, then you’d go flat to pretty heavy vee. I think the speed dialer is a double to single barrel concave out the tail.
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I’m exactly your size & 37. I like fish & quad fish 5’11" to 6’0", 3" thick, and as wide as 22.5-23. Like was said above, width better than length, and at our size, burying a rail is no problem.
Exact ditto… Except I’m only 29
Brian,
I think you should build your own fish. For the cost of a Pavel you could make 4 fish and all would be done before Rich gets around to thinking about it. It’s not a difficult board to shape. Pretty basic with the exception of the butt crack. Surprised I’m the first to make this recommendation. Come on, Boys n Girls. Build your own! Stoked! Mike
How about some fin placement details for a quad? with or without the bump rail . Let’s say, 6’0"x17x22x17. How would you lay out your quad fin clusters? (trailing edges, cant and camber with reference to the edge of the template)
Tom S.
I run 12" on the frontfins and 6" on the backfins(from tail tips to trailing edges of fins)…approx. 1-1/4" off the rails.Been using that formula since the first Quad I invented/ built in 1978.Herb
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Soulstice,
There’s a 6 months to year wait. I was told when Rich gets around to it he’ll get back to me so I can make an order. Shops don’t ship the boards because when they get some they go so fast. No one in my area has been able to get one for months. The board could cost as much as 900 bucks. I don’t need the most coveted board of our era just something that’s got a decent rep. Just the same thanks for the recommendation. I learned something and if I every see one sitting around I’ll snatch it up.
that’s just insanity…i had no idea. we don’t get 'em out this way at all. $900!!!..who would pay that!!! (i just got a brand new 9’6" Hobie Vintage for $450!!!)
Herb:
Are you going to have them inline as a continuous base or are there variations with front/back fin cant being different between the two on the same rail line? What about the breaks in the rail line with bump rail outlines? are they at the trailing edges of each fin? Good info, thank you for the follow up.
Tom S.
hey Herbie
got a toe-in suggestion on that quad you talking about matey
or is too secret???
Back then, I ran a variety of fin set-ups this is the best of the best after working on and off with it for 6-8 years.
4" x 4" fronts and 3.5" x 3.5" rears.
Toein/cant = frontfins 3" past tip of the nose w/a 5 degree cant. . Rearfins toed out past the nose tip 6" w/a 3 degree cant.
Fin shapes varied but the rounder keels I developed worked the best w/ this formula.Kind of a mini Hynson Dolphin…if you know what I mean.Herb
Yes,It’ll go great on that shape.