Trouble Shooter // The Five Fin Surfboard
G'Day Murray,
Are five fin set ups, where your board can be a Thruster or quad fin, worth getting? I can remember when they first started coming out some magazine commenters said they were a compromise of both designs and not worth getting. The message was that you've got to tell the shaper to make the board one fin set up or the other.
Since then they've become really popular, so what gives with five fin set ups?
Yours in trouble,
Neville Beats Buddha
Hey Neville,
Good question and one that is never asked, although it should be.
Historically, they began appearing in the early 2000s when surfers were still unsure of the quad's virtues so dropping five plugs in seemed like less risk - if four fins don't work then switch to three!
In my humble opinion the five fin set up is nothing but a bet each way sanctioned by the retailers who are loathe to lose a sale. The fact is that Thrusters come from the centre fin family and quads are essentially from the twin fin family, which are totally opposites.
So yes, they are a compromise thwarting the designer from really putting his heart into one design or the other. Still, there are many surfers out there, particularly the older crew, that are not pushing the extremes and are happy to surf in 'either/or' mode - so I think they do have their place.
Mostly it's a planshape argument that separates the two modes. There are other concerns as well, which I will explain later, but generally a Thruster is surfed off the tail while tending to the centre fin, whereas a quad is surfed further forward where a wider nose can not only be tolerated but necessary.
One thing I have to say from the onset is that, on most of the five-fin boards I see in the shops, all the fin's positions are in the correct place for each mode. It only gets more difficult as the board gets longer, particularly if the tail stays wide where the centre fin cannot follow the quads which need to go further forward as a set in order to have sway over a nose further away.
The Thruster is a 'pivot and drive' action whereas the quad is just a full-on driving sled that lacks the pivot but delivers superior speed and face hold. Is it any wonder that Kelly won all those Pipe Masters trophies when Backdoor was on and he was smart enough to quad up, sit high, and come out. A Thruster couldn't sit that high or allow a surfer to set the rail mid-face after the takeoff - no bottom turn.
A quad fin, almost like a twinny, can suffer a wider nose because you don't need to nurse the centre fin by surfing off the tail. It therefore allows you to operate the board from a more forward position meaning you can bust out of the gates from the get go, not to mention they will slip into the wave much earlier because they paddle in better.
They probably don't need as much rocker either since their east/west is merely a tilt from rail to rail which is pretty easy with speed.
If you ride quads and see a five-fin set up with those features then it passes the first test.
Thrusters are still the choice of most competitive surfers where the aim is to slam vertically off the bottom to launch the air reverse they're all brainwashed into believing is the hallmark of a truly great surfer. To be fair, there's a good reason they've been around for so long and it is a delight to see how far John John can push them if that turn at Margarets can be believed, but please do not think you can do the same because he's a one-off!
Fundamentally, quads like barrels and long, almost unmakeable, walls because of their easy-to-access speed. You don’t have to work for it and due to their extra forward width, they paddle in better.
It's this facet that's the big quandary when designing either/or. A Thruster will always feel front heavy with a wider nose, while a quad will lose drive if you pull the nose in and add the rocker that Thrusters need.
So let's just understand that the five fin era was driven by retailers who were just too focused on the bottom line!
However, five fin boards also helped popularise the quad - many surfers took a chance on a five fin set up and realised they like quads.
Thankfully we're now approaching a period where punters are realising they can't have everything built into just one board, so they're happy to let designers be more specific with three or four fins and free to make the best Thruster or quad they know they can!
- Muzz
Visit Pipedream Surfboards online. Muzz, as keen-eyed readers will notice, also has the odd each way bet, however if you really want a shaper to put their heart into a board then give him a call.
PS: 'Trouble Shooter' is a new column where shaper Murray Bourton answers all your surfboard related questions. If you're got a burning question and didn't know who to ask then jot it below or send to stuart@swellnet.com. Muzz will be back in a week or so.