Fins for surfing

[Jbrady5555]

Well i just bought a tahoe zephyr 14 that i love which moved my wife from a 10'6 boga mahina to my 12ft boga el rey. I want to take to 10'6 mahina and set it up for surfing. The board has the center fin that came with the board but it also has side fin boxes. What is the best way to set the fins up for a beginner sup surfer. Thanks.

[PonoBill]

Honestly, for beginner surfing the fins don't matter too much, but you'll gain a little turning authority (meaning the tail won't feel skiddy as the turn tightens) with some thrusters in those side boxes, and it looks surfier. As you progress the fins become much more important, but beginners don't turn very hard, and the most important aspect of a fin is the stability it lends. Single fins are fine for that.

I'd add some inexpensive thrusters about half the height of the center fin. Most surf shops and any experienced surfer will have a big box full of crappy black or white plastic fins that will suit you just fine--free or cheap, like five bucks for the pair. Don't bother spending 30 bucks for nice thrusters, you won't feel the difference and you'll beat them up before you get to the point that they matter. On big boards thats a long time in the future. I've been surfing SUP for more than ten years and my 10'4" Foote has junky, beat up plastic fins that work just fine.

You need fins with a base that suits your finboxes. Those will either have one allen screw at the front (futures) or two at the side (fcs).

Thruster fins are generally foiled on one side and flat on the other. The flats face inward.

[surfercook]

Your basic tried and true "2+1" fin configuration will work nicely. I would guess an 8" center fin w/ 3" side bites will do the trick.



Then maybe try something more advanced as you get more experienced!  (jk)