The Shape
The Fletcher 4 Quad was the board and shaper/surfer relationship that helped bring quads back into the high performance limelight and won Stretch Surfing Magazine’s “Shaper of the Year” award.
The major benefits of the quad design are that it puts two fins on the rail during a turn and also reduces drag by eliminating the center fin. This increases speed and confidence in surf of all sizes. The wider nose and tail produce a fast straight outline and increase the number of waves per session by not pushing water with a narrow nose. This extra area up front and in the back of the bus mean you can normally size these boards a little smaller than your normal shortboard or expect to catch a lot more waves if you size them the same. While the F4 was originally conceived as a bat tail design, it can now be had in moon and round tails as well.
The Construction
The Fletcher 4 is the most popular board in Stretch’s surfboard lineup. Because of this, Stretch Fletcher 4’s are available in 5 different constructions to satisfy the different demands of the individuals that use them. They are:
Stretch EPS Tech: This is Stretch’s highest performance, most durable construction. This is what the entire Stretch team including Nathan Fletcher use in their own boards. EPS 2lb Marko Foam and epoxy resin with a unique glass schedule make a board that rips and lasts !
Stretch Production EPS: These boards are made using EPS cores and Epoxy resins. Not the same as EPS tech, but close in weight and performance, although EPS tech is more durable over the long haul. EPS Production Fletcher 4’s offer a really good value with lower prices and the advantages of epoxy. These boards are available in the 5’8, 5’10 and 6’0 sizes.
Stretch Polyester: For the polyester diehards out there, Stretch is now making limited runs of polyester Fletcher 4’s. The poly Fletchers are less expensive and feature all the same shape and advantages of the F4.
Surftech Tuflite: Surftech makes the F4 in 4 sizes ranging from 5’9 up to 6’10. Tuflite boards make great travelers as they are waterproof if dinged and offer great durability. These boards offer great float due to the EPS foam and are the most durable against dinging and heel dents.
Surftech TL2: Surftech offers the TL2 F4’s in 6 sizes from the grom sized 5’2 up to the big guy 6’6. TL2 offers added durability and fine tuned rails in a production series. The TL2 have a more “custom” feel and you can duplicate exactly your favorite board if you ever break one or need another around the world.
The Quad
The big deal about this board is the wider nose and tail, shorter length and the ability to control the wider tail with the quad fin set up. The tails on these boards all run in the 15” range at 12” off the tail. This gives you lots of power and speed. The quad set up gives you the ability to surf a tail this wide in ALL surf conditions and have it feel good. Quads have a speed advantage in all surf conditions. This makes them more fun in small surf and has you making more section in the larger waves. On a vertical face, having 2 fins in the wave rather than just one, gives you that extra confidence, “grip” and immediate speed to make way more late drops. Just like tris, you can experiment with fin size, and you can also experiment with front/back sets like larger fronts and smaller backs. Stretch recommends 4.25-4.5 fronts and 4” backs on these, so a pretty even set up.
The Performance
This is one of the most popular shortboards out there, with a wide range of surfer size and ability surfing them. From groms, to rippers, pros, older guys, and even kitesurfers who use them for both kiting and surfing, the Stretch Fletcher 4 has a big fan club. Here is what our guys had to say about their Stretch F4’s:
“I picked up a custom EPS Tech Stretch 6'6 F4 Moontail to compliment my Stretch 5'10 What, and it is a great board for when the waves are good. The What was so good that I was really interested in trying out another one of Stretch's shapes. The F4 catches waves much better than my JC 6'8 did and turns better than any 6'4 thruster that I have ridden. I have taken this board out in a variety of conditions from softer point breaks to hollow beach break, and the F4 has performed in all conditions. I like a board that is going to allow you to catch more waves and hold on when it is smoking. The Stretch F4 has done that for me, and made me a better surfer. Anyone that has thinks that the quad was a fad or a trend needs to try out a Stretch, and I guarantee that they will have second thoughts." – Matt Nuzzo 175 lbs.
“I’ve been surfing a Stretch Surftech 6’10 F4 recently and the board has been working great. This board, and specifically this size, is a great big guy board at 6’10 x 20” x 2.85”. With the F4 outline it carries the 20” width for a lot longer than most big boards and has a macking 15” tail that always gives you the ponies when you need them. The problem with most “big guy” boards is that they feel long and narrow almost until they are too small for the bigger days. This boards works on the smaller days thanks to the wide tail and keeps working when it gets big, and never feels big like a lot of other “big and tall” boards. The quad is a plus for big guys as it definitely generates more speed. I’m taking the 6’10 on our REAL BVI trip this winter so I’ll get to surf it at Apple Bay, Spanishtown and hopefully Cane Garden. The boards get beat to Sh$%^&T on the boat so I’m glad this one is a Tuflite so it can take the abuse!” – Trip Forman 225 lbs.
REAL has the full lineup of Stretch F4’s in stock in all sizes, constructions and tail configurations. Right now we have about 30 F4s on the rack but inventory is changing every day as boards sell and new orders come in.
For more info and to see if we have YOUR Stretch F4, give us a call toll free at 866-REAL-548 or 252-987-6000. We ship worldwide daily……