I'm interested to see how these will go on a sup?
quobbafins.com/

More speed and drive according to the pitch. Sounds good.

Great to see some home grown innovations!

It would be like putting a spoiler on a school bus.

If you want speed and drive, get a shortboard.

The technical information on them seems to suggest that they cause a low pressure in front of the fin, which sort of drags them forward, making them fast. But I can't work out how something could create a low pressure in front of itself.

Hilarious!

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Although the "scientific" info is a laughable bulls**t, it may not be the first thing in surfing that works even though the pseudo-scientific justifcations are whacko. Just read most descriptions of the effect of concaves on board hulls...

From the picture, I guess the fin simply does not build as much pressure in front of the leading edge than a traditional fin.

I hope the R&D guy is better than the marketing guy...

What's a QUOABBA?

Horrid name!

Select to expand quote

benk said..
I'm interested to see how these will go on a sup?
quobbafins.com/

More speed and drive according to the pitch. Sounds good.

Great to see some home grown innovations!

Not good on a sup on decent waves. Sups generate too much speed due to their size and the battle is to dig a rail in and turn. Shortboards on the other hand, due to their small size, could possibly see some benefit. 20l volume v 100l volume. But IMHO you would need to be a pro to detect the enhancement if it did exist. They should have test sets at surf shops and if they are really that good they would sell themselves.

Couple of local Perth frothers been working on this for 20 years. They live and love surfing. They have spent their money working on it. Surely they have something to have gone this far, believe they spent over 2 mill getting running.
Would love to try. I mainly surf now, bit over sup, mainly the whole size thing carting the board and i can only partly duck dive a sup. ANyhow going from sup to prone i do notice the speed thing, got to pump and work and be right in the tickler spot to get the most out of the wave, sup not so much. If these fins give you that bit of juice to make a section or get round the foam onto another section then as they say "shut up and take my money".
I do think 230 bucks is a bit steep. THey are going up against the big guns fcs and Future who i have noticed been sneaking up their prices last couple years. Still can get the top of the line models designed and tried by pros for less. If they were 150 id buy tomorrow but yeh would want to try first before forking out 230 to then chimp on the reef like i generally do at my local.

can i get their details I have some great ideas they could invest in

Select to expand quote

hilly said..
But IMHO you would need to be a pro to detect the enhancement if it did exist.

Just try some different fins, you will be surprised by how much it changes a board, even a SUP.
C-Drives or S-Wings for instance bring very noticeable changes to a board behavior.

Select to expand quote

colas said..

hilly said..
But IMHO you would need to be a pro to detect the enhancement if it did exist.

Just try some different fins, you will be surprised by how much it changes a board, even a SUP.
C-Drives or S-Wings for instance bring very noticeable changes to a board behavior.

Well aware that fins change boards, always use after market fins, look at my posts over the years. I was commenting on this specific fin and its claims which I find a bit far fetched. They might be a nice fin but a quantum leap better than others?? Not sure, send me a set and I will buy them or send them back.

Received them today, so 12 days after ordering them.

The packaging is hyper lush: high-class box, a glasses-quality bag for each fin... I guess they could save some on the packaging to decrease the price.

The material is impressive, ultra light but ultra tough. They say it is a new polymer that is going to replace steel in cars, it definitely feels like it.
The foiling is splendid. One of the best looking foil I have ever seen on surf fins.

They are small however, roughly a size S in FCS. I wonder if it will be enough for my 100kg. We will see on the water the next days...

Too bad they are only available in FCS1 and not FCSII...

Select to expand quote

colas said..
Received them today, so 12 days after ordering them.

The packaging is hyper lush: high-class box, a glasses-quality bag for each fin... I guess they could save some on the packaging to decrease the price.

The material is impressive, ultra light but ultra tough. They say it is a new polymer that is going to replace steel in cars, it definitely feels like it.
The foiling is splendid. One of the best looking foil I have ever seen on surf fins.

They are small however, roughly a size S in FCS. I wonder if it will be enough for my 100kg. We will see on the water the next days...

Too bad they are only available in FCS1 and not FCSII...

Hi Colas
I am interested in how they will perform for you and will you try them as a thruster / tri set up? or as a quad? or both / mix them up with other fins etc>? and if you do not like them then maybe I can buy them from you in the future maybe:-)

Well, the waves were very crappy today, (shoulder high but a messy mix of different swells), but I managed to catch 2 semi-hollow waves with them after a foiling session. So here are my first impressions, not a real test.

- They are small. About a FCS Small size area, compared to the XL size I use for my 100kg. So you have less grip while paddling, so more row effect. Nothing critical if you have some experience paddling short SUPs, though (I was on a 7'3" 105l). It is a thruster setup.

- Once on the wave, they feel super efficient: the combination of the superb foil with a well designed flex makes the fin stay in laminar flow (and I guess their special winglets): I got enough traction for my weight without feeling any turbulence/stalling. You definitely do not get the instant boost of the C-Drives, more a progressive fluid acceleration.

- The most noticeable gain was in the top speed. It seems that the faster you go the less drag they have compared to a regular fin (I use normally Al Merrick Large fins on this board)

- The board felt looser, especially for the rail-to-rail, I guess the result of the smaller size and the flex.

So, I will need to do more testing, but they definitively do not seem like a gimmick, especially at high speed.

... They should definitively consider making foil wings :-)

Select to expand quote

colas said..
Well, the waves were very crappy today, (shoulder high but a messy mix of different swells), but I managed to catch 2 semi-hollow waves with them after a foiling session. So here are my first impressions, not a real test.

- They are small. About a FCS Small size area, compared to the XL size I use for my 100kg. So you have less grip while paddling, so more row effect. Nothing critical if you have some experience paddling short SUPs, though (I was on a 7'3" 105l). It is a thruster setup.

- Once on the wave, they feel super efficient: the combination of the superb foil with a well designed flex makes the fin stay in laminar flow (and I guess their special winglets): I got enough traction for my weight without feeling any turbulence/stalling. You definitely do not get the instant boost of the C-Drives, more a progressive fluid acceleration.

- The most noticeable gain was in the top speed. It seems that the faster you go the less drag they have compared to a regular fin (I use normally Al Merrick Large fins on this board)

- The board felt looser, especially for the rail-to-rail, I guess the result of the smaller size and the flex.

So, I will need to do more testing, but they definitively do not seem like a gimmick, especially at high speed.

... They should definitively consider making foil wings :-)

Ok Colas they sound good so far, keep on testing / riding as I look forward to hearing / reading your expert option as you learn more:-)

Select to expand quote

Johndesu said..
Ok Colas they sound good so far, keep on testing / riding as I look forward to hearing / reading your expert option as you learn more:-)

No more surfable waves for some days. But I already asked quobba if I could pre-order a larger set, since they say they will have one "very soon" in their FAQ :-)

The way I see it now is that:
- I will use Quobba fins on boards I ride at high speed ("performance" boards). Boards where I used Nexus fins before. I think the current set will be perfect for my 7'11", and the larger may be better for my 7'3"
- I will use C-Drives on boards where I want a lot of instant drive even at low speed (wide tailed small wave boards)
- I will use Al Merrick FCSII fins for their convenience on boards I need to remove fins for storage, or for twin fins setups. In the FCSII line, I only like the foils of the Al Merrick and Shapers models, the rest have their main thickness too close to the leading edge for my taste.
- I would use S-Wings in choppy conditions (or rather I would have, I do not get out if there is chop :-) ), but I am a bit disappointed by their mediocre construction (cheap plastic resin) and foil.

Select to expand quote

colas said..

Johndesu said..
Ok Colas they sound good so far, keep on testing / riding as I look forward to hearing / reading your expert option as you learn more:-)

No more surfable waves for some days. But I already asked quobba if I could pre-order a larger set, since they say they will have one "very soon" in their FAQ :-)

The way I see it now is that:
- I will use Quobba fins on boards I ride at high speed ("performance" boards). Boards where I used Nexus fins before. I think the current set will be perfect for my 7'11", and the larger may be better for my 7'3"
- I will use C-Drives on boards where I want a lot of instant drive even at low speed (wide tailed small wave boards)
- I will use Al Merrick FCSII fins for their convenience on boards I need to remove fins for storage, or for twin fins setups. In the FCSII line, I only like the foils of the Al Merrick and Shapers models, the rest have their main thickness too close to the leading edge for my taste.
- I would use S-Wings in choppy conditions (or rather I would have, I do not get out if there is chop :-) ), but I am a bit disappointed by their mediocre construction (cheap plastic resin) and foil.

Ok all sounds good / makes sense to me Colas, but I want to ask you why do you think that the "main thickness is too close to the leading edge" in other fins? - do you mean that you prefer the thickest part of the fin to be more in the middle of the fin and not more in the front past of the fin like a true foil? as I thought that this is more efficient? also I have noticed that some fins are a lot thicker then others and so do you think that makes more of a foil / flow on effect or do you think that may cause more drag then a thinner fin?:-)
Also I would like to say that we ride similar boards and fins (except that I am a lot lighter than you - but similar age:-)
thanks

For the maximum thickness location, il like the classic position at 30 / 33% of the wing compared to a lot of fins that are in the 10%/20% range noawadays (most of the FCS II range)
www.fullsizeplans.com/images/nffs/AirfoilMaxThickness.pdf
Note that I am not an airplane pilot, I base my feeling of what I experienced with sailbord fins, and especially sails where you could change the max thicknesss amount and location.

As for fins, I feel that a 33% fin has more glide and less drag, they seem to really flow in the water, the ones at 10-20% feeling less lively, neutral, a bit "dead". I guess I am not able to perform turns in a radical way (especially on a SUP compared to a shortboard) to begin to need to move the max thickness forward.

I read that acrobatic planes are designed with the max thickness more forward, as it handles better wide variations of angle of attack (stalls cleanly), which makes sense for sufboard fins used by the pros.

Traditionnaly, thick fins work better at low speed and thin fins at high speed. The biggest advance in sailboard sails was when sails begin to have a thick profile in the lower half, and progressively thinner with more and more flex (to keep the flows from separating) at the tip, because the air was moving faster at the tip than at the base (+ rig movements are amplified at the top). My feeling is that it works also for surfboard fins: combine a thick stiff base, with a thinner and flexier tip. A lot of fins are actually build along these principles (like the Quobba are). The difference is I guess that the slower fluid layer is smaller against the hull of a sufboard for a fin than against the ocean surface for a sail.

Select to expand quote

colas said..
For the maximum thickness location, il like the classic position at 30 / 33% of the wing compared to a lot of fins that are in the 10%/20% range noawadays (most of the FCS II range)
www.fullsizeplans.com/images/nffs/AirfoilMaxThickness.pdf
Note that I am not an airplane pilot, I base my feeling of what I experienced with sailbord fins, and especially sails where you could change the max thicknesss amount and location.

As for fins, I feel that a 33% fin has more glide and less drag, they seem to really flow in the water, the ones at 10-20% feeling less lively, neutral, a bit "dead". I guess I am not able to perform turns in a radical way (especially on a SUP compared to a shortboard) to begin to need to move the max thickness forward.

I read that acrobatic planes are designed with the max thickness more forward, as it handles better wide variations of angle of attack (stalls cleanly), which makes sense for sufboard fins used by the pros.

Traditionnaly, thick fins work better at low speed and thin fins at high speed. The biggest advance in sailboard sails was when sails begin to have a thick profile in the lower half, and progressively thinner with more and more flex (to keep the flows from separating) at the tip, because the air was moving faster at the tip than at the base (+ rig movements are amplified at the top). My feeling is that it works also for surfboard fins: combine a thick stiff base, with a thinner and flexier tip. A lot of fins are actually build along these principles (like the Quobba are). The difference is I guess that the slower fluid layer is smaller against the hull of a sufboard for a fin than against the ocean surface for a sail.

Yes I see, I had a look at the link and I agree, all good.
Hope you get some better waves soon waves:-)

Thanks Colas

good review and interesting explanation of fins. Based on your impressions I have ordered a set. Not possible at present to get C-drives here in Canada. The Q fins are expensive though the price does include international shipping and the price quoted is in Australian dollars. The USA price when converted should be well below $200 US.

cheers

bob

Select to expand quote

FRP said..
The USA price when converted should be well below $200 US.

Yes $144.

Expensive, but you pay the R&D and apparently the money will go to people really dedicated to surfing, not some fat cats shareholders.

Hey Colas
Have you had a chance to surf / try the Quoabba fins more?:-)

Not yet. Crappy conditions, sunday crowds, so I foiled.
The next glassy day is in ... two weeks according to forecasts. Although with luck I may be able to have a glassy session Friday. These fins seem stallar in glassy conditions where it seems you can really leverage the added speed to attempt new lines on the wave.

We had an "annus horribillis" for waves here for months. Depressions after depression made the conditions always onshore or totally unclean. Onshore winds in Les Landes is hell because of the huge rips and the openness of the coast that do not filter any sell direction. And I dont like to drive to sheltered spots, so I just work instead :-)

Good luck!!! There has been one hour without wind this morning, so before dawn I went to one of the current best peak before the crowds to have a go. I had the luck of snatching one good wave (long, hollow, powerful, shoulder high left) before the wind kicked in again.Well... I am now a beleiver... The speed gain is really really noticeable, so much that I began to try new lines on the wave, ones I dared not try before by fear of getting stuck. With the added speed, it worked!

And perhaps more impressive than the speed gain is the buttersmooth, deep powder snow, feeling: You do not feel the fins: your board magically goes faster but holds even on steep faces or deep carves, even for my 100kg. With the C-Drive, you feel the power of the fin, and it changes a bit of behavior in the turns. Not with the quobba.

The onshore winfds picked up, and I got the second surprise: the flex of the quobba fins acts as a shock absorber in chop, you can lay turns in chop with confidence. They are as efficient for this (and maybe more) than the S-Wings, the best ones I tried up top now for choppy conditions.The only drawback is that they need speed. At low speed, there is noting noticeable with them, you just have a small-sized fin set. It may mean more row depending on your paddle technique (I had no issues on my 7'3" 105 liters), and this morning I saw that I had less hold in the foam (rebound in rollers or cutbacks) than my regular bigger fins or C-Drives. So a very, very minor drawback.Too bad, I really didn't want to come back to screwing on/off FCS1 fins again after having used the FCSII system. But the Quobba are so good... back to FCS1!

Select to expand quote

colas said..
Good luck!!! There has been one hour without wind this morning, so before dawn I went to one of the current best peak before the crowds to have a go. I had the luck of snatching one good wave (long, hollow, powerful, shoulder high left) before the wind kicked in again.Well... I am now a beleiver... The speed gain is really really noticeable, so much that I began to try new lines on the wave, ones I dared not try before by fear of getting stuck. With the added speed, it worked!

And perhaps more impressive than the speed gain is the buttersmooth, deep powder snow, feeling: You do not feel the fins: your board magically goes faster but holds even on steep faces or deep carves, even for my 100kg. With the C-Drive, you feel the power of the fin, and it changes a bit of behavior in the turns. Not with the quobba.

The onshore winfds picked up, and I got the second surprise: the flex of the quobba fins acts as a shock absorber in chop, you can lay turns in chop with confidence. They are as efficient for this (and maybe more) than the S-Wings, the best ones I tried up top now for choppy conditions.The only drawback is that they need speed. At low speed, there is noting noticeable with them, you just have a small-sized fin set. It may mean more row depending on your paddle technique (I had no issues on my 7'3" 105 liters), and this morning I saw that I had less hold in the foam (rebound in rollers or cutbacks) than my regular bigger fins or C-Drives. So a very, very minor drawback.Too bad, I really didn't want to come back to screwing on/off FCS1 fins again after having used the FCSII system. But the Quobba are so good... back to FCS1!

Hi Colas
Sounds all good, I trust your option (and experience) and I am impressed, 1st the board looks good with the fins and I think I know what you are trying to say about the surf feel etc,. I was also wonder about using them on a short board (I have been surfing / mixing up my surfing alternating between sup surfing and shortboard surfing recently (depending on the conditions) and I think I will try to get a hold of some Quobba fins if I can. If you say they are good then they must be good I just need to justify the extra expense. Also do you think (if you have the time) to maybe take a few close-up photos of the fins as they sit / fit on the board / in the fcs plug/s. Hope to hear about your future experiences / views :-)

They are good,if you are looking for more speed and more nimble handling at speed. Are they worth it? as with all toys, It depends if you can spare the amount. They should work great on a shortboard, I think.

Here are some more pics:

from the rear:




Front:




side

Ah, and there will be some wait before the larger set is available.

Select to expand quote

colas said..
Ah, and there will be some wait before the larger set is available.

Great photos Colas, interesting I can see clearly how different they appear to be, so they are still stiff at the base where the fcs tabs connect into the board? (because the tabs are quite small). I think I understand the idea behind the fin and how it may work :-)

Colas, I have to wonder if the performance differences you've noticed are due mostly the the smaller size fins and less to something Quobbaish. Hype, fat and plastic; reminds me of the old Brewer fin.

Select to expand quote

baddog said..
Colas, I have to wonder if the performance differences you've noticed are due mostly the the smaller size fins and less to something Quobbaish. Hype, fat and plastic; reminds me of the old Brewer fin.

True, the size plays a role, but I do not know how much.
I guess (a big ?) part of the fin performance comes also from its well designed foil and flex. The flex is especially efficient, and is definitely better than the "plastic" fins (polycatbonate, lexan, nylon) I have tried. But I normally hate small fins on short boards, as I do not have enough drive and hold, especially on the first bottom turn.

I didn't known they were called Brewer fins, but yes, their foil (and the Doyle "Dol-fin") seems nice too:
www.swaylocks.com/forums/three-fins-70s

Select to expand quote

colas said..

I didn't known they were called Brewer fins, but yes, their foil (and the Doyle "Dol-fin") seems nice too:
www.swaylocks.com/forums/three-fins-70s

Those are the ones! I kept mine forever, but haven't seen it in a long time.