Fin Recommendations?

[srfnff]

Hey All,

I'm always looking at and fooling around with fins (according to my budget that is). I've got an Angulo 10'4" Olohe set up as a 2+1. I've used a number of different fin configurations including surfing it as a single and as a 2+1. I've been reading the drive vs. maneuverability posts and it seems that the fins I've got are either designed to be drivey or loose. Then I read that a lot of the stand up surfers in HI are using cutaways.

Anybody have any recommendations for a cutaway fin that might work well in the Olohe which is shaped and surfs like a big longboard? (BTW, I am 155 pounds soaking wet and in my 5-4-3 Mutant...yeah, size matters! )

Thanks,
g

[Nate Burgoyne]

I have a cutaway made by Island Fin Design www.islandfindesign.com that I have no desire to switch out at all. Plenty of drive off the bottom and noserides like a champ. It's the Bonga "Da Fade" and I'm not sure if its the 7 or 8". If you're wanting more performance, go with the smaller one. If you're wanting more nose action, the bigger one might be the one. The crazy thing is, I'm seeing guys pulling long nose rides on thrusters and quads. The trend over here in Hawaii is smaller fins. So much depends on the board shape and fin placement in the box. If you can borrow some a fin off a friend to try one out, you'll know for sure. Check with the surf shops. It's not uncommon for shops to lend out fins so you can try them out before you buy them.

[srfnff]

Thanks Nate.

What kind of board are you riding and do you have it set-up as a 2+1 or single? How has performance changed when you move the fin around in the box? Do you have a favorite spot in the box? Do you ride the fin in small and large surf?

Thanks again, great info.
g

[Nate Burgoyne]

The cutaway is on one of the older model 10'0" PSH boards. The tail is a wide swallow. Rocker: medium Rails: straighter and turned down.

You're in luck my friend... I wrote a whole article in the editor's blog about placing that fin and how the performance changed when I moved it around at http://supsurfmag.com/equipment/stand-up-paddle-center-fin-placement-2.html. If I left anything out or if there's more you'd like to know, let me know good brother.

[srfnff]

Great article Nate. Insightful and well written. I don't usually click through the Editors blog, but after that article I'll be checking out what I've missed, and stay in touch with it hereafter.

I tend to be a fin extremist, i.e. all the way forward or all the way back. I'm heading out to the garage right now to adjust my fin in accordance to the "2" Burgoyne rule." I'll let you know how it turns out.

[StandUpPaddleSurf.net]

Gary - You should try the 10'4" as a thruster w/ 3 smaller fins.  I've been liking the feeling of 3 small fins vs 2 small sides and a big middle.  I think I'm using 4.5" glass fins currently. 

[srfnff]

Evan,

Good advice and I tried it a few months back. I tried it because I was curious, but mainly I tried it because I was surfing a very kelpy spot and the longer fins kept catching in the kelp beds. I tried a 4.5" RFC center fin along with FCS GL sides. It REALLY loosened the board up and made it much easier to turn. On the down side I couldn't keep the board on a straight line heading, the yaw was intense. I didn't mind changing paddling sides more often, but the thing that got me most was that in critical sections, the tail would not hold in. I could drive around and under sections OK, but if I got too far back in the curl, or got caught up on the foam ball in any way the tail would just slide out. It could be that I need to put in bigger side fins. I just haven't sprung for those yet. Any suggestions on bigger sides in the FCS line?

[StandUpPaddleSurf.net]

Not sure bc I'm not that versed on the fins.  All I know is that on my Blair 9'11" and 8'9" I haven't had any tail spin out issues yet.  I do get yaw during paddling but I've gotten used to it and now can adjust so it's not bad.

[Dwight (DW)]

Gary, I think you have to use full size (4 1/2"-4 5/8") side bites to go with a thruster setup. That's what I did. I stole side bites from my short board.

I believe Blair's side bites are large too. He shows this on his web site.

[srfnff]

Evan and DW,

Thanks guys, those are great comments and suggestions. DW, I'll start looking at the larger sides (i.e. regular shortboard fins). I have some old ones stashed away somewhere. What size center are you using? Have you switched center fins around with the larger sides at all? Compared to the 2+1 set-up how did the thruster config affect board performance? And I'm assuming you did all this on your 10-footer, not the 9'3".

Evan, you're on an 8'9" Blair SUP? Is it a quad also? What are the overall dims? Is it a workout-and-a-half just to paddle and stay upright? Tell us more!!!

[Dwight (DW)]

I'm using a 4 5/8 rear fin. When I switched to a pure shortboard fin setup, my board (10') felt radically more loose.

I did a bottom turn on Friday that was so quick it almost threw me off it. Super fun fin setup.

[StandUpPaddleSurf.net]

Blair boards are only with small fins.  The 8'9" has 4.5" fins (3 fins) and the 9'11" has something like 4.5" in the front and 3.5" in the rear (quad) but not totally sure.  I really like how the small fins ride and turn.

[srfnff]

Great info, this discussion is really opening up a lot of options. I took inventory of my FCS fin stash and it's pretty weak. I'll have to research and buy something that fits the size criteria being discussed. You guys probably know this but I didn't, FCS makes a longboard fin box adapter http://www.tactics.com/i/p/l/27483.jpg so if you buy the three fit set you can use the center fin by inserting the fin box adapter. They sell for between $15 and $20.

The FCS website has a feature where you can select the criteria you're looking for and FCS will make a recommendation. I tried it out and it recommended a Slater K fin series that as far as I can tell isn't even for sale yet! (It was the K3 as opposed to the K2.1 which is available.)

Great food for thought here. DW, is there an identifier on your fins, like the fin ID stamped into the plastic somewhere? If so would you pass that info on? Thanks.

[Admin]

FCS makes a longboard fin box adapter http://www.tactics.com/i/p/l/27483.jpg so if you buy the three fit set you can use the center fin by inserting the fin box adapter. They sell for between $15 and $20.

You have to be way careful of this thing and need to drill the fin with a hole for the retention screw.  Even with that, you can crack the FCS box with even a little bit of screw pressure, and losing the fin is really likely.  You may just want to epoxy the fin into the thing, and forget the retention screw, although I have not not tried it.  I broke two, lost a fin from #3 and gave up.

[Dwight (DW)]

Gary,

My PSH has futures boxes, so I used a Vector II from my shortboard for the side bites. Then I bought a single rear FCS M5 for the rear with the FCS adapter you talked about. My adapter is working fine in mine and the wifes board. Our fins fit so tight I had to hammer them in. The set screws weren't important.

My wifes PSH has FCS, so I bought a full fin set for her. Don't recall the model.

I read somewhere on the web about FCS making improvements to the adapter design after early failures. I don't know what version I have.

Another option is to order a rear 4 1/2" fin with longboard box base, like this one.

http://www.trueames.com/surf_select.php?surf_products_id=15&surf_categories_id=&surf_subcategories_id=