Author Topic: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board  (Read 8866 times)

SUPJorge

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Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« on: May 21, 2015, 09:00:56 AM »
Hi all, Having had few legit DW days and zero legit surf for weeks now (months maybe) I've taken to surfing the SIC14V2 in the Miami beachbreak surf/mush. As we know from a prior thread (http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,25211.30.html) it's actually a lot of fun but I was wondering if changing fins would improve the board's maneuverability ("loosen up the back some"). Specifically, would swapping out the stock weedless (http://www.sicmaui.com/fins) for the attached fin have the desired effect? If so, why not use it all the time, even in legit DW conditions? Thanks in advance for the advice.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2015, 09:18:16 AM by SUPJorge »
14' SIC Bullet V2 - 9'1" Naish Hokua X32 LE

Area 10

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2015, 09:10:41 AM »
You'll never know until you try it. But I doubt it will make much difference since it looks maybe like a 10" cutaway? I have surfed the Bullet V2 with various 10" and 9" longboard fins and it surfs better with the 7" weedless SIC fin it came with. It feels overfinned with anything larger. In general, if you want to loosen up the back end, find a fin that has no more area than the fin it replaces. I don't know if you are currently turning the 8.3" or the 7" SIC weedless, but if you are running the 8.3 then try to find a cutaway fin in the 6.5-8" range to replace it, and then you might notice a difference. To my mind the 14v2 surfs actually pretty well with the 7" weedless standard carbon fin. Cutbacks etc are certainly possible as long as you get your back foot over the fin - although obviously as with any 14ft board, it's all done with a rather larger arc and in slow motion compared to a dedicated surf SUP.

XLR8

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2015, 09:16:03 AM »
I have explored the same scenario here in the Great Lakes.  Surf is mushy/nonexistent now and will probably stay that way till fall.  We get fun downwinder conditions and I am out there doing what you describe.  Area 10s comments on surface area are true, I have found.  I have tried a number of basic dolphin shapes in various sizes with good results.  Every so often I get pretty stoked on some fun days and then start wracking my brain about how to improve on even those days but decide that I am already maximizing what the wave has to offer.  You might be pushing that threshold.
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SUPJorge

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2015, 09:16:43 AM »
Thanks, Area 10. I'll ck the size of my current fin and revert.
14' SIC Bullet V2 - 9'1" Naish Hokua X32 LE

Eagle

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2015, 10:12:08 AM »
The 10" Cut you have in your pic looks overfinned for surf - either Weedless would be better.
Fast is FUN!   8)
Dominator - Touring Pintail - Bullet V2 - M14 - AS23

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2015, 11:03:53 AM »
Why not have your cake and eat it too?
My 9.25" FreeWeed bamboo CoreFlex fin with 48in2 surface area and a 41.7* rake, offers lots of lateral resistance for better tracking DW...once on a wave, it offers progressive twist in the tip for better turning...best of both worlds...

http://supsports.com/shop/sup-fins/wd-9-25-freeweed-center-fin/

http://supsports.com/sup-fins/

My experience with cutaways says they are better suited to being paired with side biters...not the fin set up you want in a DW board...their narrow bases are prone to wash out when you get hit by side chop...

Mahalos...{:~)

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SUPJorge

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2015, 01:50:09 PM »
XLR8 - I hear you. Seems like we think alike.

Eagle & Area10 - thanks for the feedback. I'll let you know which one I have and will experiment some and report back.
14' SIC Bullet V2 - 9'1" Naish Hokua X32 LE

stoneaxe

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2015, 07:30:09 PM »
I usually run Larry's Gladiator for Racing and downwind I like the Chill race fin and I've tried smaller (8") fin in my 14'er but I put a 10" Farberow Flex in it and is simply awesome for surf. I think my size lets me use a bigger fin though....all very subjective but you might try one in a smaller size.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2015, 07:36:54 PM by stoneaxe »
Bob

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stoneaxe

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2015, 07:42:27 PM »
I'm also going to add some fins while fixing my 14. It needs some ding repair and the hot coat has a bunch of cracks everywhere, basically ridden hard and put away wet for 5 years. I'm going to add some twins to mix while I'm at it. I need to think about placement.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

Badger

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2015, 02:46:50 AM »
I'm using the Futures Classic 10" longboard for surfing my M-14.

http://imgau3.surfstitch.com/product_images/CL10-0-0204CLR-FUTUREFINS-1.JPG

It seems to work well. I should try some of my smaller fins one of these days just to compare.

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SUPJorge

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2015, 08:31:23 AM »
Btw, I have the 8.3" SIC stock weedless fin.
14' SIC Bullet V2 - 9'1" Naish Hokua X32 LE

Area 10

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2015, 11:59:06 AM »
Btw, I have the 8.3" SIC stock weedless fin.
Yeah, the smaller one is the one you want for surfing.

Different fins work in different boards. In my Bullet 14v1 I like a 10" True Ames squirrel longboarding fin for surfing (and DW, actually). But if I surf my Bullet 14v2 with it, it is over-finned. It matters a lot how much volume you have in the tail of your board. The Bullet 14v2 has very little, and quite a narrow tail with very hard rails.so you need less fin than in most 14ft DW boards. It's one of the things that contributes to it's speed and ease of catching small bumps: less drag from the fin.

DavidJohn

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2015, 12:50:37 PM »
This is my faverite DW fin right now.. and being tool-less is a real bonus when stacking boards for the car shuffle.. I just bought the beautiful glass version..


Eagle

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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2015, 01:48:38 PM »
The 14V2 becomes more stable the faster you go with the planing panel vee tail.  Make sure you move your fin right forward in the fin box so that you can change directions as quick as possible.  Do not have the 7.0 Weedless - but our 8.3 and FCS Touring 9.0 work fine for DW turns.
Fast is FUN!   8)
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Re: Fin choice for surfing (turning) DW board
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2015, 04:43:03 PM »
I really miss having discussions with Curtis Hesselgrave on this subject...brilliant fin designer...I know that his work in this area was not finished...

From my own personal experience, the best turning surf profile fin that I have ever used on a 14'er in DW conditions is my 8.25" WD Wave...30.55in2 at 58.72*...also available in 9" and 9.75" sizes...

http://supsports.com/product-category/sup-fins/

In fact, I use the 9.75" WD Wave by itself on my Hammer WindSUP...it has a wide base and progressive twist in the tip that allows it to counter-balance the pressure differentials and forces that having a sail rig on your board presents to a fin...it reacts to conditions at board speeds much greater than paddling alone subjects a fin to...much like a well designed sail rig that twists off at the tip...

http://blog.surfingsports.com/2015/04/hammer-windsup-2.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY0CVCSmKYY

« Last Edit: May 22, 2015, 05:43:43 PM by SUPsports »
Mahalos...{:~)

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Owner/CEO  StandUp Paddle Sports®  &   SurfingSports®.com, Inc.

(805)962-SUPS (7877) store
(888)805-9978 toll free

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Standup Paddle Sports, LLC
121 Santa Barbara St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

 


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