SDQ62 – Drifter 62 Quad Review by Zeph Walsh


The first two surfs of Zephs' Quad Conversion..


Yesterday I bought the Sunova Drifter 62 Quaddie, it's 25-30 knots, stiff offshore. I catch up with my mates, the Cactus groms, and they froth all over the quad.


I paddle out after talking to a bloke who has a self-shaped 5'4 knee board looking thing, channels, a total of 24 FCS plugs and two weird, almost keel looking fins. He froths all over the Sunova quad. The first wave that comes through is a close out, solid three foot and dredgy. I get held up the top because of the fierce offshore, not quite air dropping. I land on the flats and I feel the board absolutely take off!! The acceleration takes me by surprise I end up doing a lay back as the lip crashes down behind me. Laughing and stoked I paddle back out.


The second wave I get is much better, nicely lined up I paddle into it and head to the wall. The speed again takes me by surprise and before I know it the waves getting fat and I have to cut-back. I push down hard on my back foot before cutting back and suddenly the fins let go and I’m flying sideways with the nose pointing out to sea. I've lost no speed so I crouch and face towards the foam and instantly the fins grip and I’m completing an un-expected figure eight! So sick, laughing I paddle back out.


The third wave is a dredgy 3 footer, making the drop the board takes off but the lip is breaking too far in front of me and I’m forced onto the flat. The board has so much speed, before I know it and to the surprise of a mid-coaster trying to burn me I’m on the wall and remembering what James said about not ripping into the turns. I take a soul arch and get a feel of the board just doing its thing. Sighing with happiness I paddle back out.


The fourth wave is a bit bigger, pushing 4 foot, I spin around and before I’ve taken a paddle the lips picking me up and I’m thrown to my feet inside it. Resigning myself to getting rolled I try and stand anyway. The lip lands with me in it, the boards parallel to the wave and it just takes off! Pulling me out the lip and onto the face I’m amazed and I just stand there, stoked.


The next day I've gone up to Adelaide for a mates party, It's a 0-5 knot offshore and I'm keen to see if I can get some air outta this blindingly fast quad in the onshore slop so I head to the waves anyway. The first wave I get I concentrate on not concentrating power into my cutback and after a smooth first turn I push just a touch on the second cutback just as I’m starting to head back towards the foam. The board responded just how I wanted and gives a little wave of fin sliding before coming back and taking off with a now expected drive.

I'm bobbing around for ages before the next waves lined up, it's solid 4 foot and a double up. I take off, heading straight I think about turning into the close-out tube and the board loves it, taking me in an absolutely hooking turn I have to snap before running into the lip! The snap stalls me perfectly and I grab the water as the board takes off again, now boosting inside a crumbling pit. I got clobbered and laughing I paddle back out.


I've got a few more waves, lefts and rights, and a few good cutties. Surfing by myself in on-shore, fish blood in the water Waitpinga is not my idea of a good time and I’m going in! A nice left comes along and I'm stoked to get it before 'Ol Whitey gets me! I'm used to the crazy drive off the bottom now and when the wave starts to crumble and close out I practically lick my lips at the section I’ve been waiting for. Waiting till the last moment I give the fins a little nudge toward the lip and suddenly I'm flying vertically up towards the lip! Thinking I better start the top turn the board launches out the water, I’m in the air, board sticking to my feet and before I know what has happened I've landed one of the best turns of my life!


Wow dudes, this board is SICK! I'm so stoked, a little bit guilty feeling about relieving it from James but absolutely stoked! The drive that comes as you land the take off is crazy, so much speed! The fact that the fins let go with hardly any touch yet can handle dredging pocket turns is magic. How have you guys done it??? It's like the board is the equivalent of the Stick-it wax James hooked me up with, the stuff that is good for all water temperatures. I am absolutely stoked, I've stopped next to surfers in the carpark just to show them! I took it into my local surf shop to show it off and I had to stay there for about an hour talking to everyone that came in!!!


Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. Sunova you are onto something with these boards, of course you know this but mate I had to write and tell you all how fun and fulfilling just these two, super quick, poor wave surfs have been!


yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew


With absolute gratitude,


Zephatali Walsh