J.Blair Round Pin Quad - Surfboards: Reviews

LOTS OF FINS, LOTS OF FUN

Thanks to their speed and maneuverability, four-fin boards are hot—and the Round Pin is the most evolved of this sweet breed. While most shapers are just now hopping on the quad wagon, San Diego shaping genius Joe Blair has been building them since the eighties. If you're an intermediate to advanced surfer who craves speed and whiplash turns, you'll love this mid-sized stick. It has a slight V behind the fins with single-to-double-barrel concave—which makes it crazy fast—and because the fins are clustered and moved slightly forward, we were able to crank turns more easily than on other thrusters we tested. 5'11"-7'4"; jblairsurf.com

Bonus: The slightly wide tail and 2.25-inch thickness make it magic to ride in lackluster surf.

Bummer: If you tend to ride with a heavy front foot, you'll have trouble tapping into the natural speed this quad possesses.