Anyone here use a single fin set-up in the surf?

[ODJ]

I was wondering if anyone uses a single fin set-up in the surf on their SUP. I'm asking because i recently acquired a Chris Christenson 9'4 single fin longboard in a trade, and never rode a single fin before this board. I loved it! Board was super fun, turned amazingly well and was loose, but still felt stable, and dont have to work as hard as a thruster set up to get those sharper turns.

also came across this article: http://www.supsurfmag.com/equipment-stand-up-paddle/gear-talk/finsights:-the-single-fin-setup-for-stand-up-paddle-surfboards-20080705450/

all of this got me thinking about trying out a single fin set up. seems like it would work well in both small and bigger surf, definitely making the small surf more fun, and in bigger surf would still be stable and allow quicker turns (when i slide the center fin back in my current thruster set up the board is really stable, but turns wide, further forward and it just slides and loses power).

what fin would you suggest for a single fin set-up?

thanks in advance!

[TerryS]

 9.5 Wingnut single set up on my Walden works great

[1tuberider]

what fin would you suggest for a single fin set-up?

For my 12'6 I used it as a single.  I used the stock fin. 

Most my long surfboards I used as a single fin.  I prefer a bigger racked back fin. There are many, but the wingnut model is nice. I think it was 10.5 inches.

[ODJ]

will the big single fin (9.0 - 10.5 or so) hold up in bigger surf? (chest to overhead)

[TerryS]

I would just add the sides back with the wingnut when it got bigger, Now I have a smaller board for juicy surf and Walden (as a single) is just for small mush

[Marcelo]

Sometimes i use my 10'C4 as a single fin.

9" flex fin by True Ames, Josh Farberow model.

Never surfed this set up in bigger than chest to head high so can't comment about the big surf but from ankle high to chest high i like this set up.

[jdmotes]

 My Surftech 9'2" Wingnut Nose-Rider is a single as is my Nah Skwell 10'6" SUP demo board. I love singles (till it gets too big for em) as I cut my teeth on em when I was a teen just learning to surf (early 60's)...          Later,    JD

[1tuberider]

will the big single fin (9.0 - 10.5 or so) hold up in bigger surf? (chest to overhead)

Yep  set your edge and be careful at the top where the biters add benefit.

[ODJ]

here are the fins I currently have in the garage:





Red fin: 9.0 Tudor
Grey fin: 7.0 Fins Unlimited
Blue Fins: M.R. TFX; two big keel fins with a small trailer for the middle, very stiff performance glass
White fins: two of them are M5's, the other two have a bulldozer on them with a number 1, basically identical shape to the M5, but they are noticably more flexible in the tip

Currently my SUP has the grey fin with the two more flexible white fins.

And this is the board 10'0 x 29.5" x 4" (i am aware that the center fin is all the way back in the picture and it was taken when i was messing with center fin placement. usually it's somewhere in the middle, just slightly back):











Is there any other possible combination that i could try before going out and buying other fin(s)? I am tempted to go out and pick up a wingnut to try it out, and like the idea of just adding smaller side bites for bigger stuff (and bigger is relative to me since i'm still new to SUP!)

what size side fins do you guys use with the Wingnut center fin when it get's bigger?

[surfcal]

Mostly  single fin:
 11' Infinity Noserider
10'6" Weber Stylist
10'3" Gordon and Smith Classic
10'6" Aviso Titus Carbon Fiber
All Sups
"One fin, One God, One Country"

[diesel]

I always feel safer with some sidebites when the surf gets big.  Just in case you are laying the board on rail and the big center fin starts to come out of the water.  Our SUP boards are quite wide so it might be easier to slip the big fin out of the water on a hard turn.  You get a little more peace of mind to surf aggresively IMO.  Although I can't speak from experience because I have never surfed without the sidebites.  I prefer to use the smallest FCS or future sidebites (like maybe 3.5" type).  I don't use the the standard thruster size 4.5" anymore.  It seems to loosen the board up quite a bit.  Then I just play with moving the back fin up and back.  Now, I actually just use the same setup that I would use on a performance longboard (3.5" sidebites and a 6.5" to 8" center fin moved forward in the box).

Keep in mind, I live on Oahu but I rarely surf North Shore. so fin setups are probably quite a bit different in the kind of waves that Blane Chambers and the boys surf.  I surf South Shore as big as it gets which is like double overhead at most and not as much power as North Shore but still quite enough for the big boards we surf.  My board has never slipped on a turn with this setup and I surf the board quite vertical at times so my setup seems pretty good.  Just wanted to give out my info if anyone finds it useful in thier SUP progression and experimentation.

One other thought.  I am starting to think that we don't need as much fin as we think we need with our SUP's because the paddle is kind of like a fin that we can use as needed to prevent sliding out.  This is what I am going to experiment with as I get my next lighter board which will be well under 20 pounds.  Maybe some slip is allright if the waves are not too dangerous.  You can slide the tail when coming off the top or hooking a snap in the steep section of the wave.  Could be fun.  Aloha

[TerryS]

ODJ , I would work with that red 9.0 fin you have there before you run out and buy any fins. start out in the front of the box and work your way back for for more bite.

[diesel]

The M5's if I am not mistaken are like about 4.5" high.  You can try the smaller 3.5" sidebites and it will be much looser.

[Kruut]

If you like controlled sliding or want to try this..

And if you slide too much you should try and get the rail in.

[laszlo]

My SOS Big Red only came with a single fin setup. It was from the first shipment sold on the mainland. I use the stock fin that came with it, but I generally use that board in smaller surf. I believe that the later models of the Big Red did come with side biters. I spent most of my surfing life (since the mid 1960's) on single fin boards, so I am a late convert to multi fins anyway.