Spartan!

[burchas]

Review of the new Larry Allison Spartan downwind fin

I was lucky enough to score one of the first production Spartan
fins from Larry Allison just before going away on vacay, and this
fin couldn’t have come in a better time.

The fin comes at 7.5” deep and 50Sqi with a 7.75” base.
As usual with LA fins, this fin too is weedless.

According to Larry, this fin comes ONLY in a 7.5” deep & fiberglass
construction to achieve the type of flex he was aiming for & it was
designed for rough conditions.

I also got the “Click it” version for a 3 second installation which
is very helpful for inflatable boards. It has 2 safety pins that keeps
the fin secure in the inflatable’s fin box.

I’ve been using “Click it” fins for a long time with several types of
fin boxes, hardboard and inflatables, never lost a fin. One could
get it with the traditional screw, the only reason I can see for that
would be if you intend to use it in the surf and it’s likely the fin
will be hit from behind with force that might loosen it.

While away I’m using my new Red Paddle Elite 14”x25’ board,
and this board needs all the support it can get, especially
in open ocean conditions.

I usually use this board with the Larry’s Dolphin Pivot which
is 9” deep with a 56Sqi and up until now that was the only
fin that made the board manageable in conditions other than
flatwater.

Knowing the Spartan fin is “only” 50Sqi I was somewhat concerned
being under-finned, I did test this board with the Gladiator shape fin
which is also tip dominated with 53Sqi and 9” depth and it DID NOT
feel good and that was river conditions so I had good reason to be.

I can say that after my first test my concerns are all but quashed.

In the vid you can see the board through various conditions, be it headwind
up against nice size bumps, quartering wind close to a surf brake and a
downbreezer for good measures.

Broaching is a very real issue with this board due to its rounded shape and
happens all too often, usually when it does the board sends me swimming
and this is where the Spartan fin shines! The flex of the fin gives me that
split second I need to recover as you can see in vid. I can’t wait to test
this fin on my Blackfish, it should be the ultimate fin for it on windy conditions.

[Luc Benac]

Nice to know the fin works well.
I am awaiting mine for the Blackfish(es) and open/down-wind conditions this summer.

[burchas]

Nice to know the fin works well.
I am awaiting mine for the Blackfish(es) and open/down-wind conditions this summer.

Luc, I hope you're not going to wait for the summer to test it on the Blackfish.
If the tippy Red Elite is any indication, you'll be on your way to sell your
Blackfish 26" once you try the fin on your 24". Let us know if that's case.

[Luc Benac]

Nice to know the fin works well.
I am awaiting mine for the Blackfish(es) and open/down-wind conditions this summer.

Luc, I hope you're not going to wait for the summer to test it on the Blackfish.
If the tippy Red Elite is any indication, you'll be on your way to sell your
Blackfish 26" once you try the fin on your 24". Let us know if that's case.

I will test open the first week-end after receiving the fin :-)
Down-wind will likely have to wait until our inflow are back = summer unless some windy/bumpy conditions arrive during a week-end - usually they seem to come during the week only.....