Quad, big fins in the front or big fins at the back
Hi Salt ,
mate im no expert or anything but i have a few quads and have been riding them for the last few years and its always the larger fins to the frnt and the small ones to the rear for me and they seem to go good that way , if you look at any purpose built quad fin sets that are purpose built that seems to be how they are designed . Hope this is of help
cheers
bish
Cheers bishman, I might change them around and see how it goes. I'm sure there is a reason they design them that way. I love the speed of the quad, i get around sections i would never have made before.
Don't listen to em Salt, run them which ever way you like. Different fin configurations will obviously give your board different attributes. Maybe surfing with larger rear fins is a good configuration for your surfing. Typically larger front fins will give you more drive but larger rear fins will reduce the tail sliding too easily.
Search McKee or M4Quattro in google, this guys basically tried every configuration and position possible and documented it. Really just a shapers tool but some good info there for anyone wanting to know more about fins and how they work.
Awesome carpetman, that McKee site explains everything. cheers
Julian Wilson often surfs with bigger fins at the back in his quads.
non comp surfing.
Interestingly I surfed my favourite quad as a thruster in perfect waves over and over again a few weeks ago and it didn't feel anywhere as nice as with the 4 fins in.
It was a lot more sticky, less drivey and just didn't feel right. Switched it back to the quad and it was perfect, loose off the top, super drivey and never slides out at all, holds well in steep critical faces due to it running into a pin tail.
This has the big fins at the front and the smaller ones towards the rear and If I switched that around I think it would surf more like it felt when surfing it as a thruster, ie loss in performance.
Greg griffin 5 finner, 3 rear fins in a line across the tail ?
You'd probably enjoy riding a twinzer board. I've always been curious how they'd go.
I would like to try big rears on fishy boards. For a rounded pin fish ive been riding a bit lately, it really likes futures controllers on the bottom turn side and stretch quads on the cutback side.
Bottom turns are too loose with stretch on inside rail. Backhand or forehand.
Tried out stretch rears with big controller fronts last few days in some barrelling peaks around here.
The stretch rears have longer base than controller rears, but less height.
Felt really good fast and drivey backand in the tube. But hard to carve,cutback, snap etc.
Actually hit a rock yesterday and unsure if i should repair glass before riding it again.
Fibreglass mesh can be seen but only one crackthrough resin.
Feet near the front fins more drive feet near the rear, looser.especially fishy boards or thicker railed boards.
i change my set up around a bit' on more solid days i put the big fins in the back { infact started putting big fins front and back on ledgy waves} i normally ride 5'10 or 5'8 . Amazing what they can handle with big fin set up. :)
do get flack though from staunch crew who think its "incorrect"
groundswell nailed it with foot position though, no point if your back foots not in the in the right position.
Anyone know if you can get future fins on their own anywhere?
Need a stretch quad back fin
Very interesting thread Salt, cool.
Like Carpetman has said try what ever you like, what ever suits your board and your style.
As Groundswell said about different fins front/back either toe side/heel side turns is an awesome thought line and development with your own surfing. Wicked mind concept GS, I like it :)
Cool shit fellas.
Thanks welly its been fun trying all sorts out.
Roger, i have lots of futures fins for sale in sydney including stretch quads, scimitar quads might be able to find a single for you but im in WA now, my brother could sort it if you want. Could post. Which side rear was it?
Keen as mate its the rear port side one I'm missing.
Email [email protected] for a fin.
Dont be using plastic fins roger !
Suprised to read about big fins in back & smaller at front .i would think that unless the shape of board was designed for that setup it wouldnt work. I use futures fins & its not possible to change them from front to back . Udo are u sure julian wilson does that ? Considering his model fcs thruster has a smaller rear fin than sides ??
JW has done that in the past...........recently tho I don't think.........if Kelly did it the surfing world would as happened with the knubster ?
Hey camel do you still have that isonetric(?) Quad that i think you wre riding about 8 or 10 years ago? Didnt it have a squared wide tail or something and keel one side? Might have had "save a whale kill a goatboat" on it. Would love to have a look at it.
If you have a quad set of fins , you will notice the front fins are bigger and are only foiled on one side.
The back fins are smaller and have a 50/50 foil....normally the front fins are cambered out to 5-6 degrees , and depending on if the board is for small waves the Back fin is about 1-2degrees less...
if the board is for bigger waves the back fin is set at 1 degree......
just for interests sake when you buy a Quad/Tri 5 finbox set up.....the fin positions are all a compromise....if its a pure Quad,side fins are at 11 1/2 " ,where as a Tri is at 11....in other words by making it a 5 fin box system you compromise the performance of the shape....
Very good info mc . I read bob mc tavish saying that in surfmag 4 yrs ago just as i started my first of many 5 box future finned boards . Then i was led to believe it was ok becos i read SLater said it was . But im sure you are totally correct. Groundy yes the board was assymetric , shaped by me & fin set up designed by me . It had an offset single fin with cant plus three little bonzer fins . All in assymetric positions . Set for going left for tubes , very fast down line .
Oh groundy that kill a goatboat was on another board , it also had papamoa mafia written on it that was a bob davie six channell i think. Thats right remembered it said save the waves kill a goatboater or somthing similar . I lost that board along with 2 others by leaving them at denpasar airport . Along with all my luggage and heaps of amazing fins handfoils and assymetric foiled singley fins .bit of a horror loss , hope some one made good use of em
.
Hey blowin ok but maybe not but i did ride something silly there 2 yrs ago without fins . The actual board in question hasnt been used since getting smashed over one palm point
And that was 2002 last used . Its in roseys factory gathering dust
Yeah mate, maybe it had no fins. I was a bit , ahhh...vague at the time. I remember being impressed with your spins on the thing but you went in as I paddled out.
Been on quads /5's (pure quad with a stabiliser to make the same board a step-up) since 80/81 and always run big in front , however the last few boards I've made I have tried some adjustable 4WFS plugs.
Awesome for changing your toe and splay configs on the run , splay is via canted inserts and toe by 2 gru screws , absolutely awesome.
I made a miscalc on one of my rear fin lines , got distracted and didn't recheck before making mark , rushed off to glassers ..... board came back from glassing and I noticed I had toe issues on one rear fin , normally thats a non recovery cluster , but with these 4WFS fins, u just loosen 2 screws , a twist to the correct line , tighten and off you go ....
@madpirate tried to click your .com got a Mcafeee security warning ?
HellPig no photo...!
Where r u based..?
carpetman wrote:Don't listen to em Salt, run them which ever way you like. Different fin configurations will obviously give your board different attributes. Maybe surfing with larger rear fins is a good configuration for your surfing. Typically larger front fins will give you more drive but larger rear fins will reduce the tail sliding too easily.
Search McKee or M4Quattro in google, this guys basically tried every configuration and position possible and documented it. Really just a shapers tool but some good info there for anyone wanting to know more about fins and how they work.
Exactly don't let people tell you what you like, there is no right or no wrong, if it works for you thats the important thing.
Agree with indo. I ride a high volume fish and it works heaps better with the large fins at the back.
Try both and go with what suits your board and surfing style, and the type of waves you ride.
I actually prefer big fins forward, small fins back...but i still think people shouldn't be limited by people saying how it should be or even what others take for gospel is best.
Luckily for me i use future fins so ya cant get your front n rears around the wrong way . But wat ya can do is swap them over from left to right . So the flat foil is outside and fin leans over towards the stringer . How bout that for freedom of choice of fins backwards sideways watever .
Funny you talk about Futures Caml. Yeah I love ya theory too, from above...
My best mate Sean Carass who used to shape for Rusty years ago, then got spat out due to company shit,,,? I would say a few people on here know Sean..... Josh Kerr..!
He instigated futures into oz...?
Just got a DAVE MANNION (DMD) Margs"ATOMIC SUSHI" Quad 5 fin.....
YEEEEEEEEWWWWWW
like table tennis Caml...?
Little tennis,
Little waves;)
tennis ?
I put in 4 side fins from two Large thruster sets in my quad for a 4-6ft hollow beachy and it was friggin mental. Turning was a challenge, but the speed was next level.
I need more fins.... You can't have too many fins... Mmmm fins
Skwid do you think there would be much of a difference if you used rear fins rather than side fins whilst using larger thruster fins all round ??
Bit more here Dingbat.
A good tip if you want your quad to drive well and be superfast, is put your favorite side fins in the front and the same type or shape but one size smaller side fins in the rear..Example.. AM2 sides in the front and AM1 sides in the rear. This works especially well for bigger guys or guys who just want to fly at warp speed.
I’ve surfed and loved quads for 15 years, and have gone through endless combinations and setups. This week I finally tried smaller fronts and larger rears. Mind you, they were all tiny, less than 10cm deep/high, and set quite far up on an 8’0 gun.
The experience has sort of shocked me and made me realise that there is still so much to learn about surfboard and fin design and the combinations of both.
Everything hinted at less drive, but the polar opposite turned out to be the case, with this board making me feel like Tom Curren at J Bay, going so fast off the bottom, and driving back hard into the pocket, even on just 3-4ft waves.
Felt a bit like the smoothness of a good single, but with no hesitation off the top, and so little drag.
I’ll do some measurements when we’re back home, just for reference.
The extraordinary fins were made by Soar, and the board by Josh Keogh.
Sounds like it worked for you. I‘ll give it a crack in my new 6’10”. Have always gone for larger fins but have a smaller ones lying about.
Island Bay wrote:I’ve surfed and loved quads for 15 years, and have gone through endless combinations and setups. This week I finally tried smaller fronts and larger rears. Mind you, they were all tiny, less than 10cm deep/high, and set quite far up on an 8’0 gun.
The experience has sort of shocked me and made me realise that there is still so much to learn about surfboard and fin design and the combinations of both.
Everything hinted at less drive, but the polar opposite turned out to be the case, with this board making me feel like Tom Curren at J Bay, going so fast off the bottom, and driving back hard into the pocket, even on just 3-4ft waves.
Felt a bit like the smoothness of a good single, but with no hesitation off the top, and so little drag.
I’ll do some measurements when we’re back home, just for reference.
The extraordinary fins were made by Soar, and the board by Josh Keogh.
hey IB those fins are probably the same ones I got, from josh keogh, Harry Bryant's fin model ? and they feel good hey.
how did you get a hold of the board ?
Clam wrote:Island Bay wrote:I’ve surfed and loved quads for 15 years, and have gone through endless combinations and setups. This week I finally tried smaller fronts and larger rears. Mind you, they were all tiny, less than 10cm deep/high, and set quite far up on an 8’0 gun.
The experience has sort of shocked me and made me realise that there is still so much to learn about surfboard and fin design and the combinations of both.
Everything hinted at less drive, but the polar opposite turned out to be the case, with this board making me feel like Tom Curren at J Bay, going so fast off the bottom, and driving back hard into the pocket, even on just 3-4ft waves.
Felt a bit like the smoothness of a good single, but with no hesitation off the top, and so little drag.
I’ll do some measurements when we’re back home, just for reference.
The extraordinary fins were made by Soar, and the board by Josh Keogh.
hey IB those fins are probably the same ones I got, from josh keogh, Harry Bryant's fin model ? and they feel good hey.
how did you get a hold of the board ?
Hey Clam.
I saw jquinny get that mental Pipe roll-in barrel on Josh's instagram, and then photos of the board. I got in touch with Josh, who had just ordered 5 blanks especially for that shape, and I managed to get in the queue.
The most interesting and satisfying board order I've done.
The boards that got me hot under the collar:
Mine:
Btw, massive disclaimer: I don't for a second see myself getting a 2nd Reef Pipe bomb on the board :-)
Not with that attitude ;)
Hi crew, what makes an oversize board difficult to pull in or initiate forehand bottom turns, but not have the same issues backhand? Should i have smaller fins on the forehand rail or actually bigger? Would different foils help,eg all flat on the forehand side or maybe the opposite eg double foiled,maybe to make it "respond quicker"? The board is a boat to be sure but its excellent backhand, i just want it to pull in real easily forehand..... thanks
I think you are on the right track Ray. Generally you can apply more pressure through your heels on backhand bottom turns, than you can through your toes on your forehand. So the rail is biting in and engaging easier that side for you. This is applicable to any fin configuration, but potentially more so on a quad. The answer is assymetry. Whether that's in the overall board shape, or the fin set up. A smaller fin setup on your toe side rail is a good starting point.
Looking forward to trying out the smaller quad fin set up in the new DS in some hopefully good-great waves tomorrow on the reefs
gday goofyfoot what set of quads are you talking about?
Probably been done before......... But..... I was told when I got my fish the 'big fins go to the front when running it as a quad' but I reckon it goes better when I run them at the back. I suppose it doesn't matter really, and I can put the fins in any orientation I like, but one of my mates goes on and on about it I wish he would shut the fuck up! So which way do you run the big fins on your quad.