Fins etc.

[Dwight (DW)]

Picked up the finished product today, and they are ready for their new 14 foot homes.

Wow, they look like my old favorite slalom windsurf fins. I was shopping for a fin like that, but they are hard to find now, with windsurfers using huge fins today.

[SchUP]

Randy's fins are symmetric/elliptical and rudder-like... and as Dwight says, looking very slalom-ish...

What would happen if someone put on something geared even more towards slalom windsurfing?  The goal there is for early-planing and straight tracks, but for downwind conditions I can see how the long reach and minimal angle might help out with tracking... obviously, it's board/surfer dependent, but has anyone had any experience with big, narrow fins for downwinders?

You know, something like:

                   

I ask for selfish reasons:  I'm currently using a 23cm MFC freewave on a 15' Angulo (powerbox, not tuttle as pictured) -- it was paired for the previous owner, who has a lower center of gravity/weight/height than me.   I'm thinking this could help me with tracking, since I'm currently overcompensating ALL the time, and getting squirreled off waves more than I would like...  it could be just the lack of experience/balance, but maybe different gear would help me out...

[Dwight (DW)]

Futures Fins must think large pointers are the way to go for SUP racing because this is their new 15" race fin.



This is the fin I just started using. I wanted a racing blade with swept tip so it wouldn't catch on a sand bar and rip the box out. Dagger tips stick in sand bars. I went with 12" for now. It felt good to me.

[DavidJohn]

My experience from windsurfing days is that those more narrow and upright fins are great for going across and especially up wind where there is pressure put on them but once you head off the wind they make the board want to buck around and rail up and will often cavitate and it seems that they don't like to go downwind.. and that's just what we do on our down-winders.... It's just a thought..  .. Maybe our slower speeds will make them work.

DJ

[PonoBill]

Uck, I remember too well battling fins like these on long reaches. They lift the rail in the back and make your windsurfer very squirrely. When you do a fast, hard jibe they tend to toss you a long ways unless you're hard on the tail. I liked them for medium wind days when I had a lot of sail on, makes it easy to go upwind.

Worth a try on a downwind board. I have a stack of them somewhere in Portland. Always was a gearhead.

[Tom]

Before you guys get too carried away about windsurfing fins that work, remember that a wind surfer race board goes 30 mph. How fast are you planning on going on your sups?

[shiner]

any updates on fin design?

[LaPerouseBay]

The fin SchUP has a picture of - the skinny green one on the right - looks very, very similar to the one I saw on Dave K.'s board (pretty sure it was his) yesterday after the naish maliko.  It caught my eye, because I'd never seen one like it on a downwind board.  The fin was really long, like 14 inches or so. 

[PonoBill]

I've found that big fins work pretty well for sprinting speed, because they help you put power into forward motion instead of letting the tail skid. I've been tending more towards wide bases and low profiles, but maybe it's time to try a higher aspect ratio.

[shiner]

what about this

http://www.gunsails.co.uk/en/fins_weed.htm

its 14" or is it too swept back?

[DavidJohn]

Here's the fin that's on the new Naish 14' Glide.

DJ

[SchUP]

Nice pic DJ.  Where is that? Lots of pants and a boardwalk -- not Hawaii.

Regarding the "green fins" and other G10 -- those are super stiff and (like Bill & Tom mentioned) geared towards going fast with just the tip in the water.  I'm thinking, big time overkill for downwind performance.  (on the other hand, if you use a fin for digging holes in the parking lot...)

But -- the shape seems right, it should help with tracking  --  you can easily find the same/similar designs in prepreg  for less burden on the wallet. 

[DavidJohn]

Nice pic DJ.  Where is that? Lots of pants and a boardwalk -- not Hawaii.

Hamburg Sup world cup

I'll start another thread.

DJ

[stoneaxe]

What's the word on fins? I have no idea what to get. I need to get a fin for my new 14' Vec. I can't use anything too straight with all the seaweed and marsh grass in the water.

[DavidJohn]

IMO.. You can't go wrong with a classic dolphin fin shaped fin.

DJ