'new' quad rear fin alignment

I'm not sure if there is a coherent thought there... Maybe rephrase your ? to get a response. But at least you said please.

 

lol agreed

maybe this will help: http://www.surffcs.com/us/products/characteristics.aspx?pid=4a9bb9fe-9929-4dc3-b310-1679615d5b5d

 

he's asking about fin placement, not the actual fin.

a picture would help, but i've never ridden a setup like you describe

 

its a trade off. less stability for more sensitivity in the tail.

 

He's likely talking about the McKee setup. A lot of people say it delivers the speed of a quad, but not the stiffness. There's the "rail" setup, with all four fins out on the rail, the "McKee" setup, with the rears much closer to the stringer, and the "Rusty" setup, that's somewhere in between. All are known, tested, reliable setups with distinct advantages and disadvantages.

As already said, it's a compromise. Moving the fins in any direction... fore/aft, together apart, spreading out the cluster or tightening up... affects speed, stability, sensitivity, drive, turning radius, etc. Combine fin placement with fin size, foil, cant, toe, base, flex, tip, etc... and you have a million different combinations to play with and fin tune your ride.

Then, start all over with your next board, because planshape, rocker, foil, etc... all has an impact too.

 

+1 on what LBCrew said.

Different strokes for different folks, and boards, and fin templates...

 

Thanks to LBCrew, I now know where I read it before... McKee
Click this link:
http://www.mckeesurf.com/brucemckee/multisystem.htm

Then click on "Quattro Nitty Gritty... Why and How" (blinking red on right hand side) There's a long dissertation about quad fin placement.

 

More info on two of the types of quad setups, I haven't shaped one with the Rusty setup (yet)

1. What I like to call a 'split keel' where the fins are close to the rail (like taking a large keel fin and splitting it, and spreading it out for water flow between the fins). The split keel is very pivoty and great on cutbacks and quick turns. Good for small to medium beach breaks.

2. Mckee quad setup where the quad trailers are more like a tri centerfin split and offset from the stringer a few inches. Mckee setups surf more like a tri fin with more stability but less turning. Good projection out of bottom turns though. Better on bigger waves and points.

~Brian
www.greenlightsurfsupply.com
Shape Your Surfing Experience

 

I've ridden all three setups, and I can say McKee gives you better down-the-line speed than a thruster, and better hold in steep sections (which also translates into speed). It also carries more speed through turns... including bottom turns... but opens up the turning radius, which all quads do, as long as your talking about typical tail widths. I've found the McKee setup works best with standard tail widths. Also, as you might suspect, thrusters provide easier release off the top, and allow you to push the tail around with the back foot a lot easier than a thruster for tail slides and fins out top turns.

 

Wow... I've been on that site dozens of times and never saw that... is it new? Very insightful... and from the quad guru himself. Thanks, Capt.

 

yes LBCrew IS the man!

~Brian
www.greenlightsurfsupply.com
Shape Your Surfing Experience

 

YEah I have noticed Slater's 5-fin set ups (convertible, not he actual quad plus little mini fin thing form NY Pro) have had a weird looking quad placement, much closer to the stringer. So if Kelly does it then ..................... the world will follow.

 

I think it's a pretty standard fin placement for a 5 fin convertible. That's the way I've seen most if not all 5 fin versions. I don't recall seeing a 5-fin convertible with the rear quad fins close to the rails (like a split keel).

 

You're right... that's pretty much how McKee designed the system to work. He's the Godfather of Five.

But my current convertible is quad rail setup with a standard thruster trailer, and it works well with the Probox boxes. I won't do it with any other system... it just doesn't work well for me without the fore-aft adjustment. I'll post a pic if i can. To me, the McKee setup is close enough to a thruster feel that I don't need the convertible option. Seems kinda redundant. But converting from rail setup to thruster is a whole other world.

But... if Slater does it, the masses will follow.

 

Rail placement thruster/quad convertible; Probox for variable cant adjustment and fore-aft adjustment, 6 degree inserts in the front, 4s in the back. 6'6 thumb tail hpsb

 

McKee placement with FCS plugs... 6'4 groveler for under head high