QUATRO CUBE QUAD 98L PREMIUM 2014 TEST REVIEW
QUATRO CUBE QUAD 98L PREMIUM 2014 TEST REVIEW
BEST FOR
A perfect ‘big boys toy’ that demands pretty low energy levels to ride well.
RECOMMENDATION
Keep a wide stance and the mast track pretty much to the middle. The Cube’s settled enough in higher wind that we never felt the need to move it forward.
BRAND CLAIM
“The Cube is Levi’s go to board for side to side-onshore conditions. A little shorter than the Sphere with more hips in the outline for turning and a fast rocker for early planing.”
OVERVIEW
Outline: Parallel rails with medium nose and pulled in slightly to rear towards rounded pintail. Wide point to rear of track carries a little almost-straight (5 cm or so) stretch.
Deck: Flat aft and rolling away at edges forward.
Rail Profile: Even volume distribution throughout overall length. Soft in nose, tuck progressively sharpening, only fully sharp in last 5 or so cm in tail section. Reasonable edge in-between straps.
Bottom Shape: Flat in nose to double concave that deepens with positive rolled-vee/double-concave in forward section, continuing through track, deepening even more at front straps, shallowing and washing outboard to fins, into regular vee through fins to tail.
Rocker Line: Balances around wide point/rear of track, no big flat section though channel has a flat section in middle section of channels. Otherwise progressive throughout.
Fin Configuration: MFC Q5 G10 16 cm US Box rear fins. 9-cm. Mini Tuttle front fins. All pretty upright slightly swept profiles.
Pads: MFC double density pads raised above deck.
Straps: MFC straps, regular adjustment, but with seam underneath that can potentially rub ‘permahole’ feet.
Construction: Premium
PERFORMANCE
The biggest in quoted volume terms and second widest on test, the Cube Quad 98 offers silky smooth cruising in a straight line and around the sailing area with good momentum through short lulls.
We also found it to be an excellent performer upwind and quick out-of-the-blocks, powering-up and accelerating pretty fast. Like a few of the latest generation Quads, in many sizes, this Cube lifts almost like a single fin, the behaviour being nice and lively and less planted than earlier Quads used to be.
That’s surprising as, at first glance, it looks flat and low-nosed, but reared-up high quickly, yet thankfully the rocker line helps you settle and not feel over-boarded when overpowered.
In riding terms it kept speed well in turns, especially in the softer, onshore conditions without much wind in front of the wave that we mainly had on test – all while feeling compact and smaller than you might expect from a 98.
There’s no cumbersome big board feeling at all and tighter turns were no problem either. Off-the-top we also found it came around quickly and reliably, even in the slush.
One of those classic boards that – in a good way – you just don’t notice much underfoot and can just concentrate on having fun with!
THE VERDICT
An easy-to sail-dedicated wave board that’s lively and compact feeling and adaptable to a range of conditions.
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