Starboard Quad 82 Carbon: "A real testers' favourite!"

Length: 229 cm
Width: 58.5 cm
Weight: 6.6 kg
Volume: 82 liters
Fin: 2 x Drake Natural Wave 11 + 2 x Drake Natural Wave 13 (Slot Box 4.0)
Sail range: 4.0m² - 6.0m²
Available sizes: 67, 70, 74, 77, 82, 87, 92 and 100 liters

Brand Claim:

"The Quads are Starboard’s most versatile wave boards. The unique shape and the four fins generate maximum drive and acceleration, bringing an awesome production of speed, flow and power to your sailing in all wave & wind combinations.”

Overview:

• Outline: Wide point just rear of the mast track. Full hips, otherwise even curves front and back. Pointed nose and squash tail.

• Deck: Keeping the trend of the flat surfboard-style top surface.

• Rail Profile: Uniform tuck, hardening by front fins.

• Bottom Shape: Single concave in nose, no roll on rail shoulders – curves always out to edge, deepening under mast track, tapering through front straps.

• Rocker Line: Noticeably high overall rocker, even curve without any flat spot in the concave or on center line. Nose kick.

• Fin Configuration: Narrow Quad cluster. Drake blue polyester 13 cm rears, 11 cm fronts – all swept back.

• Pads: Minimal deck pads with integrated heel bumpers.

• Straps: Drake PU leather traditional adjustment with markers. Anti-twist inserts in the footstrap plugs.

Performance:

The Starboard Quad 82 is one of those instantly natural feeling, ‘invisible’ boards that you can just forget about under your feet. Stable enough off the plane, it’s nicely poised with about as lively a ride as you can get without any issues of tracking or spinning out. The speed and early planing is good too, which is obviously handy for jumping, but in general, ‘around the park’, this is a fast and vigorous shape.

In the messy, small and weak surf we tested it in we found positive tracking and insane levels of security and grip. There’s something special going on in the acceleration and nature of the turning here. You feel very connected to the rail on this design and can feel awesome, direct bite and projection to instantly set up a ride just right. Through and out of the turn we felt we could do anything! Vertically hook, climb foam, carve, pivot off the fins, whatever, it always seemed reliable in the way it came off the top.

In relation to the onshore situation, it also carried speed well off the wind and always had a little extra squirt left in the tank to squeak turns out of short, tricky sections. A real tester’s favorite.

Recommendation:

We started with the widest stance possible and would recommend bringing the front straps back a little but leaving the rear foot as far back as possible over the fins. Leave the fins in the middle as recommended.

Verdict:

Wavesailing on autopilot! Like a sports car in automatic, the Starboard Quad 82 is a refined, alive and dynamic board that delivers confidence and amazing drive into, through and out of turns.

Best For:

Any level of wave sailor will step aboard and love this board. In terms of conditions, we can only vouch that it’s outstanding in onshore slop, but it’s clear the board’s been developed to cope with the full gambit of side-off to onshore setups and surf of all levels of power.