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Convert quad to Twin fin

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Created by stehar > 9 months ago, 11 Oct 2017
stehar
NSW, 557 posts
11 Oct 2017 9:18PM
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Have recently ( Scotts Head in late June ) bought a "Jimmy Lewis Kwad". I have had a couple of great surfs on it when the swell was bigger and the beach breaks started to line up and hollow out - very fast down the line but not really that manouverable, I was thinking of
swapping it and had this partly organised when a mate said "why not take two fins out and try it as a twinnie!"
I have had two surfs in last two days in knee high to rib high surf - not real big - it f""king ripped - still got plenty of speed down the line and very manouverable - bit too loose in fact - was going to try and improve this aspect with "Mark Richards Twin Fins & nubster" - only come in FCS - what is the equivalent in FUTURES FINS?
Also checked out the vid of the new smik after trying this out and has convinced me that for my local conditions and ability level the twinnie is better value. Will try and get a picture when new setup is finalised ( new larger side fins plus new finbow for nubster )
Future fin equiv please? regards Steve

colas
4986 posts
11 Oct 2017 8:32PM
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I would recommend the Al Merrick twin:
futuresfins.com/surfboard-fins/amt-twin.html

I have the FCS II version, and it is the best twin + trailer set I tried.

- the foil profile has a very thin leading edge: AM profiles have the thickest point at the rearest of all modern fins I saw. This, in my opinion give a very hydrodynamic profile with a very high top end speed.

- they have a thin tip, and generous rake, and a not too stiff construction, meaning that with a box that holds the base quite tight such as FCSII or future, the flex pattern is optimal, letting the tip "breathe" to keep a laminar flow across the turn, it will "smoothen" your turns and correct the small mistakes.

- wide base and narrow tip give some of the handling of the C-Drives: drive in turns but not stiff at speed

- the trailer works quite well: the pronounced rake stabilizes the turns, but it is small enough to stay loose.

Basically, I now use AM Twins + very small rear quads (Gerry lopez) on small wave wide tailed boards, the AM Twins and their trailer in small waves, and the "regular" AM thruster set on bigger waves.
I still use the Mark Richards twins + trailer (MR trailer or a bigger one, depending on the wave size) on my longSUP: they are slower but harder to stall, so you can noseride with a twin fin, quite fun

Note that there are other twin models at:
futuresfins.com/shop/ (check the "Twin" checkbox at the bottom right)
shapers.surf/fins-fin-systems/fins/twin-fins/

See also my experiments at:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/The-FCSII-system-makes-experimenting-fins-setup-a-breeze?page=1
The asymmetric trailer position is quite interesting, try it!

stehar
NSW, 557 posts
12 Oct 2017 7:16AM
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Thank you very much for the info!
Steve

stehar
NSW, 557 posts
12 Oct 2017 7:11PM
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more ideas -- personal setups?

Tardy
4919 posts
12 Oct 2017 5:27PM
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Have you tried medium sized fronts and very small rears as a quad ...
i use this on my. 8'10 flow ..it's nice and loose now with still good drive ..does slide a little on very hard turns ..and bottom hand turns ....but yeha .at first I didn't like this board ..but with the right fins to suit me ..I'm jelling with it ...man .

wazza66
QLD, 607 posts
12 Oct 2017 9:46PM
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I am always swapping fins around between boards and here are a few of my personal setups.

My boards are all fairly wide tails (deep minion or custom quads) so I like the Futures T1 which is the FCS MR twin fin, teamed up with a Shapers DVS 8.7mm short fin in the centre rear box.

Plenty of drive with a nice amount of hold and drive in your top and bottom turns.
If you are surfing it only as a twin it will be super loose but a bit sketchy on the bottom turn if your tail is wide. There is no right or wrong fin setup so plenty of trial and error is required to find that feeling you are searching for.
Waz

DVS small centre

Shapers S9 fronts with DVS rear centre

Futures T1














stehar
NSW, 557 posts
13 Oct 2017 7:05AM
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Thanks - board will be ready on Monday new finbox for small centre fin and have ordered futures -- AMT HC TWIN FIN SET --
side fins are 5.26" high and base 5.04", should be on the water next week with this different setup!
Steve

riverider
TAS, 1096 posts
13 Oct 2017 6:47PM
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Picked these up from Shapers a couple of weeks ago, haven't had them in some great waves yet, but very happy so far, still plenty of drive, using them in a Jimmy Lewis 8'5" striker.






stehar
NSW, 557 posts
13 Oct 2017 7:20PM
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So they fit the futures finbox? Lived at Scotts Head and Grassy for 20 years - knew him as a young bloke to say gday to - even then he was ripping - nice kid - don't know the man - I moved to Arrawarra Headland and havn't seen him since then. Obviously still ripping!
Steve

riverider
TAS, 1096 posts
14 Oct 2017 12:59PM
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Select to expand quote
stehar said..
So they fit the futures finbox? Lived at Scotts Head and Grassy for 20 years - knew him as a young bloke to say gday to - even then he was ripping - nice kid - don't know the man - I moved to Arrawarra Headland and havn't seen him since then. Obviously still ripping!
Steve


You can get them in futures or fcs base.

Brenno
QLD, 890 posts
14 Oct 2017 9:59PM
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My fave for fat arse boards


Kami
1566 posts
15 Oct 2017 10:09PM
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Hi all, this is is a good topic indeed !
Good combos of fins swope around here but the better way to convert a quad into a twin fin is to insert new plug between and further inside the rail from the old quatro's positions.
My opinion like shown on this quatro fin plugs with three extras plugs for the MR+trailer combo is to insert those extra plugs position of the wide and tall MR fin more inside the rail considering the taller height and wider base of the twin fin like a MR fin can be.
So the best is to see a local ding fixer and insert new FCS plugs to fit properly ( to my opinion) the MR fins.

colas
4986 posts
16 Oct 2017 1:06PM
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You are right, of course, Kami.

However, due to the forces developed by big twins, I'd recommend FCSII boxes (or future) rather than the weaker traditional FCS 1 plugs. Or at least FSC fusion boxes.

slugga
VIC, 172 posts
16 Oct 2017 8:09PM
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Select to expand quote
Brenno said..
My fave for fat arse boards



What's the go with these bad boys ???

Brenno
QLD, 890 posts
16 Oct 2017 8:56PM
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Select to expand quote
slugga said..

Brenno said..
My fave for fat arse boards



What's the go with these bad boys ???


C-Drives
Good drive off the bottom, loose off the top.
I love them. They make my minion and flow so much more fun.
I use them on fat bum boards with quad option.
Colas is better at explaining the science.
I just know they work for me.

stehar
NSW, 557 posts
17 Oct 2017 5:17PM
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Great job by Byron at "Madness Surfboards"! The Al Merrick Twin & nubster arrived yesterday as well. Picked up board this arvo @ 4pm.
Hopefully there will be some sort of wave to ride - been onshore and rainy for last 4 days. I now have 3 DIFFERENT sizes of side fin PLUS TWO sets of finboxes to try them in - with the Nubster in all cases . MAYBE TRY -- biggest fins in front boxes when surf is BIG. Try smallest fins in back boxes when surf is SMALL. WHAT DO YOU THINK BREEZERS? GOOD STARTING POINT?
Steve



















Kami
1566 posts
17 Oct 2017 5:25PM
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This is a very nice quad from Jimmy Lewis. Bottom shape of board should be ok to switch it in a Twin fin. But to switch it as said my opinion is it need extra plugs to fit the Twin fin in a right position considering the wider and taller fin a Twin is. My video to illustrate what i'm writing.
Whatever a given fin solution done once the fins plugs are fit in the board, it's always a matter of feeling anyway...

stehar
NSW, 557 posts
17 Oct 2017 9:01PM
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Thank you -- Iwill have a few surfs on it as it is -- but your explanation and knowledge gives me the enthusiasm to add two more fin boxes if the current setup is not successful -- great input, pretty much what I want from this forum ( the breezers response )
Steve

Kami
1566 posts
17 Oct 2017 6:13PM
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Select to expand quote
stehar said..
Thank you -- Iwill have a few surfs on it as it is -- but your explanation and knowledge gives me the enthusiasm to add two more fin boxes if the current setup is not successful -- great input, pretty much what I want from this forum ( the breezers response )
Steve



Thank you too. To be more exact give me the dims of actual fin position and tail. I will give back the twin fin position.


colas
4986 posts
17 Oct 2017 10:55PM
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Select to expand quote
stehar said..
knew him as a young bloke to say gday to - even then he was ripping - nice kid - don't know the man - I moved to Arrawarra Headland and havn't seen him since then. Obviously still ripping!


Asher Pacey "still ripping" is apparently quite an understatement... relax and enjoy some magic twin fin riding!

JEG
VIC, 1469 posts
18 Oct 2017 7:38AM
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thats loose!

stehar
NSW, 557 posts
21 Oct 2017 9:25AM
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Have emailed dimensions to you Kami - look foward to your design - havnt had the board out in surf yet - windblown,raining,awful!
Steve - ps: maybe tomorrow some surf and pics

Kami
1566 posts
22 Oct 2017 8:41PM
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See your post now, I'm back home, I've been in Paris far away from my seaside and much further from "Arrawarra Headland.NSW.Australia".. You lucky man to live in this place.
I hope you some nice waves to test the board as a quad set up . I post you the new picture soon.

JasonR
NSW, 100 posts
30 Oct 2017 4:49PM
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After reading this post i decided to try some twins in my minion.
Had it out last weekend with the new fins and i was impressed, still need to dial in my bottom turn but the top felt alot better with the twins.
Im considering riding it as a twin now. Would i be better off putting some new fin boxes in?






stehar
NSW, 557 posts
30 Oct 2017 7:21PM
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I think so - Kami is/was going to send me new dimensions for additional fin placement --when I get these Iwill pass them on. Been no surf - got desperate aand went out - videod it but cannot load video onto seabreeze - something about utube?
Steve - ps board went well for conditions - I didnt

colas
4986 posts
30 Oct 2017 7:03PM
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I think so too. You can use your board as a pure twin in fronts with no trailer in small weak waves, but you will notice a lack of drive when waves become more than waist high, i.e., the board may seem to stop dead at the end of the bottom turn as you push on it.

You can also try the big twins in front plus 2 "nubsters" / small trailers in the rear quad boxes, it can add drive without too much "neutering" the twin fin speed and looseness, a la Glen Winton www.boardcollector.com/2008/03/mr-x-part-1.html



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"Convert quad to Twin fin" started by stehar