MISSION ACOMPLISHED !!!

Posted in: News

I am glad I made use of my break last month, because to be honest it was not one of my best trips up the Ment’s. Having a little experiment to amuse me kept me from stressing about the crowds; particularly from one nation I won’t mention. When we did get some waves to ourselves it turned out to be a good mix of lefts and rights of no consequence: but perfect for experimentation.

The point I wanted to prove is that the specialized quad design that I have had so much success with- can double equally as successful, as a tri fin or a 2+1 as they are commonly called these days. I took 2 different sized centre fins. One was 6 ½” deep and the other 5 ½” . The idea was to find out what cluster would work with either fins knowing of  course the front side fins were stationary.

The first session I had I put the deeper centre fin in and positioned at 5 ½” up from the tail. It was one of the bigger days we had and it felt a little too twitchy and I figured this was either because the centre fin was overwhelming the much smaller side fins or it was too far forward. So falling short of moving the centre fin back to enhance the drive and minimize the twitch; it was not going to work. I was not keen to move it back because I did not want to be surfing this wider nose board from further back on the tail. So next session I wacked the 5 ½” fin in and took it out in the same waves which is a very important element to an experiment like this. I noticed the diff first wave as it drove more steadily through the serious turns with naught but a twitch.

What I realized with this result is that the board was surfing more like a thruster where the front side fins were doing a little more work c/f to the first configuration. I have always been pedantic about the depth ratios with front and rear fins on my quads and this is now another learning curve with the 2+1 and the lesson here is don’t overdo the 1. The thing that is intrinsically typical of the single fin feeling (of which the tri is basically mimicking in small doses) is the sweeping drive you get from big bottom turns but still with the ability to pivot vertically if so inclined.

It can be so good to once again be fully aware of the exact position of the alpha accelerator and to know that foot down over it means reaction plus. All fins the same size can cause confusion; or could I say -you would be forgiven for feeling this way, going back to a thruster after a week or two on a tri fin.

Without losing site of the purpose of this experiment I would have to emphasise the benefits of having the full use of these 2 modes in one board. Besides the exhilaration of the tri, the ability for this fin configuration to add unsurpassed vertical freedom cannot be understated; because this is the big element where a quad pulls up short.

There are no other black spots in a quad so you would have to say that this combo leaves nothing wanting. My next dilemma is to find a larger sized centre fin that fits FCS rather than using a fin box. I already have the positions sussed so the use of 3 centre plugs which allows for a 2” move forward or back maybe the direction I will take. The forward position will be for the bigger centre fin and the rear position will be for the mini keel. I don’t think you can pack many more advantages into one board.

It could be called the “Quiver Buster”. Mission accomplished!