FANATIC QUAD 82L TEAM EDITION 2014 TEST REVIEW
FANATIC QUAD 82L TEAM EDITION 2014 TEST REVIEW
BEST FOR
A huge range of rider styles, body types and conditions.
RECOMMENDATION
The stance spread is relatively narrow and all sizes of tester wanted the widest settings possible.
BRAND CLAIM
“Under the lip. Down the line. If you’re a Waveriding purist, the Quad is your Waveboard. Designed to operate at maximum performance close to the curl, the Quad has been tuned up even more. A new scoop rocker line with a reduced concave/double concave bottom shape, plus the wider center with a flatter deck, offers simple stability combined with the snappiest of turns. Maintaining the Quad’s well-respected and thoroughly-tested surfing and planing abilities while increasing the comfort and usability was the goal – a tough challenge. With many weeks of on-the-water testing, countless prototypes, and hours and hours of analysis, we have finally found the combination of design features that works for everyone, while improving on the performance of its very successful predecessor. An early planing, easy-to-use board – designed for radical Wave action. Ride the Quad, and rip the wave to pieces.”
OVERVIEW
Outline: Wide point at rear of track. Shallow teardrop shape into squash tail.
Deck: Keeping the trend of a flat profile.
Rail Profile: Rounded in nose with tuck sharpening around front strap.
Bottom Shape: Flat nose section. Slight rolled vee with shallow even double concave, deepening under straps, almost flat behind fins.
Rocker Line: more than 60mm of tail rocker. Late nose lift. Flat spot around wide point/mast track section.
Fin Configuration: Quad. Chocco Fins 9.5 cm fronts and 14.5 cm rear all G10 SlotBox swept back profile. Adjustment markers.
Pads: Cushioned heel bumper Fanatic pads.
Straps: Fanatic PU leather straps.
Construction: Team Edition Innegra Carbon Light Finish
PERFORMANCE
Continuing the trend of the modern quads, the Fanatic 82 rides nose-up and positively. Underfoot it’s stable and, despite being one of the smallest in terms of this selection’s quoted volumes, delivers plenty of sub-planing corkiness. This is a racy, thrilling hull that planes pretty easily and feels noticeably light and lively. The general behaviour sits somewhere in-between the instantly-easy-to-sail and more demanding, in-need-of-a-little-taming shapes in this group. Let’s be clear, this ‘excitability’ is not to be mistaken for nervousness or difficulty to control at all, it’s a dynamism that urges you to push your turns and find new angles on the wave. And it’s a tribute to the design’s tight-radius capability that it felt at home in seriously onshore, sloppy surf as we all know the pedigree of this outline in ‘real waves’ too. The grip is sound both in the bottom turn and in the axis off the top with a range of good and easy options for carving, sliding and snappy turns on tap to suit the wave. A well-rounded, smooth shape that will appeal to a wide audience.
THE VERDICT
A fast, radical and easy-to-sail waveboard with plenty of ‘growing room’ for those that aspire to the highest level. A shape that will cope with the full gambit of conditions.
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STARBOARD QUAD 82
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