Just arrived Larry Allison/ Jeremy Riggs Aercor fin

[Luc Benac]

I received my Aercor from Jeremy who was extremely nice and easy to deal with as already well known.

It is the click-it version. Epoxy and sanded where it needed to, to make a snug fit in the fin box of my Glide.
Took it out for a paddle this morning in our local inlets on flat water.
I did get a barge wake to get a taste :-)
As expected, the directional maneuverability is fantastic. A quick swipe of the paddle get you in the right direction.
When going side chop/wake, no problem the board stays on course.
Tracking is a little bit less than with a dedicated flat water fin like the Ninja but nothing to be ashamed of by a long shot.
I am so much looking forward to use the Glide/Aercor in the spring in open ocean conditions.

I also changed to the Ninja to first try it for the first time with the Glide and get a comparison with the Aercor.
The Ninja feels like a more classic fin while the Aercor kind of feels like not having a fin at all - if you know what I mean.
The tracking was better with the Ninja.

When I finished paddle, I was convinced that the Ninja was the fin to use in flat water as the tracking is better than the Aercor and I felt that I was going faster when looking at the nose of the board.
That is until I had a look at the Doppler data of the two runs:

Run#1 Aercor
Average speed 6.28 km/h
Best 1km speed 7.37 km/h next 6.23 km/h next 5.56 km/h

Run#2 Ninja
Average speed 6.25 km/h
Best 1km speed 6.80 km/h next 5.90 km/h next 5.66 km/h

Ok granted in between the two runs the ebbing tide had likely started getting some momentum so the difference in current might account for the small difference but both runs were made in the same place 3 km back and forth so general effect of the current was the same.

I will be damned:
1) with the Ninja I feel like I was going fast when I pushed (fast for my standard of course)
2) with the Aercor I was simply going fast without getting the feeling of going fast

Of course that is not enough data to be relevant but still it is interesting.

Now I still keep my general impression. On flat water, I will ride the Javelin. The Glide cannot equate the feeling of smooth effortless glide of the Javelin.
For picking-up board wake, it is the same the Javelin planes easier.
Now if it was summer and water was warm, would I even try to consider trying the Aercor on the Javelin for flat water paddling and picking-up board wake when possible..uhmmm...maybe :-)

Cheers,

Luc

[XLR8]

Nice overview of things.  Thanks!  It is a sweet fin.  What version Glide do you have?

[Luc Benac]

Nice overview of things.  Thanks!  It is a sweet fin.  What version Glide do you have?

The second version (2012-2013) 14x27 in GS (heavy) construction. The carbon version might be a little bit better for flat water.

Cheers,

Luc

[Muskoka SUP]

Yup.  Glide V2 + Aercor fin = match made in heaven...
I knew you'd like it.  Nice to see data that confirms its flat water speed.  That's a bonus.. Now wait till you try it in open water and / or down winding.  I know whatever my next board is, if it's not steerable then I'm ordering another Aercor from Jeremy. 

[Luc Benac]

Took the Glide and Aercor to "open Ocean" to day. Beautiful sunny day that felt more like May then February.
A couple of knots of current and 5 to 10 of westerly wind.
Started very flattish water and just nothing special, then started to get some nice wake moving along certain part of the shore and on the way back some well aligned tide chop and then later on some totally confused chop coming from two directions.
This is where the Aercor takes a life on its own. On the flat - whatever. As soon as a little bit of chop get in line, well it is just pure fun. This is the fin made for having the sea at your back...
Very nice also in confused chop, helps a lot to keep a direction against side chop.

Cheers,

Luc