TRI FINS ARE DANGEROUS
Tom Curren status
Reged: 01/10/02
Posts: 12997
Loc: Pavement, CA USA
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There has been a lot of quad discussion on this forum lately so I thought I would post this review of my CI quad.
This board floated around the racks of the shop all summer. With the red tide and poor surf last summer I didn't get around to sanding it until last month (note-if you don't like how Clark Foam blanks dent just let your board cure for 8 weeks before sanding. The deck is hard as a rock. In fact I wish it would dent a little so my feet could work into the deck. But I digress). Remembering that the surf never gets big around here anyway I figured it was time to ride it.
This board is scanned from Al Merrick's personal quad from 1982. I really like the shape and in some ways it still looks futuristic to me. Either the board underwent some refinement or Al was just really ahead the times because some 80's boards were planky and blobby but this one has neat rails.
I opted for glass-on fins even though CI offers the board with a center fin option if you get plugs. I can see how the board would make a nice tri-fin but I figured if I was going to get a quad then I was going to get a quad, y'know?
I love this board backside. I feel that I can square off the bottom on my heels and just go straight up and then throw the tail all the way around. It's pretty bitchin' actually.
Frontside I struggle a bit on it. I'm so used to riding boards that have so much projection out of the bottom turns that I felt that I had to overamp to to go down the line frontside. (I'm really self conscious of wiggling to the point where I probably look stiff, ha-ha). On short wedgy rights it went better because I could just surf in the pocket. It does really cool slashy cutbacks frontside that are more early 90's style surfing than 80's.
Three different people have tried to buy the board from me in the parking lot but there is a nice wedgy left by my house that gets good in the spring so I'm saving it.
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Surfboard Blog: Surfy Surfy
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tom@daumtooling
Michael Peterson status
Reged: 01/10/02
Posts: 2693
Loc: San Clemente
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TFD,
I had one of those back in 82'. Surfed a lot of Black's and the Shores on one of those. They are definitely a fun, quick shape. 
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kane
Michael Peterson status
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 2845
Loc: .
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dimensions?
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kooks are like a turd that won't flush.
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TRI FINS ARE DANGEROUS
Tom Curren status
Reged: 01/10/02
Posts: 12997
Loc: Pavement, CA USA
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5'11" length
19 1/4" width
2 7/16" thickness
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Surfboard Blog: Surfy Surfy
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UFsurfer
Nep status
Reged: 05/25/05
Posts: 614
Loc: Florida
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Awesome looking board I'm interested in these quads now b/c of al the positive feedback here on the forum. What did it run you? Also check your e-mail I sent you an e-mail!
Matt
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dannyboy?
Michael Peterson status
Reged: 10/27/02
Posts: 3136
Loc: port angeles, wa
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ima steal it from you and put the first ding in it for you as well.
well, once i stop being sick, anyways. its not a good thing when you start coughing up blood, is it?   
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-dannygrom
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dk
Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Reged: 09/14/03
Posts: 9546
Loc: Leucadia
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Time to start wearing your dust mask! 
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www.dksurfboards.com
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eric3469
Miki Dora status
Reged: 08/31/02
Posts: 3599
Loc: Kooksburgh
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What would happened if you put an extra fifth fin, just slighty bigger than the other four, right on the center of the boards tail, you know, if it were a longboard, where the fin mwould be located?
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evolixsurf
Michael Peterson status
Reged: 07/16/03
Posts: 2923
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damn what do you weigh? my 6'2 feels small on me idk if i could go down to that size
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bode1
Grom
Reged: 09/01/05
Posts: 79
Loc: South Jersey
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What else do you have in your quiver? A few bonzers I'm sure, right?
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Yank me, crank me, spank me
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outoflurk
Grom
Reged: 07/10/05
Posts: 101
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good timing. i just looked one over today at a shop and was going to ask for some feedback on it. i had a black beauty in mind but thought it was just too specialized a board that wouldn't get enough play here in the northeast. the fuller rails of the quad vs. a modern board peaked my interest amongst other things. i know on the merrick video, the board seems to suit versatile conditions up to overhead so it might suit what i'm looking for. my twin keel fish up to chest high and the quad for bigger. the board i looked at today was 6'x 18 7/8" x 2 1/2" and $100 off! i'm only 5'7" but the extra length might be beneficial since it'll be my better wave board. it could stand to be a little thinner too but w/ a 5mm you think it'll be alright? TFAD and other CI Quaders, how's the sweetspot on it?
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sinbad
Michael Peterson status
Reged: 07/20/05
Posts: 1782
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I went out at Pascuales on a 5'10" Michael Baron quad in the mid 80's. The waves were sick. I took off backside on this 18' face heaving brute and barely made the drop. I laid it all down off the bottom, just pushed it hard, and pulled into the sick death barrel. I was just standing there, fully backside backdoor barreled, before I got too deep and went upside down. Everything happened so fast. I landed smack! on the bottom of the 5'10." "Crack!" I had no leash on. I crawled up onto the shore with blood dripping down my back. There was skin stuck under the glass of the quad, in a huge chasm that almost broke the board in half. Some guy had video'd the wave. Looked just like Backdoor/Offthewall. Sick wave. That was a good board. I do think that a middle fin helps a board project better. Although, it wouldn't have mattered on that wave.
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Chief Broom
Legend (inyourownmind)
Reged: 01/12/02
Posts: 426
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Haha. I recognize the board from the top of the ramp yesterday, but I didn't realize that I was in the presence of the illustrious TFAD. 
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TRI FINS ARE DANGEROUS
Tom Curren status
Reged: 01/10/02
Posts: 12997
Loc: Pavement, CA USA
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Quote:
What would happened if you put an extra fifth fin, just slighty bigger than the other four, right on the center of the boards tail, you know, if it were a longboard, where the fin mwould be located?
A shaper in Hawaii named Griffin who post on this forum sometimes makes these boards. Your idea sounds interesting though.
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Surfboard Blog: Surfy Surfy
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TRI FINS ARE DANGEROUS
Tom Curren status
Reged: 01/10/02
Posts: 12997
Loc: Pavement, CA USA
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Quote:
Haha. I recognize the board from the top of the ramp yesterday, but I didn't realize that I was in the presence of the illustrious TFAD.
I couldn't have been me since I haven't surfed that board in a week. Maybe a neighbor borrowed it?
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Surfboard Blog: Surfy Surfy
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Greg Griffin
Phil Edwards status
Reged: 10/31/04
Posts: 6794
Loc: Sunset Point, Hawaii
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5-fin longboards [image]http:// [/image] [image] [/image] [image] [/image] [image] [/image]
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www.griffinsurfboards.com
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Homie
Michael Peterson status
Reged: 09/02/05
Posts: 3321
Loc: Creek
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Quote:
What would happened if you put an extra fifth fin, just slighty bigger than the other four, right on the center of the boards tail, you know, if it were a longboard, where the fin mwould be located?
Wouldn’t that make the board extremely tight / stiff? Maybe if the fins were all a bit smaller it would work but yeah I think it would feel like having a broken neck. On the right board anything will work though IMO…
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BrownFish
Michael Peterson status
Reged: 03/04/05
Posts: 2686
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Quote:
Quote:
Haha. I recognize the board from the top of the ramp yesterday, but I didn't realize that I was in the presence of the illustrious TFAD.
I couldn't have been me since I haven't surfed that board in a week. Maybe a neighbor borrowed it?
Since you were taking pictures of my board with your pants down (hopefully you were holding the camera with both hands), I think it would be a nice gesture if you let me try that board over the upcoming weekend.
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www.brownfishhandplanes.com/
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dubstar
Nep status
Reged: 04/07/04
Posts: 564
Loc: Long Beach, New York
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I believe Steve Lis shapes and rides mainly 5fins (not bonzers) out on Kauai...
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Chief Broom
Legend (inyourownmind)
Reged: 01/12/02
Posts: 426
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Quote:
Quote:
Haha. I recognize the board from the top of the ramp yesterday, but I didn't realize that I was in the presence of the illustrious TFAD.
I couldn't have been me since I haven't surfed that board in a week. Maybe a neighbor borrowed it?
If it was your neighbor, he's a lucky duck.
I should have known though, 'cause I heard the real TFAD shoots lazerz out of his eyballs and has a calming effect on small dogs and the elderly. 
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TRI FINS ARE DANGEROUS
Tom Curren status
Reged: 01/10/02
Posts: 12997
Loc: Pavement, CA USA
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Back in '82...
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Surfboard Blog: Surfy Surfy
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dk
Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Reged: 09/14/03
Posts: 9546
Loc: Leucadia
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TFAD
that board is killer 
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www.dksurfboards.com
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BrownFish
Michael Peterson status
Reged: 03/04/05
Posts: 2686
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TFAD was kind enought to loan me this board over the weekend. I finally got to ride it today. It's a great board. Paddled like a dream. Almost no transition from my fish. Actually almost paddled just as well. I could spend 10 sentences explaining how well this board surfed, but I'll sum it up by saying; the board just plain worked. I want one. Thanks TFAD.
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www.brownfishhandplanes.com/
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outoflurk
Grom
Reged: 07/10/05
Posts: 101
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what kinda waves did you ride it in over the weekend?
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JJR
Duke status
Reged: 03/06/03
Posts: 21510
Loc: Cyclist hell
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Quote:
Quote:
What would happened if you put an extra fifth fin, just slighty bigger than the other four, right on the center of the boards tail, you know, if it were a longboard, where the fin mwould be located?
A shaper in Hawaii named Griffin who post on this forum sometimes makes these boards. Your idea sounds interesting though.
You guys are gonna see a lot more of these boards. The feedback coming in is real positive. BTW I rode this board(or one just like it) on this trip in hawaii. Although the board was a bit small for me, I got 2 waves that let me do a couple quick snaps, and i must say it felt good enough to order one for myself the proper size. At first glance I didn't think that those smallish rear fins would hold in with my weight, but it felt really positive. It's not a bonzer and rides completely different from one. The best way to descibe how it felt would be very loose but with lots of holding power. Gregg has some really interesting ideas and i'm looking forward to working together with him to make these boards more available and with adjustable fins for experimentation. Very small adjustments of the fins create very noticable differences! Also these aren't really new as Gregg has been doing them for years!
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kane
Michael Peterson status
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 2845
Loc: .
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]
looking forward to working together with him
thank god because I can't handle looking at that many fcs plugs on one board.
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kooks are like a turd that won't flush.
Edited by kane (11/01/05 04:29 PM)
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