| |
Concept:
The Quad wave concept was born 2 years ago when Svein Rasmussen
and Scott McKercher first started working with Quad fin setups
on wave SUP boards, initially with single fin setups to
thrusters and finally Quad fins. The unique fin size
combination, with the larger fin in front and the smaller fin
behind, as well as the exact fin box positioning, the fin
foil/stiffness ratio and the fin box selection were the key in
making the Quad concept work.
What does a Quad set up offer?
Quads produce an enormous amount of drive. There’s a lot of fin
area spread out over the tail, so when you push the fins, they
work together to channel the water’s energy into the board. They
create extra drive and speed and they can do this whether you’re
making long drawn-out turns, or tight squirty turns. Go where
you want, when you want and generate more speed on the wave
face. Ride faster, ride more vertical.
Why is the front fin larger than the back fin?
Starboard SUP and also surfboard shapers have been utilizing
quads for some time now, with many high profile surfers such as
Kelly Slater experimenting with these designs. Starboard R&D
have tried nine different fin setups multiplied by different
stiffness configurations and found that there was a lot of extra
drive and a quicker board-turning initiation created by having a
set of larger fins forward of a set of smaller back fins. The
front fins have a size tuning range from 16 to 11cm.
For the convertibles: when to choose the single fin set up
and when to choose the quad fin set up? Choose the single
fin for more bump and jump scenarios and Quads to for pure wave
orientated sailing.
Why Surfinz and Mini Tuttle fin boxes?
Surfinz boxes are light and compatible with FCS but give more
strength and the ability to further fine tune the fin placement
by 8 mm. Mini Tuttle boxes are light and strong enough to hold
bigger fins. Basically, the weight of two Surfinz boxes and two
Mini Tuttle boxes are about the same as one US box: Quad boards
would weigh the same as a single fin wave board. In convertible
form, the Quad would weigh the same as a twin fin wave board.
Special note: Mini-Tuttle wave fins may not be readily
available in stores, so Starboard distributors are stocked up on
spare Quad 16 and Quad 17 fins. Simply call if you need a new
one.
Construction:
The Quad range is available in the World’s strongest Dur-X Wood
Technology and the second generation upgraded WoodCarbon Technology. The
Quad Convertible range is available in Dur-X Technora™ and Dur-X Wood.
Dur-X Wood: the construction that has been refined since 2000 to provide
the industry’s leading warranty figures and the most reliable
lightweight boards to date. Double sandwich core, oversized
reinforcements and a full 0.6mm wood skin deck and bottom - for maximum
rigidity, strength and dynamic shape stability.
The new WoodCarbon Technology: utilizes a carbon biax deck shell to
reduce weight and a wood spine to increase rigidity and dampen
vibrations. The bottom of the board now includes a full layer of
Australian pine wood that offers a higher resistance to buckling,
compression and distortion than carbon-only skin.
The result: ultra lightweight boards with the perfect blend of
lightness, stiffness, comfort, strength and feel.
|
|
