Wide boy wave bonanza – Quatro Glide 8.10ft review
Keith Teboul is a renowned shaper from Maui and, while many of you may not have heard of him before, his surfboard, windsurf and now SUP shapes are legendary. Erring more towards the wave riding end of the scale, Keith crafts swell weapons for a number of the world’s elite and, as such, we couldn’t wait to jump on the Quatro Glide 8.10ft and take it for a spin.
Quatro’s SUP range is a pretty simple one, offering two lines only. The Carve is a higher performance shape and designed to maximise riding whereas Quatro’s Glide sticks are more all-round sleds designed for slacker surf and a mellower experience.
When we first clapped eyes on the Glide we couldn’t believe how much width had been crammed into its relatively short 8.10ft shape. 34” makes the Quatro one of the widest SUPs in this class we’ve tested to date. This also led to scepticism about how it would fare in waves.
Even with such a big board, it’s super light and a doddle to carry – the 8.10ft’s lipped carry handle being an ergonomic fit to most paddler’s mitts. Fins are high quality and certainly look bang up for the job in hand – another tick in the box.
All the Glide’s width and volume are located just in front of the board’s centre point. As such you have to stand a little further towards the nose than you’re used to when paddling on the flat. Trust the designer, however, as it works. Choppy sea states are no match for the Quatro’s nose rocker, which stays clear of trouble.
It’s certainly a stable ride; that’s for sure. And actually, even though the forward wide point does push a little water, it glides well – glide by name, glide by nature. Tracking is also pretty efficient and you’ll be at the take off in no time. We tried the Glide in a variety of conditions and found that even though the board’s width ensures maximum composure during onshore breezy sessions, it actually prefers cleaner waves.
Picking up swells early (the Glide’s, er, glide coming in to play again), the Quatro loves to drop down into the trough and wind up to terminal velocity progressively. The wide nose can be an issue if wave faces are choppy – cut up flotsam acting like a brake – hence its desire for smooth faces. Having hit redline speeds, it’s easy to crank critical turns, as long as you’re riding from above the fins on the tail, or simply arc shallower carves from further forwards. Either way, it’s a good tutor for those learning paddle surfing fundamentals or those with experience – maximising smaller days while still being able to ride a performance SUP.
For those with skills it favours slashier turns, as opposed to vertical top to bottom riding, and is super fun for tail slides and snappy pivots. As an added bonus, if you’re windSUP afflicted, the Quatro Glide 8.10ft boasts a windsurf rig attachment, increasing the board’s versatility tenfold.
Conclusion
Quatro’s Glide 8.10ft is a wide boy SUP that offers a versatile but extremely composed paddle surfing experience. It’s so stable you almost don’t need to concentrate – even if there’s breeze and white water flying about. In terms of actual wave riding, however, the Glide does like a groomed and chop free face to maximise its slash and turn riding potential. Being applicable to beginner paddle surfers and experienced riders looking for a small wave tool, the Glide is a well manufactured SUP that all paddlers will enjoy.
Price: £1349
Info: http://quatrointernational.com/boards/production/stand-up-paddling/glide-thruster/
Contact www.zerogravitydistribution.co.uk for UK enquiries.
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