Author Topic: Why so much fin on wave boards?  (Read 7301 times)

Rand

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Why so much fin on wave boards?
« on: September 17, 2007, 09:47:12 AM »
I have seen a bunch of new wave boards showing up on the beach with 9-10 inch center fins and 4-5 inch side bites.  What is up????

Am I missing something or are the shops setting these folks up?   Let me know the upside to packing that much fin for surfing.

K-541`

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Re: Why so much fin on wave boards?
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2007, 06:05:08 PM »
Yea! what's up with that, I have been learning on a SOS Blue replaced the stock fin worthless with a nice longboard flex fin works great but I would never put the side bites in with that fin 9.5
 I think boards with that much rail  and  with the side bites you should maybe try a 7.5 or 8.0 also with a way big fin and the sides doesn't that hang you up from turning around in a hurry ?

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Why so much fin on wave boards?
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2007, 07:03:16 PM »
JL 10 has a 7" center fin.

Rand

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Re: Why so much fin on wave boards?
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2007, 08:26:53 PM »
Quote
Yea! what's up with that, I have been learning on a SOS Blue replaced the stock fin worthless with a nice longboard flex fin works great but I would never put the side bites in with that fin 9.5
 I think boards with that much rail  and  with the side bites you should maybe try a 7.5 or 8.0 also with a way big fin and the sides doesn't that hang you up from turning around in a hurry ?

Flex sure does make a huge difference on these puppys.  I was twanging the tip of every fin in the shop to find one with the most whip (before we went to a thruster setup).  It would seem to me that for other than pure noseriding styles, 9" would max it out as a single and 6-7 with 3.5" side bites.  We have so much rail that it seems to me that you can get away with less fin than in other board sports (but most are using way more).  We are riding grom shortboard fins now and that is awesome.  Order thruster on your next board and try it.  I would be surprised if you go back!

One exception to my single fin comment above may be when a small rider is riding a big board, and the fin (due to rocker) does not have much contact with the water when the user is in paddling position.  (see exagerated example that was posted here earlier below).  We see this with many women on the boards that they are sold.  This is another subject, but I think light women (under 130) are disserviced by riding these big boards and hurt their early confidence. They can easily start on the 9'6 and under boards that we have owned (even some of these are way too big). 

Also, one effect of all that fin is that it holds the tail down to the water.  This may be desired for noseriding, and may not be an issue on really slopey waves, but on steeper waves you want your tail to lift naturally and the nose to drop in, and for tight tuns, etc, too much fin will hold you back.  I would say, unless noseriding is the priority, experiment until you find the minimum.


« Last Edit: September 17, 2007, 08:39:42 PM by Rand »

Big Island Mike

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Re: Why so much fin on wave boards?
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2007, 10:44:45 PM »
I need a 7 or 7.5" cut away fin for my new 9'2 PSH.   We don't have ANY good board shops here. What do you reccommend?  Ant websites?   

Dwight (DW)

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Re: Why so much fin on wave boards?
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2007, 02:54:59 AM »
I need a 7 or 7.5" cut away fin for my new 9'2 PSH.   We don't have ANY good board shops here. What do you reccommend?  Ant websites?   

http://www.trueames.com/surf.html

They sell direct.

Rand

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Re: Why so much fin on wave boards?
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2007, 05:52:11 AM »
I need a 7 or 7.5" cut away fin for my new 9'2 PSH.   We don't have ANY good board shops here. What do you reccommend?  Ant websites?   

For a 1 + 2 setup on Blane's 9'2, the Flex-Fin from Island Fin worked unreal.  It is available 6.5-8.  We bought them from Hawaiian islands, but it looks like the manufacturer takes orders on the site.  If you like a whippy tip, go with a straight color.  The Hawaaian prints were all way stiffer than the solid colors. 

http://islandfindesign.com/finstore/index.php

motopilot

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Re: Why so much fin on wave boards?
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2007, 08:31:12 AM »
Yea! what's up with that, I have been learning on a SOS Blue replaced the stock fin worthless with a nice longboard flex fin works great but I would never put the side bites in with that fin 9.5
 I think boards with that much rail  and  with the side bites you should maybe try a 7.5 or 8.0 also with a way big fin and the sides doesn't that hang you up from turning around in a hurry ?

Have not really experimented yet but I think a 8.5 / 9.0" fin would work better than the stock 9.5" 

Blane Chambers

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Re: Why so much fin on wave boards?
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2007, 08:54:26 AM »
Fins.....    I will be the first to admit...     My name is Blane and I'm a FIN-AHOLIC!    I like to try a variety of fins and its definetly a preference thing from person to person.     The better you surf the more personal fin selection becomes.      Lately I have started honing in on a certain few set ups but I', sure that will change...     I have Steve at Island Fins finishing up some customs that will come with our boards...   

My set up on my 9'-2" Pop Out is a flexy 8.5 Greenough all the way forward with tiny side bites.    This combo is what feels nice for the way I surf.     I've seen so many different combo's on that board that the riders have told me is magic!    Again, fins are a personal thing.... You end up liking what allows you to do what you want on a wave or as close to it as possible...   

A few years ago my collection was already starting to grow....  Its good to try different things...


The pic below is a regular surfing board that I shaped, glassed etc before my sup addiction started...    I'm actually making a SU for myself with a tail similar to this..   Why?    Why Not?   It worked great.      Turns off my toes used the pintail outline and was able to get all the rail deep into my frontside bottom turns or backside top turns, and the squash rail had more area for frontside snaps etc....    Like I said, its good to try different things...     This pic was taken as I was laminating...


linter

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Re: Why so much fin on wave boards?
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2007, 11:47:33 AM »
i remember back in the early-mid 70s sometime, asymetrical-tailed boards were all the rage for exactly one season.  then if you arrived in the lineup with one, you were a kook and everyone would take off on your sorry ass left and right.  me, i always thought that the idea was dismissed too soon, that maybe some good could come of it.  glad to see you've proved me right, blaine.  keep on going for the new (or, in this case, the old made new ...).

Blane Chambers

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Re: Why so much fin on wave boards?
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2007, 12:36:35 PM »
i remember back in the early-mid 70s sometime, asymetrical-tailed boards were all the rage for exactly one season.  then if you arrived in the lineup with one, you were a kook and everyone would take off on your sorry ass left and right.  me, i always thought that the idea was dismissed too soon, that maybe some good could come of it.  glad to see you've proved me right, blaine.  keep on going for the new (or, in this case, the old made new ...).

I probably won't make many for production purposes for the very reason that people have a rough time with different looking things...    For myself, I make weird looking stuff all the time!   Haha!    I'll keep you posted and I will post it on Swaylocks also...     

Aloha,
Blane


www.paddlesurfhawaii.com

 


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