So I've been riding my board as a thruster since I got it because it only came with three fins, but I was thinking today that setting it up as a quad might be more productive considering the smaller waves. Does anyone have any opinions on this thought? Also, if I do decide to set it up as a quad, what fins do you all recommend? Are Captain fins any good? Thanks for any input.
nice name. love that spongebob episode. no big difference in small waves. i know people will argue that but whatever. quad go good in good waves. better down the line, but not as easy to surf vertical. it's not the brand of fins... it's the shape and foil. and the fin placement on your board. all fin companies put out a good a product. asking if captain fins works, or any 'brand', is like asking if chicks with brown hair will work.
Ah! I'm glad someone understands the spongebob reference. I was just thinking quads would be better in smaller, less powerful waves since they go faster. And thanks. I've never actually bought fins so I wasn't sure if any brand was better than another, but I guess if they didn't work they wouldn't be in business. I suppose I should get a quad set anyway because I have a quad fish but the fins for it got kinda fudged up.
I've got twinnies on my fish and quads on my winged tail 7-7. Going to go with two smaller nubs on the quad instead of all four same size. Will experiment with the thruster's 5 slots once that board is in the company of waves greater than 6 inches.
So you're saying I should go with quads? Also, are quads noticeably less stable and do they generate noticeably more speed? Because I was thinking that since summer waves are normally slow, small, etc. it might also be good to have the added stability of a thruster if the quad doesn't generate enough extra speed.
I have only ridden quads for years and don't really remember the feel of a thruster. All I can say is quads are fast and if you are bigger guy and can utilize a larger fin like controllers they are super drivey. I just but controllers on my small wave board and so far really like them. I'm able to generate a lot of speed in tiny waves with a small board using quads. I don't feel any lack of stability and in fact have heard some say quads are too stiff. Not sure if my size (6'1" 190lbs) over powers the stiffness but I find them to be perfect.
Oh yeah and the hash sling,ing slasher was my arch nemesis in my sons old ps2 video game. He would call me in to play the bonus levels against him to earn extra bikini bottom dollars, lol.
I'm far from a big guy. I'm like 5'7" and 130-140 pounds. If I get quads they should probably be pretty small then, right?
I got my first quad this year, and it's a five fin convertible so I can ride it as a thruster too. I definitely think the quad has a different feel. For one, the rails are very responsive, and like most people tell you, the board doesn't lose speed through turns. My first few turns the board just went off without me. I'd say one issue I'm having with it is I can't make turns as tight as with the tri-fin setup, and it's a bit tough to make top turns sometimes. A lot of my difficulty could just be I'm so used to tri-fin and just need to get a better feel for how a quad works.
Ok, I went into my local today to talk fins and I ended up walking out with an order for a 5 fin set of Josh Mulcoys. The guy told me they're the best fins he's rode even though they're listed as kite fins in the catalog. I just went on his word. Hopefully that wasn't a mistake.
Small is right.....I'm 6'1 195 and ride mediums. Since I've started riding quads I haven't touched my thruster no matter what size wave I'm on. My boards are customs and are straight quads except for one 5 fin setup but I've never ridden it as a thruster. My HP Longboard is even a quad! That's how much I like them.
Quads are a little faster and a little stiffer, Not super substantial. I feel that I can pump and turn a thruster with much more ease. And I also find that I can make up any lost speed on the thruster by pumping it and it also allows me to get more release on airs and vertical maneuvers. I do ride both from time to time though.
