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Quatro FSW 105 Feature

QUATRO FREESTYLE WAVE 105L 2014 TEST REVIEW

Stats Volume (L) 105 Weight (Kg) 7.4 Length (cm) 239.5 Width (cm) 62.5 Price £1299

Quatro FSW 105 2014

QUATRO FREESTYLE WAVE 105L 2014 TEST REVIEW

THE LOW-DOWN
Unchanged for 2014 the Quatro FSW is the largest of a 4-size range starting at 75 litres. Amongst the narrowest in this selection, it’s a soft-railed rounded pintail with a single-into-double concave undershape and comes supplied with Maui Fin Co. pads, straps and 30-cm. MFC FW pre-preg powerbox single fin.

BRAND CLAIM
‘The all new Freestyle wave line is the perfect choice for sailors looking for top performance in freestyle, wave and freeride conditions. The Freestyle wave line is equipped with the very latest shape concepts, making the boards faster and more fun to ride. A perfect blend of early planing, speed and maneuverability, these new boards can be adapted to a wide variety of conditions. They offer a smooth and comfortable ride that can feel like autopilot for cruising, but still respond to rider input with lightning speed.’ (sic.)

PERFORMANCE
This successful model’s remained unchanged for good reason for some time which is a testament to Quatro’s confidence in their products. You can feel the relative narrowness compared to some of the others on offer in this test group, many of which feel larger than their quoted 105 litres off the plane. If you hadn’t had the comparison side-by-side like us you’d think the Quatro feels about … 105! That streamlined feeling sacrifices a little less early–planing power but it’s the ride and control – notably when well powered-up that this model’s all about. A nice wide, surfy stance, cushy pads and snug straps are all helped by the smooth motion through the water, especially over choppier/confused patches of the sailing area.  The rounded rails make for super-forgiving turning and that’s where you can feel the DNA of this board, which is unmistakably of the wave-riding variety! Inland sailors shouldn’t be put off with all the surfing-style talk though, as the sailing position, bottom shape and rounded rails cope will cope with short chop on a blown-out day at the lake as well as they will the occasional trip to the coast. And that’s where the true Quatro lineage will surface with what’s a lovely singlefin behavior packed with all the benefits of pop and jumping and cross-shore-drift-coping lift that they still deliver – but all in a more modern, fit-in-the-pocket compact outline. OK so top-end speed isn’t it’s strength and this isn’t the most accomplished freestyler in the crowd either (although none of these boards will restrict your trick-busting capability until you’re at near competition level), but what you have here are nice clean lines and easy-to-sail behavior that should see you, give or take a fin change or two, from change-down use on a pond through to genuine surf at the beach.

THE VERDICT
Take the path of least resistance. A smooth ride is often fastest – and he who falls least often wins. OK, so this isn’t a drag-racer’s ideal pick, but the easy-to-control Quatro FSW will iron any water flat and be a well-mannered companion – especially when pretty overpowered – from reservoir to reef. A classic singlefin waveboard with good manners for a wide scope of sailing use.

For more information on the

QUATRO FREESTYLE WAVE 105L 2014

go to www.quatrointernational.com

NOW READ THE OTHER REPORTS

FANATIC FREEWAVE 106 TE
GOYA ONE THRUSTER 105
JPAUSTRALIA FSW 101
NAISH STARSHIP 100
RRD FSW 106
SIMMER FREEWAVE 105
STARBOARD KODE 103
TABOU 3S 106

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