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colas said..

Kisutch said..
So is my best option to buy an FCS version Quobbas fin and then the FCS-longboard adapter -- that's my take from this thread but wanted to double check.

You can make a Future to US Box adapter.

I have done one. The trick is there is not a lot of room on the side, so I just used a "L" shaped alu part along only one side:
- cut the horizontal L part to let the fin go through it
- fill the voids with wood









See also: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Futures-Fin-adaptors?page=1

But there exist a commercial one nowadays:

www.weirdofins.com/product-page/futures-longboard-box-adapter

Is this something that someone with a 3D printer could produce?

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wind driven said..
Is this something that someone with a 3D printer could produce?

Yes, but will it be strong enough?

I have just ordered a two tab (FCS) centre as a rear, Tarryn kindly phoned me to find out if i needed an adapter for US box. Apparently Quobba can supply the adaptor and they will make sure that if you buy it with a fin the fin is a perfect fit before they send it. Useful to know and fantastic proactive service from Quobba for calling me to find out whether i needed it. Much appreciated Team Quobba!

Guys,

I'm selling my Quobba's.

Glass version.

2 x Sets

Look at the Buy and Sell Section, under Paddles and Accessories

They surf well, I just need a bigger size - being a big fat boy ;)

Hey estingo,
How do you like that Quatro Carve?

Hi Surfmore,

It's a nice board and made to surf so it's really a sup surfboard! I regret that I sold it, but it opened doors to buy other boards that I discovered. If I had unlimited storage I wouldn't have sold it.

Here is a extensive review that I gave on the board: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/Quatro-carve-pro
Hope it helps

attempt number two at putting Q fins on my BlurrV2: got M and L FCS center fins with longboard box adapter. Gonna try M center and L on sides, like I have on my other wider tail board. Would you slide the center fin back a little more if it's smaller? Also any thoughts on using the smaller center fin on low'ish volume (~1.2/kg) pulled in tail boards? How's it feel? Thanks

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Kisutch said..
Would you slide the center fin back a little more if it's smaller?

Normally, people tend to move the fin forward in small waves to reduce the turning radius, and the opposite in bigger waves.

I have experimented quite a bit with cutting the center Quobba on my pulled-in tail (Gong Alley) at 1.2 L/kg, you can see the experiments on the page:www.gong-galaxy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=15156&p=169286#p169286 (In French)

My favorite setup for my 120L Gong Alley is a Quobba M cut to 100mm with a rounded square tip:

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colas said..

Kisutch said..
Would you slide the center fin back a little more if it's smaller?

Normally, people tend to move the fin forward in small waves to reduce the turning radius, and the opposite in bigger waves.

I have experimented quite a bit with cutting the center Quobba on my pulled-in tail (Gong Alley) at 1.2 L/kg, you can see the experiments on the page:www.gong-galaxy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=15156&p=169286#p169286 (In French)

My favorite setup for my 120L Gong Alley is a Quobba M cut to 100mm with a rounded square tip:

Thanks Colas - not sure if I was clear enough -- I was thinking that if you had your ideal fin location given surf conditions (or what shaper said he likes for vast majority of conditions), if you then switched to a smaller fin would you compensate by moving fin forward? But I'm overthinking this:)

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Kisutch said..
I was thinking that if you had your ideal fin location given surf conditions (or what shaper said he likes for vast majority of conditions), if you then switched to a smaller fin would you compensate by moving fin forward? But I'm overthinking this:)

Basically, switching to a smaller fin and moving forward both loosen the board - but in a slightly different way-, so it wont compensate, but increase to the effect.

I would encourage you to use a finjak, so that you can experiment moving the fin on each wave!
See:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Quobba-Fins-?page=7#2683476
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Surfing/Longboarding/Finjak-Toolfree?page=1

Well, tried the Quobba fins Large in my Sunova SP25 8'8. I preciously had AM large and the board went well.

The waves 3-4'+ clean with power. The board went sooooo fast with the Quobba fins but felt stiff. It wasn't as loose as the AM1. but so so fast. I'm really hoping a Quobba med center fin will fix that. If it does then it will be a homerun.

How do you think the large Quobba would go with a small 4" AM trailer on the Sunova SP25 8'8?

Might try that next.

I mostly use a M rear with L sides in my Quobba thruster setups, it is definitely more playful.

I am not gonna use a non-Quobba fin anymore, so instead I experimented with reshaping them to get more playfulness, as the magic of the Quobba is in the base and it provides such a hold that you can reduce the tip area without killing the drive.

I have been experimenting a lot recently. I have a page in French (with pictures) documenting it atwww.gong-galaxy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=15156
I will have to translate it, but Google translate should give you an idea.

Reducing the swept back tip basically gives you less drag, but you lose the "handbrake" effect when breaking curves to pinch tight turns (such as when at a bottom turn to get as vertical a possible): the swept back tip keeps some hold even in stalling conditions in the high angle of attack, with a lot of drag to help turn tighter.

Reducing the swept back tip of the side fins helps surfing at speed with flow in my opinion, but is detrimental to contest-like vertical surfing. So i still keep standard Quobbas as my side fins on boards I want to try vertical surfing (think "performance" boards), and only reduced the tip on the sides of my horizontal surfing boards (think fish).

Reducing a lot the rear fin size means that the board is quicker to go on the rail, so it promotes a surfing where you use the rail a bit more for hold than just relying on the fin.

Basically I tried 3 approaches:

"pointed" - Blue line: getting rid of the tip area but keeping the depth. A bit like what FCS did with their H4
The hold should scale normally with speed.

"square" - yellow line: a low aspect ratio, so the hold does not scale as much with speed, avoiding the board becoming stiffer with speed. Plus the smaller depth means less drag and less latency in rail-to-rail, but less total hold.

"round" - yellow then pink line: like square, but a tad faster and looser and less hold, but more hold than a shorter square design.


The number on the fins are their depth in millimeters. Standard M are 113mm, and L 121mm.

My horizontal small wave board favorite setup (Gong Mob): (depths: pointed 120mm + square 78mm)


And my current favorites for vertical surfing in the 3 shapes: (but I am not done experimenting) More pics on my Gong forum page.
Note that all sides are carbon for positive grip in turn, while the rear is glass only for some added flex to compensate for the loss of flex induced by the missing trailing head

"pointed"

Big one, for keeping max hold but some added speed and nimbleness


small one, more playful with no significant loss of drive. With smaller experiments I began to lose drive noticeably


"round" (good for slow waves)


"square": my current all-around favorite.

I agree with a past post on the Quobba fins. They are fast for sure but directionless. A smaller center fin did into help.

I will stick to the wonderful Future AM Large Honeycomb. Fast, loose, top to bottom.

This fin set up is super high performance

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surfmore said..
This fin set up is super high performance

Granted, the AM fins were the best FCSII fins I had. Thruster and Twins+trailer set.

But once I experienced the Quobba speed, the difference is striking, there is no coming back.
Especially when you are toying with the highest line on the wave to reach for maximal speed and need both hold and less drag.


Note that even the 2021 world kite champs, men and women, both Australians, use Quobba fins instead of the fins of the brand they are sponsored by...
kiteworldmag.com/news/introducing-the-gka-2021-kite-surf-world-champions/

the speed is great and the hold but they are directionless. It is missing that top to bottom feel.

the speed is great and the hold but they are directionless. It is missing that top to bottom feel.

I wonder if the Med would work better for me. I'm 195lbs 6'0. Funny I use Med Future AM in my Quatro Glide 8'6 and works great.

The Sunova SP25 is lighter, and the med felt "out of control" The large worked better.

Maybe the Med will be the key to drive and looseness. It's a risk at that price to experiment.

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surfmore said..
the speed is great and the hold but they are directionless. It is missing that top to bottom feel.

It could well be that you got accustomed to the drag of normal fins, especially in vertical surfing where you want to shed speed to stay in the curl.

Drag in fins actually adds a feeling of control, a bit like feathers (the fletching) on an arrow gives it "directionality" by dragging the tail of the arrow in line. With Quobba, you have to learn to live with the added speed and reduced drag, which can give some "frictionless" feeling that you may interpret as 'directionless". (Somebody here described his first time with Quobba as "having no fins"). But in my experience (and those of many others) it is only a feeling, as soon as you learn to live with the added speed and take advantage of it, (and maybe use a bit more the rails), the benefits of added speed and hold are immensely enjoyable.

FCS had the same issue with its hydrodynamic H2 fins. Their efficiency made Pro riders not like them, they were too used to the drag of less optimal leading edge of traditional fins, they had a feeling of losing some control. This is why you see how they insisted on their later H3 and H4 fins marketing blurbs on how they designed it "with the pros".

very cool info. I will keep using them some more. I can't believe how fast they are.

I did a cool trick without realising how shallow it was and broke one of my 5.5" fins on the Hypernut. No stock till March I am told.

How do I make a quad set of Qubbas? Just buy 1 x large Left, 1 x large Right, 1 x medium Left, 1 x medium Right?

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theSeb said..
I did a cool trick without realising how shallow it was and broke one of my 5.5" fins on the Hypernut. No stock till March I am told.

How do I make a quad set of Qubbas? Just buy 1 x large Left, 1 x large Right, 1 x medium Left, 1 x medium Right?

1 x large Left, 1 x large Right, 1 x medium Left, 1 x medium Right ==> for maximum grip and pushback on the rear leg
I used it on wide tailed boards in small waves

1 x large Left, 1 x large Right, 2 x medium Center ==> for a smoother rail-to-rail. Works well with a McKee setup (rear quads closer to the stringer)
my favorite setup, as I like more the thruster feel

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colas said..

theSeb said..
I did a cool trick without realising how shallow it was and broke one of my 5.5" fins on the Hypernut. No stock till March I am told.

How do I make a quad set of Qubbas? Just buy 1 x large Left, 1 x large Right, 1 x medium Left, 1 x medium Right?

1 x large Left, 1 x large Right, 1 x medium Left, 1 x medium Right ==> for maximum grip and pushback on the rear leg
I used it on wide tailed boards in small waves

1 x large Left, 1 x large Right, 2 x medium Center ==> for a smoother rail-to-rail. Works well with a McKee setup (rear quads closer to the stringer)
my favorite setup, as I like more the thruster feel

Thanks. I didn't even think of the centre as rears option.

Just trying out the new Quobba's I got last week. Board feels faster and looser! I am going to try the larger center fin to see if it gets a little more bite/drive with bottom/rail turns. But so far, very pleased and want to add that Quobba service is first rate!!??

Tim! Welcome to the funny looking fin club, they do not disappoint!
Hey buddy, I am in Florida now, so I hope to see you soon!!

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colas said..

theSeb said..
I did a cool trick without realising how shallow it was and broke one of my 5.5" fins on the Hypernut. No stock till March I am told.

How do I make a quad set of Qubbas? Just buy 1 x large Left, 1 x large Right, 1 x medium Left, 1 x medium Right?

1 x large Left, 1 x large Right, 1 x medium Left, 1 x medium Right ==> for maximum grip and pushback on the rear leg
I used it on wide tailed boards in small waves

1 x large Left, 1 x large Right, 2 x medium Center ==> for a smoother rail-to-rail. Works well with a McKee setup (rear quads closer to the stringer)
my favorite setup, as I like more the thruster feel

I could be wrong, but I think the first option with medium left and right is only possible if you have the two tab system. Single tab left and right won't fit in the rear boxes on Futures fitted boards.

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grgd said..
I could be wrong, but I think the first option with medium left and right is only possible if you have the two tab system. Single tab left and right won't fit in the rear boxes on Futures fitted boards.

You are right!

I only have FCS boxes, so I tend to forget about Futures having incompatibles boxes in the rear and front, and also the fact that the cant is built in the fin, not in the box like FCS, making using center fins as two rear fins a bit less optimal with Futures (but to be honest the difference in cant should not matter a lot in this case)

Quobbas go well in the V2. Centre fin forward for small waves.

There is a review of Quobba fins on Supboarder. Pretty much a distillation of everything Colas has been saying here for years.