Howdy All,
A quick heads up to all the quad enthusiasts out there, the new Jimmy KWAD series will be out shortly - late October.
Two sizes -
9'1" X 30" X 4 1/4"
8'7" X 29" X 3 7/8"
The bottom is flat to vee in the back.
Front fins are 5 3/8" and back ones are 4 3/4".
Here's a few pics.
Hi Courts ,do you have the dimensions for the nose and tail, both boards thanks, Rod.
Rod,
The 8'7" Kwad: nose is 20 1 /32" and the tail is 18 5/16".
The 9'1 Kwad: nose is 20 3/8" and the tail is 18 7/32"
Thomo,
The volume of the two Kwads:
8'7" is 115L
9'1" is 130L.
Cheers,
Courts
Hey Courts,
Thanks for the extra dimensions. Do you have any more info, like what conditions they are going to be best for, who has influenced the design (team riders?) etc. We don't seem to get a lot of info on the JL brand over here on the East coast.
From the photos the rocker looks pretty flat (especially compared to the Mano), the tail is "different" and it seems like a lot of fin. I'm a big fan of the Mano so I trust JL's judgement but I'm interested to know where these boards fit into the range and more importantly, if that 8'7 will fit into my quiver 
Yes and price.thanks Courts.
Hi Thomo and Rod,
Thanks for the questions.
Those two proto quads have been ridden in a variety of waves (reefs and beachies) up to about head high - head high and a half.
EVERYONE who tried them out on Maui loved them. They all said that they were really loose.
They haven't been tested in any decent sized waves because they haven't had any for a while but JL reckons there's no reason to think that they wouldn't ride some nice waves well.
The rocker is very similar to the Mano boards but without the nose kick. They have a real nice tail rocker.
The Kwad was a design JL wanted to try - when R & D was going on for the Mano's we threw around making them available with a thruster AND quad option but realised that one would always be compromised.
Post Mano design completion JL still wanted to make a quad. A number of us who work with JL on boards were sceptical of quads from experiences with quad surfboards and towboards - where they had tended to like down the line lateral surfing and sometimes felt like the were 'on tracks' or hard to break out of a line at speed.
In hindsight, I personally was probably exposed to poor quad examples as I have since ridden some excellent surfboards set up as quads that a free and loose.
All feedback has them as being VERY stable too while paddling.
Tail is a simple swallow, great for the quad set up and no complaints during testing of the board being over finned either.
JL sees them as the 'go to board' for waves up to head high and a half, for riders who like performance based SUPing - a loose back third of the board yet stable to paddle around on and a nice entry rocker for early roll ins to waves.
They go for $1999.00
Hope this helps
Courts
Thanks for the extra info Courts. Sounds like they will be perfect for Gold Coast conditions. The 8'7 will definetly be going on my "next board" shortlist.
No worries Hilly, whenever you're back on deck - hopefully sooner than later!
You're going to be frothing like a grommet by December 
I agree Thomo, the Goldy would be perfect for them.
Hey Courts. Any more reviews of the kwads?? What colours are they coming in??
Belly
Yes please I also would like a nice comparative report with the Mano...
Sizes compare to each other, easy of paddling etc..
If possible throw in also the Striker!
Bye Jankie
Hi Courts,
I've been riding a SB 9'1 29" pro (130lts) with no constraints. I'm 6'1 185lbs. I'd like to go shorter for some extra maneuverability and to challenge my skills.
Do you think the KWAD 8'7 29" (115lts) is too small 4 me, namely regarding it's volume/float ability?
Best Regards from Portugal!
fox
after seeing the colours of the new kwads 
I hope they look better in real life ,! great looking board but !!!!!! omg really ????????? these throw back 80's colours, MAN!!! for 2 G's 
dunno the new striker looks better value sorry jimmy if we still had red thumbs you would be sin binned ,any way just my 2 cents
I hope they look better in real life ,! great looking board but !!!!!! omg really ????????? these throw back 80's colours, MAN!!! for 2 G's dunno the new striker looks better value sorry jimmy if we still had red thumbs you would be sin binned ,any way just my 2 cents
Purple and Magenta are pretty terrible but Ice Blue seems nice!
I will let you know as I ordered them in that color..
Bye Jankie
Haha, Don't stress Tortise, you just need to get in touch with your feminine side! 
Na, here in Oz you can have the above mentioned colours or get a red, blue, yellow, tortise green or white JL XL Limited Edition Kwad.
As per a healthy AUD, JL boards are $1800 now too.
Belly/Jankie-
The Kwad is so much fun to surf. Super fast and drivey and really loose and free off the top. I'm riding the 8'7" but have also had a few go's on the 9'1" which is just a bigger version- they both feel and do the same performance wise. 9'1" for the pie eaters.
Compared to my 9'0" Mano, the 8'7" Kwad is more stable around the line up due to the fuller nose outline and it gets into waves earlier due to the lower entry rocker. Though as a result the Kwad doesn't fall into late drops as easy - havent pearled one yet but going late takes more concentration with this lower entry.
I havent ridden the Kwad in anything above double head high faces so don't know how it will go when we get some decent swell but feels like it will be fine. Will update review when I do.
In all waves I have ridden I am loving it, total shortboard feel, can slide the tail, smack the lip and throw it around wherever you like - super responsive and as I said above, really fast.
One for the sup'ers after total performance.
1Fox - I am 6'2"/195lbs and the 8'7" is no problems at all. Very easy.
Couple of pics from the other week.
Enjoy.
Courts
Sic shots Courts thankx
See you late Dec for a demo
Think I might be a 9 1 type of build
Greg said I can ease back into waves
Stoked to hear Hoges has given you the green light Hilly.
Yeah, I'd say 9'1" too.
No probs, yell out when you are down here.
Bring the downwind gear too. Been some all time runs lately.
Nearly true Belly.
The Kwads had legs and ran out the door.
All the 8'7"s sold out in a week and there are only two 9'1"s left.
More of both Kwads arriving mid January. Some of the 8'7"s already have names on them though.
sweet when you get a chance mate , i would be stoked if you could take a few photos of the new colours and post them also do you have the new black style jimmy paddles i think it's called the slim jim i'm stoked with carbon but my shoulders are crying out for fibre glass !!!!!! so if you could post a few stats on those bad boys I would pretty jazzed
Tortise,
The alternate Oz colours are the standard Jimmy Lewis red, ice blue, yellow,white and green.
The red, blue and green come with white pinlines in the nose and the yellow and white come with black pinlines in the nose.
Pic below to give you a better idea of this.
Jimmy does two paddles - a Kanaha and a Peahi. They are Jim Terrell/Quickblade paddle designs - Jimmy helped Jim out and in return Jim let Jimmy use his Kanaha and Peahi shapes for his paddle range.
The Kanaha blade is 9" wide x 18" long (110 sq in.) and the Peahi is 9" wide x 20" long (125 sq in.).
The Peahi looks long and slim but is actually a much bigger paddle than the Kanaha. Maybe that what you are calling the 'Slim Jim' as Jimmy doesn't have a paddle called that.
Hi Courts
we have been told in NZ that the Peahi is nolonger available is this not the case ? Have got to like the Peahi.
Thanks TB
when you get a chance mate , i would be stoked if you could take a few photos of the new colours and post them also do you have the new black style jimmy paddles i think it's called the slim jim i'm stoked with carbon but my shoulders are crying out for fibre glass !!!!!! so if you could post a few stats on those bad boys I would pretty jazzed
thanks courts and belly
after searching around a few other web sites ,jl's third an smaller paddle is called KANAHA small 8.25 x 14.5 gotta say the blade colours look sick, nice to see jl steering away from that orange and yellow soooo!!!!!!!! my question now is courts are they as good as they look and how much and have you used them in pumping surf
Hi,
My kwad 8'7 arrived just in time for the holiday.
For a intermediate 6'1 185lbs (add wetsuit, paddle, winter booties, sometimes helmet...), the float-ability is on the edge.
First impression in the water: Small and missing volume (I was used to 130lts, now 110lts). "I've made a mistake." It was a choppy tough day.
As I got myself familiar with the toy, I came to find it friendly. (Someone more heavy, in my point of view might consider the 9'1).
It was my first time in a quad set:
- when you row, it goes quite straight ahead and fast for it's size.
- It's looose down the line, very fast.
- You can glue to the wave wall.
- When you're waiting, facing a wave, and want to turn to catch the next one, it's a little more stuck.
- Since the volume is not that big, you go for a late drop, but due to the it's speed and nice rocker, you don't pearl.
I'm still unveiling it's features but in short I'd say: Uauuuu!
Happy new year to ALL :)
Towball,
The Peahi certainly is available. No worries there. If you have any problems over there getting one in the future yell out, be happy to help.
Belly is right Tortise, The Slim Jim is a QB paddle. Slim Jim as in Jim Terrell not Jimmy Lewis.
Tortise,
The JL paddles are great, made well and finished to the high standard everyone has come to expect from JL. They go for $350.00.
I personally don't use them as I prefer the stiffness of a carbon shaft but a lot of punters love the soft feel of the epoxy fibreglass shafts - more forgiving on the body, especially for those with shoulder/upper body injuries. Comes down to personal preference at the end of the day.
A good mate of mine swears by them and uses them exclusively - small surf or big.
Have attached a couple of pics of him using the Jimmy Lewis paddle in good surf.
I also stop to use Carbon paddles and only use fiber paddle.
They do bend but you get use to it very fast and they are so much better for my shoulder..
I do paddle almost every day when is busy and after 2 days in a row with the Carbon my shoulder were so painful. Now is OK.
Bye Jankie
PS. in over 2 years I haven't broken a JL paddle at my school for teaching or from renting them..
kitesurfbali said ". in over 2 years I haven't broken a JL paddle at my school for teaching or from renting them.."
I am the most successful snapper of JL paddles that I know of
Love the paddles but only getting about 6 months use from them. But that is heavy useage & considering the cost of top quality carbons in nz still think they are a good deal......on to my third one....maybe due to over-enthusiastic paddling for waves lol. Breakages have been not the shaft but the narrowest part of the blade
Really impressed with the 9 1, at 105kg easy to paddle great glide but surfs a treat.
Well worth a demo
Ordered a red one
