Looking for reviews on quad fin setups from users. Pros and Cons of your fav fins.

I don't mind bespoke hand made suggestions as well.

Mark stone, Ssd makes a pretty decent set of quads or thrusters with the ability to vary the flex/size/placement in board to suit what you want..

Alternatively the Tectonics wave wizard fins are a great fin set many others are benchmarked against...

Ultimately it comes down to feel, so see if you can try a few sets to see what you like.

thanks troppo,

i was thinking of mark too, board is a 95lt quantum.

Running my 90 Quantum as a thruster if that helps. Ssd fins 18.5 /11.

i''ve got an earlier model quantum so quad only. definitely appreciate your experience. i'll give mark a call and get this take as well.

Weight please? Type of spot/sailing?

100kg, small cross off to cross on plus bump and jump. skill level. kook.

I've been running the K4s this season in all my Simmer boards and have been very happy with their performance. I've tried the Flexi, Stubby and Scorcher and like the Scorcher the best follows by the Stubby...The flex just flex way too much for me at 100kg. I've tried all manner of other fins over the past few year and find the K4s suit me and my boards the best (followed closely by the Simmer Carbon Honeycomb). I've run Makani (love the piranha in my thruster setup), Black Project, Simmer G10 and Simmer Carbon Honeycomb, They all work but the K4s work better for me. I ride x-off and they are outstanding in both the bottom turn and top turn, I can ride super aggressive or just meander down the waves with total control (or I should say, The right amount of control). Super fun in the waves and no issue blasting along fully lit, I've had them maxed blasting on my 4.7 and they just truck along and upwind is outstanding. They are reasonably cheap and easy to get out of the UK and quite quickly also. They are very easy to fix and cheap to replace if too damaged (hasn't happened yet) as you buy them as individual fins not sets.

Anyways I rate them ??

thanks jh,

i'll track down the k4 as well.

has anyone tried the leon or the rocket k4?

Got a set of 18cm K4 stubbies with MFC 400 fronts in my old OES 112 Quad - surprised with how early they get going with 5.7 S1 and how free they feel - feel pretty nice off the bottom and easy top turn- actually surprised how it improved the overall feel of a 4 or 5 Year old quad - great light wind option and good price

I've done quite a bit of experimenting with quad fins and their placement over the last 8 years.
For me my favourite fins are Chocos fast thin and grippy oh and expensive my next choice is Makani still have good speed and good grip then MFC I found black projects slow I also found K4s very slow I personally didn't like them others rave about them. I'd like to try those Maui ultra fins.
Grouping them close gives a tighter turn,spaced apart gives a more drawn out turn as does more swept back less upright fins. I though having the fronts further forward helped hold the front rail down in the water. But there again and downward pulling sail eg Blade can have the same effect.
I've also found if the fronts are too big my boards want to try and straighten up in a bottom turn and the top turn is really stiff. When I say too big I mean 15 rears and anything over 9 fronts or 16 and 10 would be to big for the front fins. I personally use 17 and 9 combo 16 and 9 or 8 combo and 15.5 and 8 combo. The only issue going by length is 9cm in one brand may have a lower aspect ratio meaning it has more surface area than a higher aspect fin therefore making it too big for a 16cm fin (Makani seem to have a big surface are on their front fins so I use 8 instead of 9).
Hope all my ramblings make sense.

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Troppo said..
Mark stone, Ssd makes a pretty decent set of quads or thrusters with the ability to vary the flex/size/placement in board to suit what you want..

Alternatively the Tectonics wave wizard fins are a great fin set many others are benchmarked against...

Ultimately it comes down to feel, so see if you can try a few sets to see what you like.

Just googled those techtonics they look like a nice fin.

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Gestalt said..
has anyone tried the leon or the rocket k4?

Leon has 2stiffness, I use stiff rear, and flex forward. Rockets are good.

i have a hard time choosing which to install.
the Scorchers , shown on the middle board in photos, is fast, a excellent all round fin.
i have , I think all the varieties, including several not shown anywhere , a Dutch design shallow water single fin.
K4, offer the best value .

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R1DER said.. Just googled those techtonics they look like a nice fin.

I second that.
I was about to say my favourites ever are the MFC quad set in G-10 ... the ones from years ago before the red things they made in pretend glass.
The lack of rake and a nice stiff foil works well in quads and gives them a nice pivot around the cluster when doing a cutback.
Those Tectonics look like they would have a very similar feel.

hi Rider,

is that the choco twixx you were referring to? you can imagine the google results when i typed in choco twixx... haha.

i really like choco fins. have some of their freestyle fins and always find they have a good top end.

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Gestalt said..
hi Rider,

is that the choco twixx you were referring to? you can imagine the google results when i typed in choco twixx... haha.

i really like choco fins. have some of their freestyle fins and always find they have a good top end.

Ha ha I don't even want to imagine the Google results yes the choco twixx

K4 too flexy if you're 90kg or over

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Mark _australia said..

I was about to say my favourites ever are the MFC quad set in G-10 ... the ones from years ago before the red things they made in pretend glass.

MFC still sell two different models of G10 quad fins ...
QS RV1
K300

And also the RTM model that you are referring to.

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bowsa said..
K4 too flexy if you're 90kg or over

Is it possible that prior to testing you felt they would be too flexy?
and a self fulfilling prediction then
you did apply some criteria, and I don't question the findings, for you.

Fins do come in a large assortment, and people like to ask others what works, or doesn't . They are not like a ball cat where one size fits most
K4 is now suppling fins for RRD.

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forceten said..

bowsa said..
K4 too flexy if you're 90kg or over

Is it possible that prior to testing you felt they would be too flexy?
and a self fulfilling prediction then
you did apply some criteria, and I don't question the findings, for you.

Fins do come in a large assortment, and people like to ask others what works, or doesn't . They are not like a ball cat where one size fits most
K4 is now suppling fins for RRD.

No magic here mate
i used them in two boards for a while due to g10 or other fins breaking and K4s being readily available until I got some newer stiffer ones and in both boards I found them too flexy for my weight
used them in a starboard evil twin 87 (sick board) and also 103l stoney keel quad. Both boards felt worse with flexy k4s
running a 99L JP quad at the moment and g10 fins are perfect. Heavier sailors, esp in waves need stiffer fins in my opinion

but hey run what you like ! Try it all

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bowsa said..

forceten said..

bowsa said..
K4 too flexy if you're 90kg or over

Is it possible that prior to testing you felt they would be too flexy?
and a self fulfilling prediction then
you did apply some criteria, and I don't question the findings, for you.

Fins do come in a large assortment, and people like to ask others what works, or doesn't . They are not like a ball cat where one size fits most
K4 is now suppling fins for RRD.

No magic here mate
i used them in two boards for a while due to g10 or other fins breaking and K4s being readily available until I got some newer stiffer ones and in both boards I found them too flexy for my weight
used them in a starboard evil twin 87 (sick board) and also 103l stoney keel quad. Both boards felt worse with flexy k4s
running a 99L JP quad at the moment and g10 fins are perfect. Heavier sailors, esp in waves need stiffer fins in my opinion

but hey run what you like ! Try it all

...you do know they come in several different models with various stiffness right? ... because you didn't mention which ones.

I'm with Bowsa.

And the stiffest ones are still not as stiff as G10.

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Mark _australia said..

R1DER said.. Just googled those techtonics they look like a nice fin.

I second that.
I was about to say my favourites ever are the MFC quad set in G-10 ... the ones from years ago before the red things they made in pretend glass.
The lack of rake and a nice stiff foil works well in quads and gives them a nice pivot around the cluster when doing a cutback.
Those Tectonics look like they would have a very similar feel.

I Third that, the MFC G-10s as pictured remain my most favoured set of fins.
Anyone thinking of offloading a set ?

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bowsa said..

forceten said..

bowsa said..
K4 too flexy if you're 90kg or over

Is it possible that prior to testing you felt they would be too flexy?
and a self fulfilling prediction then
you did apply some criteria, and I don't question the findings, for you.

Fins do come in a large assortment, and people like to ask others what works, or doesn't . They are not like a ball cat where one size fits most
K4 is now suppling fins for RRD.

No magic here mate
i used them in two boards for a while due to g10 or other fins breaking and K4s being readily available until I got some newer stiffer ones and in both boards I found them too flexy for my weight
used them in a starboard evil twin 87 (sick board) and also 103l stoney keel quad. Both boards felt worse with flexy k4s
running a 99L JP quad at the moment and g10 fins are perfect. Heavier sailors, esp in waves need stiffer fins in my opinion

but hey run what you like ! Try it all

Sounds to me like you used Flex Fins, on the rear,so at your weight the Scorcher Super Stiff, rears, and Stubby Super stiff or Shark Il Superstiff fronts would have been better, yes heavier riders need stiffer fins.

www.k4fins.com/fin-tuning/

the remark about G10 s being perfect, leads me to ask if just any G10 fins or some in particular? I'm not fimilar with the Stoney , The JP has various incarnations.
The Starboard Evil Twin, was built 1 year, replaced by the first Sterbrdz Quad, the ET must have been a sensation.

70 evil twin my favorite board to date. Had the v2 on order for 2010 but they panicked and put a disapointing quad into production.
Flexy fins only worked well for me on singles . quads just use the standard drake g10 13/11 or 13/10 .I believe if a board doesn't feel good out of the box it isn't the board for you.

Evil twin 87, favourite board of all time
wish I didn't sell it but was living in UK at the time and flogged off gear to move home

My 2011 Starboard Quad, never even used the Drake fins. Never. I'm not a twin person, converted a RRD Wave twin to a quad and never looked back on that board, bought a Quatro TWin that testers raved about, didn't suit at all, after 2 twins, I learned my lesson. This comes down to preference.

Bousa, you didn't answer which G10 fins?

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Foghorn said..
70 evil twin my favorite board to date. Had the v2 on order for 2010 but they panicked and put a disapointing quad into production.
Flexy fins only worked well for me on singles . quads just use the standard drake g10 13/11 or 13/10 .I believe if a board doesn't feel good out of the box it isn't the board for you.

The 2010 Starboard quad, was a comedy to me, it had mini Tuttle fins forward, and a FCS, cobra copy version rear.
It allowded FCS based fin on the rear that came and still do in a rather short length. These boxes presented problems with fit, and wear.

The 2011 Starboard Quad, had the first slot boxes , all four were. It came with 6fins, 4for quad and 2 larger ,that could be used as a twin. It was a pretty sweet board. Replacement for the Evil Twin, well of sorts.

i haven't ridden the twins being discussed here but i always wondered why the designers of twins tend to keep the tail narrow and the fins close together instead of being more of a fish design.

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Gestalt said..
i haven't ridden the twins being discussed here but i always wondered why the designers of twins tend to keep the tail narrow and the fins close together instead of being more of a fish design.

Because the forces on a Windsurf board are different to a surf board.
While similarities exist, they react differently. Quad placement, typically on a surf board has all fins nearer the rail, the preferred Windsurf, voted by most made, have rears inward towards the centerline.

take note of the actual twins offered now, hardly any Windsurf, oh several quads say they can be used as twins .