I never thought this would work but it seems that reversing your quad fins (moving your rear fins forward and front fins back) works for some surfers. One of our readers in South Africa Rudi shared his thoughts on his quad fin setup. I’ve actually seen a friend ride ripping on his shortboard with his quad fins reversed  though he didn’t know his fins were backward until I pointed it out to him.

Something I noticed, Rudi’s rear quad fin boxes look like they’re much further up than my Lil Rascal 2 (see photo below).

From Rudi:

“His Chunky Monkey 7 design matched my specs 99%. The only change was the rounded square tail to round tail, which Rod explained would give me a larger surface area that would make it easier to catch waves.

Rod originally designed the Chunky Monkey for former Pro Surfer Pierre Tostee, who wanted something that paddles easier (cause he’s not so young anymore), but that handles like a performance board (cause he can still rip once he’s got the wave). It took 6 trial versions to get the Chunky Monkey to where it is now and even Rod’s traded in his regular shortboard for one, although they surf it as thrusters while I prefer the reverse quad setup.”

Personal Info

Height: 5’6″
Weight: 80 kg
Surf Conditions: Mostly 3 to 6 feet
Style: Natural. Smooth to mild aggression. Love working the wave to build max speed for long floaters on rights and off-the-lip floaters on lefts.

Board Specs

Shape: Continuous Curve Shortboard
Length: 6’2″
Width: 19 3/4″
Thickness: 2 5/8″
Widest Point: Behind Centre
Nose Width: As recommended by shaper
Tail Width: As recommended by shaper
Rails: Domed, tucked under edge to hard edged
Rocker: Staged Curve
Nose Lift: As recommended by shaper
Tail Lift: As recommended by shaper
Bottom Contours: Single to Double Concave (Driver)
Tail Design: Rounded Square
Fin Positioning: Thruster with 5 fin slots for alternate Quad setup

Dimensions: 5’6 x 19.5″ x 2.25″

The T&C Glenn Pang G1 Gobbler is a small wave fish type board made from small gutless waves. It features a deep double barrel concave running the length of the board with a domed deck. It has a very sharp beak nose and a super wide squash tail. Even though there’s a double barrel concave on the bottom, the board’s bottom feels very flat while the deck feels round…the sensation feels like riding on a pyramid and it took me a while to get used to that. The G1 also utilizes a thruster setup with a slightly smaller center fin similar to K2.1’s or YU fins which reduce drag and increase speed.

I actually got a chance to ride two different G1’s with relatively similar dimensions and rode it in waist to head high waves on a number of occasions. The first board had stock Future thruster fins on the sides and a Future V hatchet center fin like below:

The center hatchet fin made the board way to grippy and sticky on the wave…in small waves that fin setup just doesn’t have any get-go. I’ve heard that hatchet fin works really well in larger, powerful, more bowly type surf but in the small stuff it has way too much drag and decreases responsiveness.

I did try the G1 a few other times with it’s stock fins…not exactly sure what type they are but I do know those fins come with the board and the center fin is a bit smaller than the sides. I surfed this particular G1 in a variety of wave heights from knee high to head high and this time the board worked better with its stock fins. The G1 rides similar to a retro fish like the Xanadu Wave Rocket — when you pump up and down the face it has a similar rhythm like a longboard…slow and smooth. The turning was ok but for whatever reason the board felt slow…I honestly think the Xanadu Wave Rocket is more performance that the G1…they both ride similar but the Xanadu is quicker, faster, and more responsive.

If you’re into Glenn Pang shapes and looking for a small wave fish hybrid, you’ll like this board. For all others there are better shapes out there in this category that outperform the G1.

Dimensions: 5’6 x 19.25″ x 2.25″

The other week I tried a 5’6 T&C T1 shortboard shaped by Glenn Pang. The T1 also known as the “Travler” is a copy of Dane Reynold’s Channel Islands Dumpster Diver…basically a wide and short shortboard with flatter rocker and single concave. I’ve seen a bunch of guys riding these boards out in the lineups and the board looked like it worked pretty well.

Unfortunately the one I tried didn’t have the same responsiveness…the board felt dead and slow. I couldn’t figure out if the problem was caused by the fins or the board itself. The waves were decent the day I tried the board…around chest-head high that particular day which leads me to believe it wasn’t the waves. The board is a pretty high performance looking shape and I wanted to pump it aggressively up and down the face but the board lagged and felt like it was suctioning on the wave face. I tried hard to get it to respond but it was nearly impossible to get the board to do anything…what a bummer.

I had written this board off as a dud but tried another T1, this one slightly narrower around 18.75″ wide. It would be a true test as the waves this particular day were pretty soft and small…around waist high with marginal shape. Surprisingly this board felt alive and rode like a performance small wave shortboard. The flat entry rocker and extra width help the board paddle into waves early and get around flat sections…the board won’t get around flat spots like a true wide nosed fish but will make it much easier than your typical performance shortboard in small/weak waves.

This board excels in knee to head high surf and sloppier wave faces but you can push it in overhead waves. I think the board I first tried was a dud and everyone else I’ve talked to really likes their T1.

Dimensions: 5’0 x 20.125″ x 2.5″

I also got a chance to try the Cole Trunk Board recently…again in small knee to waist high waves. Conditions this day were very very clean, small but lining up very nicely. The board I tried was a very short and stubby 5’0 model with thruster setup running M5 FCS side fins and an M3 center fin. The overall thickness and width make up for lack of length and paddling was pretty good for such a small board.

The bottom features a deep bonzer like concave running from front to back which looks like some type of jet intake and low nose and high tail rocker. The full rails have those Stretch channels for improved durability (I think) but nonetheless provide extra grip when duck diving. This particular board was a custom ordered PU board though they also offer several Aviso carbon fiber models.

Paddling into waves was super easy…probably because of the extra low nose rocker and once up and riding the lack of length made this board feel very skatey. The board was very responsive and I could pump it on the face of the wave just like those Carver skateboards. I really like the way the board turned tight in the pocket…you feel like you can make the board go anywhere you want it to. The Xanadu Wave Rocket is my favorite mushburger board but it’s length is a bit much for someone of my size (5’5 140lbs) and it’s turns are much more drawn out than the Trunk board (b/c of board length and twin fin setup).

According to Cole, the full length deep concave drastically reduces drag which is probably the reason the board was pretty fast running a truster setup. Normally you only get that type of speed with a twin fin but I’d say this board with three fins generates similar speeds as a twin/quad board would in small surf.

I’ve tried a few short stubby boards under 5’5 but in the past those shorter boards have been squirrely without much drive which is why I’ve stayed away from them. The Trunk board on the other hand had plenty of drive for such a small board yet it feels much more snappier than a retro fish.

I didn’t get a chance to ride it backhand but I hear it works great both ways…this is definitely a great board which lives up to the hype and they make them in a wide range of sizes. I’m 5’5 140 lbs and the 5’0 was more than enough board to surf a very small day so adjust accordingly and talk to Cole himself. I’ll have to consider getting one of my own!

The concept of how the board was created is pretty interesting. The surfers in Japan wanted a board small enough to fit in their tiny trunks or small enough to bring along on train rides so Cole designed a board with shortboard volume compressed into a short stubby board, hence the Trunk board was born.

This board was also featured in the Lost video 5’5 x 19″1/4 REDUX with Kelly Slater giving it a test ride somewhere in California. Pretty cool stuff.

Website: http://colesurfboards.com/trunkBoard.asp

Dimensions: 7’4 x 23″ 5/8 x 3″ 4/4
Fin setup: Thruster setup with center fin box & FCS side bites

On a recent clean but super small day on the south shore of Oahu, I tried my buddy’s 7’4 Ben Aipa Big Boy Stinger. At first glance the board looked like it would ride similar to a longboard as the board was super wide (23″ 5/8) and very thick (3″ 3/4) and I figured I’d catch a ton of waves and go straight. To my surprise the board did catch every knee high wave I went for but the responsiveness and maneuverability was quite impressive. You can actually pump this board along the wave face and the stinger keeps the tail very loose yet the board is loose enough to carve on the face and pump but still has enough drive off the bottom to get you around sections.

I hear this all the time but this board really has longboard paddling with shortboard-like turning and in my opinion is a true “funboard”. The 3″ 3/4 thickness provides both small and larger surfers more than enough paddling power though the bulk of the thickness is foiled out on the rails creating a domey deck. Somehow all the width in the center of the board provides you with longboard like paddling while the pinched rails give the board all of its turning ability.

Best of all it’s made from Boardworks’ sandwich epoxy which means a very floaty and durable board which is ding resistant compared to PU boards. This is a great board for beginners or advanced surfers looking to ride the boards of yesterday in small surf. I recommend this board for mushy type waves ankle high to neck high.

You should play around with the center fin’s position to get the right amount of looseness/drive for your surfing style. For novices, pushing the fin forward makes the board looser while moving it back creates more drive.

Other Big Boy Stinger Dimensions:

Website: http://boardworkssurf.com/shapers/ben_aipa/bb-stinger.php

We have a 1966 to 1968 Holden Stringer surfboard and I want to find out how much it is worth. It is in excellent condition. Anyone have any idea about its worth?

-Bruce L.

Please leave comments below if you have any insight. Aloha!