INTRO
Have been playing with this concept for a while now and probably pushed the envelope a tad with the Multi Anti Mal which perhaps should have come with a user manual in retrospect. The Hydro multi however is a lot simpler - so much so, a drover’s dog will get it! I have always said that the quad and twin fin concepts belong to the same family, as does the single fin and the thruster belong to another. In order to morph a quad and a twin fin into the same board it is only a question of fin positions simply because they both need plan shapes that carry more area forward of centre unlike that of the tail centric tri fins. So, the thought behind this concept is without compromise positioning the fins for either mode giving the board an adaptive advantage for long walled barrels in quad mode and more freedom in smaller wave as a Twinny.
PLAN SHAPE
The Hydro Multi as described above has a wider and thicker nose forward of centre, reason being both concepts perform better from positions further forward due to their fin positions allowing more sway over the wider and thicker nose. I have opted to use a round tail since quads benefit so much from them meaning the trade-off is a much smoother and looser twin fin feel. This may encourage going even a tad longer if you have twinnies in your blood. In order to give the twin fin boxes elbow room from the front quad boxes I have used a flyer to push the quads out so as not to be too close to the twin fin boxes. Again, as I said even though they share the same shape they will cover an enormous array of wave sizes which is a big part of the intent.
BOTTOM SHAPE
The Hydro Multi has stolen the bottom shape of my Hydro Twin which sports a longer cathedral hull running two thirds down from the nose and has a release vee in the last third into the tail. The fins sit in the beginning of this vee encouraging total tilt as they sit down comfortably having dispersed the lifting of the cathedral hull. There also would be an option for 2 tail channels if indeed you primarily want to ride this as a twinny.
ROCKER AND RAILS
The rocker in this model is a compromise in that Twinnies like flatter tail rockers and quads prefer a tad more tail lift as they have got speed and reach to burn already. To get a grasp in perspective, thrusters have indeed a lot more tail lift than both of them. I have lent more to the quad rocker so it can be freer in its chosen environment knowing full well that with the round tail and extra rocker it will be a pretty loose twinny that indeed will certainly benefit the small wave scenario if the ultimate aim is to use the Multi in all sorts of extremes. Adding a tail channel is an option to even things up a tad in Twin Fin mode.
The rail shape is nothing new only that it adheres to the notion that twinnies derive speed from a thicker rail and being a multi design I have lowered the rail a tad to facilitate quad mode which does not need a bulky rail to obtain reach, the fins do that in spades.
DIMENSIONS
6.0 X 20 ¼ X 2 ½ = 33 LTS
6.2 X 20 ½ X 2 9/16 = 32.28 LTS
6.4 X 20 ¾ X 2 5/8 =37.74 LTS
6.6 X 21 X 2 11/16 = 40.24 LTS
6.8 X 21 ¼ X 2 ¾ = 42.66 LTS
6.10 X 21 ½ X 2 13/16 = 45.40 LTS
7.0 X 21 ¾ X 2 7/8 = 47.95 LTS