torsdag 24. september 2009

Test of quad windsurfing board part1


I have now been on the water in two days in row with the biggest one of my 2 quatro quad boards. The biggest one is a 95 liter board, built for light wind or up and down conditions. A board you float on and you will be able to go out and catch waves even when the wind is marginal. My weight is around 82-83 kg.
First of all, I had planes for this article to give a full description of how the board works. But then I realized that I have a practical problem. The board work so extremely in the heaven freezing good in the waves so it is hard to describe it. It is also hard to describe for me since I in 2007 and 2008 at Maui mostly have been windsurfing with my 2006 model jp rww. And now even more, I know thet the jp rww is a really shitty board for waves. As I have heard that later models of rww is better. I have now and then been testing some real waveboard, from ocean4 hawaii, or from the nice people at goyanorge.no But my run on really good wave boards as Goya boards have not been enough for really good comparison of single fin and quads. The new board is in fact a dream for me, but I don’t know exactly, Is it because of the 4 fins or is it simply because of it is a extremely good waveboard, made for me.
Anyway I give the description of the board a try even with the limitations in mind.

How quad works in waves?
It is here my words get few. The the description of it leads ot be sort of poetic or kind of fantasy. The board seams to have a magnet and search for waves. It seams to have a kind of a radar. Now it is suddenly my turn to get on the right spot on a wave. In this two days with small waves up to knee high sideshore waves the board sort of help me out to be ate spot in the waves it is best to be. When other loose the wave, in meaning the wave go away after a cutback trial, or you stand in middle of two waves, this board, I don’t know why, lead you to don t miss the wave and force you to be on the right spot. The board kind of search to go down the line, and when the wave rise the board sort of tell me here is it fun to be, let us stay here. (compared to my rww who told to me: “let us go away from here”) So far in small waves I have had a feeling of a cind of positive strange drive. It is kind of a new language from the board, trying to tell me something, witch lead me to go in the waves to find out what the board want to tell me! ☺

How quad works in small shoppy waves?
This is maybe the best part for all over the worlds sailers. I tested to do some short bottom turn/cutback at shoppy wave inside the reef at Kanaha, and still side, but small waves, and the board really had a search to go in the small waves as well

How quad work when going straight forward?
Short description here. I was in fact a bit afraid of that the board should be kind of too lose when going straight forward. But it is going extremely controlled fast forward.
To day at kanaha the wind was really up and down, therefore it was nice to go on with the big board. But even when it was blowing around 12 m7s in the gusts, and with 5,3m2 sail, the board never felt bigg

How quad work to stay up winded?
Ok here maybe a negative part. And as announced, my goal with this article is to give my honest experience. So far it is a bit hard to stay up winded. To day and yesterday I had to have an extra attention of the highness in the wind. Maybe I will sort out this problem later on with staying in a different position or how I keep the board. Is it the board or is I the sailor, or is it an another way to keep up in the wind. Maybe it is some tuning thing.
But there are 2 reasons as well why I have had this problem. First of all the board, even if the wave is small it really searched for go down the line. Several times when I forced my selves to go more up winded, and when I was sailing to the beach over the braking zone at the reef, even if the wave was small it just wane to go down the line, And almost every time I ended up down to kite beach. The second reason for problem to stay up winded was that the wind specially to day was really up and down. In the afternoon it came a rain cloud, and together with the rain the wind got week.


keep up following the blog, more reports on quad boards later on.
If some readers have some particular questions or some advices consider quads, feal free to write a comment, or mail me by the contact formula et the topp the page

Classical Kanaha picture

4 kommentarer:

Jano sa...

Hi Tormod!
Nice pics, it seems like you're really enjoying your well deserved holiday in Maui. And good to see that yore happy with your new Quad too!

It's been an extremely busy week, and I can reveal that we've made some really interesting and surprising progress in the project we started before you left.

Bring my greetings to Dag, I wish you both a happy holiday with lot of winds and swells! :-)

Best regards, JanO

Tormod sa...

Thanks’ a lot JanO! :-) I can imagine how the busy week has been! Cool to hear about the surprising progress in the project.. looks forward to hear about details in it later on. Yesterday, Dag was smiling from ear to ear, it was his first time out on Kanaha. Ye the quads are awesome, so far need more testing, witch is my project right now. :-)

Unknown sa...

how is the board for onshore?
and is the shape comparable to the "normal" quad that QUATRo are going to release soon?

Tormod sa...

Hi Jordan. I will come back to you with answer later. I have to think a bit to give a good answer, and I have to go windsurf now.