Tanner Waite turns on the Channel Islands Better Everyday, set up with his FDX-1 AirFlex Thruster.
What happens when Southern California's most interesting surfboard reviewer rides the FDX-1 template from Flying Diamonds of California?
We wanted to find out.
That's why we shared the FDX-1 Five Fin Tri-Quad set with Tanner Waite—a San Clemente resident and surfboard enthusiast famous for his content creation on Instagram and YouTube.
Most excitingly, he is known for his relationship with famed Southern California surf shop Surf Ride, where he reviews surfboards by …Lost, Hayden Shapes, and more.
Tanner paired both Quad and Thruster fin clusters with the Channel Islands Better Everyday and Chemistry Surfboards 23, and the results are now live on YouTube.
Tanner wraps fast on the FDX-1 template, paired with his "23" surfboard model from Chemistry Surfboards
Tanner wraps fast on the FDX-1 template, paired with his "23" surfboard model from Chemistry Surfboards
“This is a set of fins that is geared towards you only having one set of high-performance fins,” says Tanner. He continues, “In my eyes, I would take this five-fin set all over the world with me and be able to ride it in every surfboard.”
Designed with a neutral template to excel at both speed creation in weak waves and speed control in good waves, the FDX-1 left an impression. Tanner remarks that after his experiences in several of his performance shortboards, his next endeavor is to set up the FDX-1 in one of his big-wave guns.
Constructed with an air core of polyurethane foam, AirFlex Technology from Flying Diamonds delivers the lightest possible weight with maximal strength. This creates a fin that is uncommonly responsive for immediate maneuverability without feeling skittish or uncontrolled in powerful waves that generate significant speed.
Available as either a Thruster set or a Five Fin Tri-Quad set, Tanner discusses the difference between the two setups, describing the hold and drive provided by quads versus the looser, more "flicky" sensations allowed by a thruster.
The FDX-1 Quad in size Medium from Flying Diamonds of California.
The FDX-1 Quad in size Medium from Flying Diamonds of California.
“If I was surfing a wave like Lowers, or if I was in Chile surfing a point break, I would 100% ride it as a quad; but if I was surfing beach break waves, I would run it as a Thruster."
With the summer swell season ahead of us, we can’t wait to see what Tanner does with the FDX-1 during his travels in the coming months. We’ll be keeping our eyes on his surfing—powered by fins from Flying Diamonds of California.
