I currently have two boards- 1) a 117 lt F2 Stoke and a 85 ltr Quatro. I'd consider myself a learner to intermediate rider ( been sailing for 7 months), and I'm pretty comfortable on the Stoke in waves and flatwater, and feel horrid on the Quatro. Took them both out in the surf today (rolling chest high) and had fun on the Stoke (despite it's high-speed flatwater pedigree) but find it a tad stiff through the turns on waves. I then jumped on the Quatro. Totally the other extreme. Super loose, can get in straps pretty easy, but it's a serious handful to control. Reminds me of a snowboard on a frosty hand-rail. Absolutely no doubt in the right hands it would be leathal, but I'm basically not good enough to ride it comfortably in the surf yet- probably a year off I'd reckon. Anyway, my question; is there a board round 100 ltrs that you'd consider a good all-rounder, with a bias for wave riding? And to make things more difficult, ideally a few years old so I could track down one second hand one.
PS- I weigh 78 kilos.
Any info would be great
.
Cheers.
I don't think you could go wrong with any Freestyle wave board from the last 3 years in that size. I have an RRD FSW 96 and find it the perfect allrounder for choppy bay conditions and for "veggie" wave sailing which sums me up. All the other brands have equally versatile boards.
Get your self a quad for the waves, JP have a 99 for 2013 and fanatic have a 101. Quads have changed my sailing and all for the best. Freestyle waves are too much of a compromise for the waves, Don't get me wrong I've got three of them but if you want a wave board get a quad.
....my 2 cents, now let the negative nellys respond. 
A FSW board is the go and every brand has one but some are looser than others. They do ride bigger than a wave board so for your 78kg a 100L board will be on the biggish side.
A FSW 90-96L would be good. You may be best to try and demo one at your local shop to get a feel for the size.
You could even try a stiffer / bigger fin on your Quatro, this will make it less skittish and less lively, so it may be easier to get used to.
Thanks guys for the replys. I reckon the Quatro will be great once I improve some more, but for now I feel ( ability-wise) I'm right between the two. Thought about the different fin for the Quatro, but I think it's partly the lack of volume that makes it tough going. I'd still like to be able to up-haul if the wind drops out- hence a bit more volume- and the Quatro is hard work in that department with my skills -especially on the ocean.
I just put a more wave orientated fin in the Stoke as I was using it with a 35 cm JP Carve. This fin- a 29 JP Freestyle Wave- may loosen it up. I'll find out tomorrow I hope! Whilst probably not the solution, it may make the board more enjoyable in the suds.
But I'm still keen on a smaller size / volume wave biased board, unfortunely up here there's no real option to try a few models.
I'm still talking used, as I can't really afford a new board right now, and I think in time I'll gain the skills to ride the 85 lt Quatro in the surf anyway.
Cheers for the info so far.
just get a freestyle wave 95-100L. They will help you get gybes sorted too. all brands of FSW are pretty good just avoid an gimicky stuff, and make sure the fin isnt too big.
keep the wave board for real waves later on once the skills come up a touch.
just remember the FSW will hold u back in real waves because of the lack of tail rocker.
I wouldn't get a FSW if I was you. They are just not wave oriented enough. I would get one of the Tri fin / Thruster boards. JP started the trend (well, actually it was Stone in WA that had them first but he only does customs) for production boards and most brands now make them.
I have had a JP 99 for two seasons now. It's a fast board that turns well but you'll need the weight behind it. It's not as snappy as a Quad but it will make up for it with early planning ability and higher top speed... from what you are saying I think you might be well served with a three fin wave board.
Fanatic, RRD, JP, Quatro, Starboard (?), Tabou all do them now. JP and RRD have had them for two seasons and probably have the most experience. As a matter of fact the JP 99 hasn't changed in 3 years because the original shape the first came up with was spot on.
I would suggest though that you try out a 100 l board first. You might find it's actually to big for your weight and a 94 to 92 board would be more suitable.
There are a few popping up on the Seabreeze Buy & Sell section as well.
Phil, whats the info on the Quatro?
Is it wave specific? What are it's dimensions? how many fins etc? What position do you have the foot straps?
And how many times have you taken it out and with what rig? Also what fin/s are you running in it?
There are a lot of suggestions of getting another board, and something in the mid 90lt range would be a pretty safe bet, but lets check that you aren't jumping the gun too early. Your current boards may well do the gob with a bit of a set up change, and save you a bit of coin.
try and test drive a Tabou Pocket wave.
They tend to have a wider tail so more volum at the back of the board than a FSW type board. makes it much easier to get planing especially for heavier riders.
the tabou pads are really nice for jumping - much more forgiving on the joints thant the JPs ive used.
Hey PhilSWR that rear footstrap on that Quatro looks a long way foreward to me. Any way to move it back?
I'm with Aus301 on this. People seem to be going for huge boards for waves these days. I reckon a 85 ltr board fo a 78kg person is as big as you'd want for waves. Have a good play with set-up. It can make a lot of difference.
Just did a quick google and found your Quatro FW 85 is a 2006 model and is quoted as being 240 x 58.5. This board was effectively Quatro's Freestyle Wave from that year. Be worth taking that into consideration when thinking about anything newer.
A later model board will be shorter and fatter, but at that volume not necessarily wider.
The Quatro 85 FSW is actually a good board for a 78kg rider wanting to dabble in the waves. The Quattro's are supposed to be more wave oriented FSW's.
I would give the 85 some more TOW. Get out in some flat water which will make it easier to dial in the board, get your stance sorted and get comfortable. As suggested make the board a bit less directional with the suggested fin and strap set up.
I'm 90kg and I use a 94 L Exo Cross in small waves. Even with my weight I do need to weight the rails quite a bit for carving on a wave face, and I'm not talking radical bottom turns or smacking the lip! Thats were you need a dedicated wave board. As soon it hits around 18knots I'm on a 78L FSW.
One of the benefits of a FSW is they are easier to get back up wind for your next ride.
are you really wave sailing or just onshore bump and jump and blasting in the sea.
I have a F2 stoke in that size as well as a 92 jp fsw and would use the F2 9 times out of ten for the above onshore conditions you just need a smaller fin.
More TOW with it for sure.
are you really wave sailing or just onshore bump and jump and blasting in the sea.
