I am working on my first quad. Thanks largely to this site, I have been shaping twins for about 2 years now and I want to try a quad setup. I drew the board on Sat. but I wanted to see if anyone could offer insight before I started cutting. I am 6’1", weigh between 200 and 220 (summer to winter+fullsuit). The board I have drawn out on a 7’4R is 7’2" X 13" X 21" X 12.5". Thinking somewhere just shy of 3". Now for the question (and sorry - I know this has been discussed but I cannot seem to find the thread) - can someone please help me out on the fin placement? I am thinking that the board will have a slight V through the tail but otherwise flat as a pancake. Where should the big and small fins be placed on this type of board (both distance from tail, distance from rail and placement relative to one another)? Also, should they be parallel or should the smaller fin be canted or toed differently? As always, thanks in advance and sorry if I am asking someone to beat a dead horse… T-Roy
I havent shaped any quads yet, but you might want to check out George Orbelian’s book “Essential Surfing” for quad placement. There is a section featuring detailed dimensions, fin placement, etc. of a whole variety of boards that may be helpful. I know there is at least one quad in there.
Twinzer or Quad? sounds like you are going with a quad (four biggish fins with smaller fins in back). I’m going to my shop in a few for some morning work. I have a few old boards over there including an old ASD Quad, I’ll grab the fin measurements and post them before lunch sometime today. I’ve also done a few twinzers if you need any 411. Jeremy
Jeremy - Thanks - that would be great if you could post the specs. Have you ridden both Quads and Twinzers? If so, which do you prefer and why? If the Twinzer is a more all around setup, I may have to change plans here real soon… Thanks.
I’ve ridden both twinzers & quads, back in the days when they were “new ideas” and one of the best boards I ever owned was a quad. Can’t say that for the twinzer setup, but maybe I just never got a magic one. My opinion is that these 4 fin setups seem to work better on wider, shorter boards. The board specs you are describing, I would stick with a thruster… but I’m sure others will differ…and that’s what makes Swaylocks so much fun. Whatever happens, I’m sure you’ll have a good time trying it out. Let us know how it works!
I’m back… The quad in question is a 6’8" swallow 11.75N 20.5W 14.75T, real thick and fat with a bunch of vee in the last 1/4 of the board real flat other than that. The fin placement is pretty much standard for a quad, the smaller (rear) fins trailing edge is 6.5" off the tail (swallow tips) they have a 3.75" base. The larger fins are placed 2.75" up from the leading edge of the rear fins, and are 5" base. Both fins have thier trailing edge 1" off the rail 1/4" toe on the front fins, 3/16 on the rear, same basic toe just a shorter base on the rear fin. Have I ridden quads, and twinzers? Yes. I like them. Twnizers seem to work well for me in beachbreak situations with fat sections and bowls, very fast and loose, I don’t seem to have all the tracking problems most people do and use two boards regularly with twinzers a fish, and a cheater board. Quads work good for me in sucking hollow down the line walled waves, they just don’t want to slide out. Quads seem more tracky to me, but are better suited to real wave (big) type situations where twinzers make something from nothing. In fact Jeff Clark rides Quads at Mavs. All that being said you really should have a wider tail with that board length, if you want either fin scenario. Jeremy