Thruster for all boards, unless:
- there is no central box (Doh!)
- I feel the tail slipping in turns when on the rail, it can happen on wide tails. Quad then provide the hold to help tame wider tails.
This is because I am not a powerful backfoot surfer, and quads are often too stiff for me.
I sit on the tail all the time ,and I am heavy on the back foot so it's quads for me ,it really is up to the personal taste of the rider .
I will change the size of my rear fins to suit the size and conditions .but I find narrow tails or pin tails are better with thruster set up ,the flow I ride has quiet a wide tail so find quads are the best .
Select to expand quoteTardy said..
I sit on the tail all the time ,and I am heavy on the back foot so it's quads for me ,it really is up to the personal taste of the rider .
I will change the size of my rear fins to suit the size and conditions .but I find narrow tails or pin tails are better with thruster set up ,the flow I ride has quiet a wide tail so find quads are the best .
Same
For my Sunoca custom 8/3 I have it set up with Rob Machardo twin fins including small centre. Makes it super loose and loads of drive through bottom turns.
Select to expand quoteTardy said..
I sit on the tail all the time ,and I am heavy on the back foot so it's quads for me ,it really is up to the personal taste of the rider .
I will change the size of my rear fins to suit the size and conditions .but I find narrow tails or pin tails are better with thruster set up ,the flow I ride has quiet a wide tail so find quads are the best .
Tardy , when paddling for wave where are your feet with reference to the tail and handle ?
Gee tough question Gboots ..sometimes I'm know to have one foot right up the front with full waves
sometimes on very steep waves almost where I surf the board ..let's say mid .and forever moving .
or no really fixed position ..just how it feels and how late the drop will be .
But most times ..on the handle front and rear foot half way back ..I think .I don't look only feel.
what about you ?
Thanks Tardy. I am about the same position when paddling onto wave . You mention you spend a lot of time right back on the kicker . I really have to make a concerted effort to do that even on my short boards . Need to take a few quick back steps once on the wave and sometimes i just feel like i leave it too late . I feel like most time I am too far upfront .
I only use thruster and based on what you guys have written it sounds like that is best for me
Select to expand quotemicksmith said..Tardy said..
I sit on the tail all the time ,and I am heavy on the back foot so it's quads for me ,it really is up to the personal taste of the rider .
I will change the size of my rear fins to suit the size and conditions .but I find narrow tails or pin tails are better with thruster set up ,the flow I ride has quiet a wide tail so find quads are the best .
Same
D you ride quads on smaller board?
Select to expand quoteles71 said..micksmith said..Tardy said..
I sit on the tail all the time ,and I am heavy on the back foot so it's quads for me ,it really is up to the personal taste of the rider .
I will change the size of my rear fins to suit the size and conditions .but I find narrow tails or pin tails are better with thruster set up ,the flow I ride has quiet a wide tail so find quads are the best .
Same
D you ride quads on smaller board?
I only have one SUP board, an 8' starboard pro. When I got it I rode it thruster set up, then thought hey has quad availability so let's give that a go. Haven't looked back since. Anything under shoulder I throw in the machado Seasiders, over head the AM large do the trick.
In general with my older boards what the gents above wrote: wider tail (Hypernut and custom) Quad, smaller tail(Starboard Pro and a custom) Tri. I tried lots of combo,s but in general I don,t like a lot of fin grip.
Some guys surf boards that feel like they are on a train rails, but that is not my cup of tea.On my 2015 Starboard Pro 8.5 I really liked in waves upto head high a 12cm K4 Flex centre fin. This are plastic fins and have a lower grip making the back end really loose and fun to throw around but just got a brand new Smik Hipster8.3 and Smik Spitfire 8.6 so have to see in the spring how they do and work best with what combo,s. 
Select to expand quoteles71 said..
What set-up do you prefer for the different boards you own and why?
Hi mate, for my Naish Mad Dog 9'0x32 I was loving it as a thruster with the H1 FCSii setup, that is until this morning...
In my enthusiasm to get the end section I misjudged the tide and ran out of water on the rocks in the shore break. A face plant into a few inches of water and rock followed and I some how came away with only a few bits of missing skin on my wrists. On and a very nice set of fins ruined.
So the stock quad set is back on the board so I will see how that goes tomorrow.
Steve.
Select to expand quotedrivethebus said..les71 said..
What set-up do you prefer for the different boards you own and why?
Hi mate, for my Naish Mad Dog 9'0x32 I was loving it as a thruster with the H1 FCSii setup, that is until this morning...
In my enthusiasm to get the end section I misjudged the tide and ran out of water on the rocks in the shore break. A face plant into a few inches of water and rock followed and I some how came away with only a few bits of missing skin on my wrists. On and a very nice set of fins ruined.
So the stock quad set is back on the board so I will see how that goes tomorrow.
Steve.
Love the dedication!
Select to expand quoteles71 said..drivethebus said..les71 said..
What set-up do you prefer for the different boards you own and why?
Hi mate, for my Naish Mad Dog 9'0x32 I was loving it as a thruster with the H1 FCSii setup, that is until this morning...
In my enthusiasm to get the end section I misjudged the tide and ran out of water on the rocks in the shore break. A face plant into a few inches of water and rock followed and I some how came away with only a few bits of missing skin on my wrists. On and a very nice set of fins ruined.
So the stock quad set is back on the board so I will see how that goes tomorrow.
Steve.
Love the dedication!
more like stupidity 
Pushing the limits i call it ..i have ripped 1 fin completely out taking the plug with it ..the other two it just push the plug into the board and imbedded the fin into the board ..so you came of ok ..you could build that fin up again and re-sand you know 
don't mess with rocks ..they win every time .
Select to expand quoteTardy said..
Pushing the limits i call it ..i have ripped 1 fin completely out taking the plug with it ..the other two it just push the plug into the board and imbedded the fin into the board ..so you came of ok ..you could build that fin up again and re-sand you know
don't mess with rocks ..they win every time .
Thank guys, my brother in law is a gun board repairer so I will see if he can help me out.
I was happy to find that the Naish fin boxes seem to be strong as it has escaped any damage.
Stumbled across this about fin repair.It is a windsurf fin but works as well with surf fins.
Horizontal speed - quads! Vertical power - thruster! This is a generalisation, but when you arrive at your surf spot you can use it to determine which fin setup to use. For my new lonboard Bonza, it will be great exploring the possibilities - ? Steve
Hi stellar, I agree with your thoughts re quads/thruster set ups. When I first had the Mad dog as a quad I had a few waves run down the line and the quads flew. Riding punchy beach breaks the pivot of the thruster is more useful to me. One thing that a will always want in a thruster set up is the ability to move the centre fin forward and back. The US box in the Naish allows that with the FCS ii H1 fins.
I was out surfing the other day and the surf was larger and had more push than previous day's, after a few waves feeling a little lose on the bottom turns I flipped the board over and moved the centre fin back. Only a few mm but it had an immediate effect, stiffened up the bottom turns without effecting of the tops, it really is a must have feature in a board for me.
My first ever custom surfboard back in the mid eighties, a very nice Town and Country that I still have, the shop recommended a centre box set up. I found the same results with that board, a small movement changed it from a board that felt too stiff, to very versatile setup.
I look forward to seeing your new Smik.
Steve.
Loco 8'2 El Diablo quad; Loco8'4 Hybrid 2+1; Surftech Lopez 8'5 2+1, GL2 fins but sometimes GL quad s ; Surftech Lopez 8'11 quad ,GL1 fins ; TomCarroll 9'0 Loose leaf uad; Loco 9'4 Inca longboard 2+1 On balance I prefer to run quads where board hasa 5 fin box set ups otherwise use small side bites and around a 8" to 8.5" centre fin .
