Converting a board to a quad setup.

[FRP]

Hi,

All my boards have thruster setups. I am considering adding a couple of fins to the Sunova Skate to make it possible to ride as a quad. A couple of questions. What boards are better suited to quads? Is this a bad idea for this board? Where should the fins be placed? The surfboard that the Skate was modeled on had a quad setup.

Thanks

Bob

[baddog]

Bad idea.  First, you'd have to reposition the front fin positions as well as the rear.  The beautiful bottom of your Sunova is going to look like a hack job and your board's resale value just tanked.  Burt's gonna freak.

[anonsurfer]

Hi,

All my boards have thruster setups. I am considering adding a couple of fins to the Sunova Skate to make it possible to ride as a quad. A couple of questions. What boards are better suited to quads? Is this a bad idea for this board? Where should the fins be placed? The surfboard that the Skate was modeled on had a quad setup.

Thanks

Bob

If your board is in good condition I would not do it mainly for the cosmetic and resale value reasons baddog listed.  Other than that there is no reason why you can't add some quad fin boxes.   I like quads on wide tail boards.  You should not need to move the front fin boxes.   Where you put the quad boxes is personal preference.   On wide tail boards I like them closer to the rail.  On narrower tail boards I like them closer to the stringer.  I typically go with a 6-7" spread (distance from back of quad fin boxes to the back of the front fin boxes). 

[surfercook]

anon has it wired. I seriously know nothing of fin placement and leave it to the designers/shapers. Are you planning on doing the conversion yourself? That second pic of the five box config looks similar to a Firewire Submoon,  the one I rented in CA a coupla yrs ago. Great board!
I LOVE quads. My first quad was a 6' shortboard in 1982! I was one of the first in my area to hop on one. They will give you some unexpected surprises and get ready to do some sideslippin. One thing w/quads is you have to really use that inside rail alot more. Get your back foot right over the fin cluster and set the rail QUICK! All my sups are quads.
   This shot is from just about a yr ago on a big day at our point. Had fingers crossed on that drop. You can see the outside rail fin releasing. Board side slipped right into the trough of that wave and then grabbed at the bottom, something you will have to get really comfortable with. My current profile pic is from that sequence. I always think on the big offshore days here I'll switch up to a thruster setup but it never happens.

_31A2854 by surfercook, on Flickr

8'0" Submoon by Firewire on the sidewalk and in the waves-
SubMoon_Collage2 by surfercook, on Flickr

[madeinsantacruz]

It's a perfect board to be made a quad.  I'm actually surprised Sunova didn't design it that way.  What is the length of that board and tail width?  Also, how far up are the front fins?

MISC

[JEG]

let the pro to do the mods.

[Dwight (DW)]

What boards are better suited to quads?

Wide tails for one.

You don't need to move the front fins. But you do need a pro to tell you where to place the rears.

[FRP]

Thanks Jeg, madeinsantacruz, cookie, anon,bad-dog and Dwight,

Having never surfed a quad and rather than buy another board I don't think it is a horrible idea. I would not do the modification myself. We have a very good shaper here in Tofino and he has done repairs for me me the past. I trust him. If it meant I had to move the front fins I would definately not go ahead.

Jeg, the board is 8'10" and 32" wide. The middle of the front FCS tab insert is 18" from the point of the "moon" tail.

I have looked at the Mckee formula for short boards and what I don't know is when he talks about distance from the tail to the fins where on the fin he is using his measurements. He does give measurements for an 8'9" board and a 9' Board.

http://www.mckeesurf.com/?page_id=267

I still surf this board when it is really choppy because it is very stable. Part of the issue is that I realize now what it feels like to be on a high performance board and I am trying to rationalize keeping the Skate in my quiver. By converting it to a quad perhaps it will expand it's time in the surf. Also it is a board that I can lend to friends who are new to surfing because it is so stable. Currently riding it as a twin with a tiny nubster.


Cheers

Bob

[surfafrica]

... I would not do the modification myself. We have a very good shaper here in Tofino and he has done repairs for me me the past. I trust him.

If your guy is who I think your guy is, he replaced a fin box on my RNB that I completely blew out the result was perfect.

I like quads on SUPs.  The wider tails suit them.  I'm surprised Bert didn't put in 5 boxes for that Skate--it seems like the perfect shape to ride as a quad.  (though, he must have good reasons to have gone with the thruster)

[FRP]

Thanks Surfafrica

Yes, Stefan Aftanas, I am sure we are thinking of the same guy. Really a legend out here. I suspect I should just let him position the two fin boxes and not try to figure it out myself. He will do it right I am confident. I believe that the Skate might have been Sunova's first surf SUP and it sold well. It has since been eclipsed by several great designs but remains a very good smaller wave board, fast, stable and turns well. I am not sure what this will add but will be interesting to see how it goes. Speaking of small waves......I was out this morning at N. Chesterman in knee high waves. It is insane how well the Speeed goes in tiny pealing waves! The worry was how shallow the water was. I saw that you will be out here in the middle of June. Sorry I will miss you again.....we are headed to the interior for a few days. Hope you have a few good days of surfing.

Cheers

Bob

[PonoBill]

Like everyone else, I look at the bottom of that board and think "quad". It's a good candidate. It might work a little better with the front fins a few inches forward, but I think it will be great as a quad.

[Bean]

I would love to hear what Larry Allison would have to say about a quad configuration for this board.

Having a quad set up to help speed down the line on near close-out days is what I miss most about my Corban Icon.  The quad set up was noticably faster but also much loser and skatey.

Lot's of good info on McKee fin configuration here:

http://www.mckeesurf.com/?page_id=267

Oh crap, I see FRP already posted this above...sorry for dropping in on yuu FRP

[surfafrica]

Thanks Surfafrica

Yes, Stefan Aftanas, I am sure we are thinking of the same guy. Really a legend out here. I suspect I should just let him position the two fin boxes and not try to figure it out myself. He will do it right I am confident. ...  I saw that you will be out here in the middle of June. Sorry I will miss you again.....we are headed to the interior for a few days. Hope you have a few good days of surfing.

Yep. Aftanas did my board and it came out perfect. I heard he wasn't doing repairs anymore and was focusing just on shaping, but that was last summer.  Maybe things have changed.  ...or locals only! ;-)  A buddy of mine got a pretty major repair done by a guy named Griz up there.  He did a great job too.  If you get Aftanas on it, I would definitely let him recommend the fin placement.

Yep, we're there Fathers Day weekend, and again for a few days in mid-August. Would be great to connect for a beer or a session or both.

[PonoBill]

Of course you'll be using FCS plugs, but a fin set like the Futures Controllers would be a good choice. They are designed to have the back fin quite close to the front. I had them on my L41 and loved them. Held hard in turns but felt a little skatey.

[surfafrica]

Of course you'll be using FCS plugs, but a fin set like the Futures Controllers would be a good choice. They are designed to have the back fin quite close to the front. I had them on my L41 and loved them. Held hard in turns but felt a little skatey.

My cat dug the controllers too.