Kai Lenny vs John John Florence quad fins: which suits your board
Updated 2026-09-19
Both Kai Lenny and John John Florence have released quad fin sets that flip the usual layout: a smaller front fin for speed, a larger rear fin for control, closer to a twinzer arrangement than a standard quad. As at March 2024, I bought and tested both to see whether the idea holds up, and which set actually suits which board.
Price and construction
The John John Florence big wave quads, made by Futures, are the most expensive Futures fin set at 399.95 AUD (about 250 USD), built from G10 fiberglass, which flexes back to shape quickly. The Kai Lenny set costs about 225 USD, with the John set at about 250 USD; I paid for shipping on the Kai set and got free shipping on the John set. Both sets sold out shortly after I bought them, which says something about the interest in this fin layout. The Kai fins are carbon fiber, stiffer than the G10 Futures construction and better at holding their shape, which suits a dedicated big-wave board. Fitting the Kai fins into the box needed slightly more effort than the Futures set, which went in cleanly every time.
Foil and orientation: an easy mistake to make
On the Kai set, the front fin has a flat inside face, making orientation obvious, while the rear fin uses an 80/20 foil that is equally clear. On the Futures set, the front fin is also an 80/20 foil, but the rear fin is a symmetrical 50/50 foil, and because Futures builds its cant into the fin rather than the box, the only way to tell left from right is to lay the pair together and check they lean toward each other correctly. I initially fitted mine with the branding on the inside rather than the outside and rode them that way without realizing; once corrected, the board felt noticeably better balanced.
Comparing surface area
Measuring my own favorite thruster fins against the John John big-wave quads, the thruster set carries about 13 percent more total surface area, though spread across three fins rather than four, so the quad set should carry less drag for a similar level of control. Against my usual NVS Apex Series quads, a set I already rated highly, the NVS set is about 22 percent larger, which explains why the two feel so different underfoot. Laid directly against each other, the Kai quad set is roughly 7 percent larger than the John John set, more raked back on the front fin and more upright on the rear, bringing the fin tips closer together than the John John layout does.
How each set performed, board by board
In a 6-foot Firewire Seaside used for small-wave groveling, the John John fins paddled easily with little friction but lacked the drive I expect from a full-sized quad set, and I noticed some drift on takeoff; they worked, but I would not recommend this combination. In a 7'6 SJS Custom Quad Fish, ridden in four to six foot waves, the John John fins came alive, producing the fastest wave I have recorded on that board once I corrected an initial fin-orientation mistake. In an 8'2 triple stringer Vouch big-wave board, ridden in six to seven foot semi-cyclonic surf, the John John fins held a line well, turned more easily than the heavier fins I had used before, and reduced paddling resistance. In a 7-foot Christenson Nautilus, the John John fins paddled fine and held a rail without sliding out, and produced a new top recorded speed for that board, even though the feel underfoot suggested less drive than expected on the bottom turn.
The verdict: which set to choose
Both sets are well made, and the John John Florence set has an excellent big-wave pedigree behind it through Futures. My own pick between the two is the Kai Lenny set: the fins are larger, the front fin is more raked and the rear more upright, which draws the tips closer together and gives a feel closer to a twin fin, the setup I ride most. The broader takeaway from testing both: this small-front, big-rear layout genuinely suits a bigger board with a narrower tail and a good amount of wave size behind it. It is not the setup I would reach for on an everyday groveler board.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between the Kai Lenny and John John Florence quad fins?
The Kai Lenny set is carbon fiber and roughly 7 percent larger, with a more raked front fin and more upright rear fin, drawing the tips closer together. The John John Florence set is G10 fiberglass, built by Futures, with a more traditional quad spread.
Do these small-front, big-rear quad fins work on an everyday board?
Not particularly well. In a small, groveler-style board they lacked drive and drifted on takeoff. They come alive on a bigger board with a narrower tail in genuinely good waves.
How do you tell which way around to fit the Futures John John Florence rear fin?
The rear fin uses a symmetrical 50/50 foil, so lay both fins together and check they lean toward each other; the Futures branding goes on the outside face.
Is the Kai Lenny quad fin set better for a big-wave board?
In my testing, yes. The carbon construction held its shape more consistently, and the larger, more twin-like fin layout suited big-wave boards with a narrower tail well.
Do these fins suit a smaller or lighter rider?
A smaller rider with a big-wave board and no other need for these fins could use either set, but for a bigger board or an everyday quad, a rider on the larger side may prefer the added surface area of the Kai Lenny set.
The Firewire Seaside used in this test also appears in are the new Seaside fins actually worth it and which quad surfboard suits you. For quad fin fundamentals, see quad fin sets, and for the wider fin configuration decision, twin, quad or thruster. The boards used in this test sit across my current quiver and boards I have sold.