The Elevons should cure the problems you are having with the SA4s. Be ready to FLY! And don't feel bad. I've spent too much $$$ finding the perfect fins for the SP and BP.

5'5" should be the call, Danny. I'm fine with my 5'3", and I'm a lot lighter, albeit older, than you. Have fun re-assembling!

Hi, Danny. Welcome back. Yeah, my account was erased too. We used to discuss fins and quadfishes all the time. My user name was back then was "kurt" I think. Anyway, my Sweet Potatoes (5'4" and 5'2") and Baked Potato (5'3") have made me forget my many quadfishes. Those boards are pretty much obsolete at this point. The BP is super fast and loose. You won't miss the quadfish. Sorry about your quiver though. That stinks.

For some reason I enjoy the Elevons more on my BP than I did on my SP.

I have loved the Controllers on my Sweet Potatoes and Baked. Also Elevons and Stretches. Recently gave the Elevons another go on my BP and was laughing the whole time. In a good way. I recommend any of those sets. Maybe the Controllers over the others since you are a bigger guy.

http://www.mdsurfstore.com/product/wide-tail

Call Sean Mattison. The website says they are sold out, but I bet he has some. These pads have great coverage for wide tails. They are all I use.

A little bit of aggression goes a long way. Get up fast and really get on it. Don't go to the bottom of the wave. Turn immediately after standing up. The SP should take right off after the first pump. Yes, foot placement is pretty crucial too. You have the right fins for the board, so that's not the problem. Don't give up. You'll get it figured out soon.

My boards have to live in the back of my truck, so there would be a lot of dripping wax otherwise.

XM deck grip: rough it up with coarse sandpaper for better grip. Use fine sandpaper to smooth it off. I have used nothing else for many years.

A board with low rocker does tend to be very fast on the takeoff, and you do need to be pretty quick to your feet so you won't be at the bottom of the wave in the blink of an eye. For some reason, the Baked Potato gets into waves a bit earlier than the Sweet Potato.

Always a good idea to get the SP or BP with Futures if possible. Then you can get REAL Controllers.

I tried the Elevons on my SP during my quest for the perfect fin set-up for this board, which ended up being the Controllers. The Elevons were fast down the line but were not very loose. More of a stiff, unforgiving ride. The SP already has plenty of lift. My advice is to save the $200 and buy a set of Controllers at half the price. And the Controllers are perfect on my BP also.

Tallkook, I have used every kind of MR twin they made: TFX, 78, MRX Carbon, and TF1 Carbon. I liked them all on various boards but was happy with the TFXs most often. The 78s are great in straight twin set-ups. TFXs should be the call in your retro quad. They were in mine. Have fun!

Hey, Tallkook, try some MR twin fins as your leading fins and adjust the size of the rear fins for looseness. Lots of get-up-and-go, especially in the retro quadfishes. Always worked for me in my FW fishes.

The Future Controllers are worth every penny on a Sweet or Baked Potato. What WAS expensive was trying many different sets of fins before the Controllers!

I am very happy with my Baked Potato in RapidFire. Glad I didn't deprive myself of all this fun just because of a construction preference.

I had a 5'8" HP Quadfish that was one of the best boards I've ever ridden. Pretty thinned out for a fish, but the flex and speed were amazing. Easier paddling than you would think due to the thickness in the middle. Hated to sell it, but I had too many boards. Toby, I am only 5'7" and 140 lbs. but probably a lot older than you. I recommend the 5'10". Hope that helps a little.

All Sweet and Baked Potatoes are quads.

Sean Mattison wide-tail pad. The website says they are sold out, but a new shipment came in last week. Call him. These are the BEST pads for the SP and BP.

http://www.mdsurfstore.com/category/traction-pads

Scotty, I can't recommend the Controllers enough. Drive, speed, and plenty loose. I have gone through lots of expensive trial and error. Chris is right, as usual.

Thanks, but I'm not sure about the ripping part. Sometimes the back and knees don't want to do what they used to, but things seem to go well enough on most waves. As I get older, I want to go fast more than anything else, and Firewire has been helping me do that since the first Dan Mann twin fishes! Thanks, Firewire!

kdropin, I am 5'7" (on a good day) and 140 lbs. 61 years old.

My impression is that the range is going to be similar to the SP. The BP was flying on waves that were thigh high and chest high this morning. I have 5'2" and 5'4" SPs. The BP is 5'3" with the width of the 5'4" and the thickness of the 5'2". I will give another report when I surf it again, but if you are already familiar with the SP, transitioning to the BP will be a breeze. Also, this board is one of the lightest ones I have ever had. Definitely worth looking into.

Maiden voyage on the BP this morning. Like my old friend the SP but with a bit more spark if that's possible. Super fast and loose. Catches waves easily. What else is there?

A pretty thick crowd on it when I drove by at 3:00 this afternoon. Kind of a nasty wind too. I hate June.

Chris. Sandals.

Just picked up my new 5'3" Baked Potato this afternoon (thanks, Chris), and it looks and feels INSANE! This thing is going to scream!

Thanks, Chris. Rapid fire is fine with me. I will email you.

Any news on when Baked Potatoes are scheduled to appear in San Clemente, Chris? Thanks

My experience with Future fins on the Sweet Potato: Controllers are my favorites. Great drive and looseness too. Stretches are really loose and quicken up the rail-to-rail action but don't have as much drive as the Controllers. Scimitars are smooth and loose. Like those too. Elevons are fast on a line but didn't feel all that smooth or loose to me. Depends on how you want your SP to feel under your feet. I liked all of these fins for different reasons, but I have to recommend the Controllers for all-around fun.

So is the Baked Potato still scheduled for a June release?

Interex87, did someone recommend the Aqualines to you? My initial thought is that they might not have enough drive for a SP's volume, buy maybe they will work better than I suspect on a 4'8". Let us know how they go. You will LOVE this board! The only problem is trying to get off it once in a while when the waves are a little bigger. You won't want to.

I have had many opportunities to see (and score) Taylor's surfing up close. That guy is beyond phenomenal.

Chris, I live in Laguna Niguel and teach in San Clemente right next to State Park and a stone's throw from Rip Curl.

Thanks, Chris. So what's up with this mysterious Potatonator? Is it an online joke or the real thing? Of course, I will buy one sight unseen.

Hi, Chris. Kurt here under a different name due to log-in difficulties. My favorite FW fish, and one of my favorite surfboards ever in my 49 years of surfing, is my 5'8" Performance Quadfish. I have also loved my 5'6" Kingfish and 5'6" Retro Quadfish Can't go wrong with any of these models. My first FW was a 5'6" original Fishtail signed by Dan Mann. That was the one that got me hooked.

I've owned all three of these designs and highly recommend them all.