Quad vs. Tri fins

[Spiderman]

I've ridden all the 2008 with a the SS SRT board 5'11'' (tri fin) 5 weeks in cabo verde (Ponta preta) and now in mauritius since one month and I love it. But i'm so curious to test a bord in quad configuration and I don'y know the differeces between this two tipe of shape. So I would like to understand : where are the differeces, when you ride the wave, using the same board - like in that attached pic - with the double configuration?



Quad configuration allows bottom turns and cut back more radicals and fast?
I always have seen the quad fins with fish tail or squash tail, but SS for the 2009 made the SRT in quad config with a round pin tail, what do you think about it?



Tks

[aeberl]

Try it out and let us know. I have riden both, but not on the same board. Fin setup is just one of many variables that make a board work (or not), would be interesting to hear about someone who tried both setups on the same board and in similar conditions.
I would suggest you however to try both setups strapless, since specially rear foot placement might differ with different fin setups.

[ktouhey]

best just to try it and then you tell us dude.

Quad's can make the board do very different things depending on clustering, toe angles, cants, and the fins themselves. You can make the board snappier, looser, better tracking, faster, slower, more drive, whatever....
I reckon the shaper has a lot more control over performance with Quad fins than with thrusters, although the danger comes when they don't fully know what they are doing and you end up with something different than desired.

Just a "little bit" of knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and I am new to the Quad world myself - There are a few dudes on here who know a lot more than me about the general "rules" so I'll let them chirp in.

[j1finnn1]

I ride some quad surfboards, and I can say it's not so simple as the board just being a quad or not.
Some quads ride like fish, pivoty, and some ride like fast thrusters, it depends on how you set up the fins. To me, fore and aft spacing of the front and rear fins really dictates how pivoty/snappy the turn is versus how carvy it is.
As far as round tails with quads, it's being done in the surf world, and people are liking it. You don't see that setup TOO often, but the guys that do it seem to like it. Also, the round tails that have that setup tend to be wider.

[Spiderman]

the cyclone board of the photo was in a shop, but I've not found yet someone who has it, to ask him to test it....
Thanks for your answers, my simpler question now is:
what changes in the same board putting 3 or changing into 4 fins??

[aeberl]

the cyclone board of the photo was in a shop, but I've not found yet someone who has it, to ask him to test it....
Thanks for your answers, my simpler question now is:
what changes in the same board putting 3 or changing into 4 fins??

Sorry, but there are no simple answers to that question. It is possible to have two completely different outlines, sizes, rockers, concaves, rails and fin setups that perform in a similar way just as it is possible to have two identical boards, one of which has a slightly missplaced fin and they will be a world appart (performance wise). Surfboards have been evolving over the past century a fraction at a time, its a matter of trial and error and a lot of trying out!

[dannyalvarez]

I think that it would a great board to travel with just because you will not have to travel with different board.... what you think

[stunaite]

IMO: There r more important features than fins setup. SS boards have a tufelite construction. They r very light & and stiff (too light & to stiff). Try a usual polyester board and you will find a new and better sport.

I have rided a LF Quad (epoxy custom construction) and I bought a polyester board as well (to ride strapless). I realize that epoxy boards just don't work (compared with polyester boards).

Chanching subject: So many weeks kitesurfing?! What is your activity??????????????

Can y teach me about that????????

[Nico]

Have ridden both configurations a lot lately and this is what I have found:
Thruster gives a more drivey ride requiring further forward foot placement for long carvey turns.
These cannot be done on the quad as easily as your feet have to be quite a bit further back to get a quad board to wake up.
However the quad configuration has a bigger speed potential (never been so fast) as long as you move the board from rail to rail. The turns on a quad are more skateboard like, snappy and violent, the board accelerates imediately after the turn making you feel like a pro when you are actually not.
I havn't been in big stuff yet with the quad configuration, but I believe the boys at Mavericks prefer these to get around bigger sections on the bottom turns.
If you have the choice of getting a board with multiple systems, go for it, it will have so many posibilities that you wont get tired of it that fast.
Nico

[Spiderman]

Have ridden both configurations a lot lately and this is what I have found:
Thruster gives a more drivey ride requiring further forward foot placement for long carvey turns.
These cannot be done on the quad as easily as your feet have to be quite a bit further back to get a quad board to wake up.
However the quad configuration has a bigger speed potential (never been so fast) as long as you move the board from rail to rail. The turns on a quad are more skateboard like, snappy and violent, the board accelerates imediately after the turn making you feel like a pro when you are actually not.
I havn't been in big stuff yet with the quad configuration, but I believe the boys at Mavericks prefer these to get around bigger sections on the bottom turns.
If you have the choice of getting a board with multiple systems, go for it, it will have so many posibilities that you wont get tired of it that fast.
Nico

Finally a clear indication about the differencies between these two config.
So, for what type of wave you think is better using a quad board? Very fast wave like "one eye"? Many guys here use the amundsen surf custom in one eye.. it is a classic surfboard truster.
Tks