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.