NELO is in for the games with Light Signature Race

[Area 10]

The VMG Blades Mako 35 looks to be a good contender - but perhaps not so good for inland debris (a frequent problem that I had to wrap my head around). It's nothing like the crystal waters far off of Rabbit Island / Makapuú

In very weedy water I find the VMG Mako actually better than the Maliko at shedding weeds. Weed-shedding is all about the little point where the blade meets the underside of the board. Even a steeply raked fin can catch weed if there’s a sharp angle there. The VMG fins all have a slight angle at the base of the leading edge, and tend to be quite shallow. So they shed weeds very well. The Mako is an excellent flat water fin with the least drag of any fin I’ve ever tried (and I’ve got a huge range of SUP fins). I use mine for paddling on a weedy sheltered inland canal.

Actually, given your weight and technical competence, you could use the Mako 28. It weighs 157g.

The two downsides to the VMG Blades fins are however the cost and that they are fairly fragile (carbon over a light core). But if you want a really low drag and light fin, they are perfect. The foil is like no other, and it really works.

The 7.0 SIC weedless Carbon fin would also be good for you, if you wanted a much cheaper option - and if you can actually get hold of one. The 8.3” one is too big, it’s the 7.0 you want. They are an absolute bargain (if you can persuade the distributor to sell you one - for some reason SIC seem determined to restrict the circulation of them, and push the 8.3, which is nuts because the 7.0 is much better, and as most people find to their surprise, you don’t need a bigger fin). The carbon 7.0 weedless is a very nice light fin and it’s pretty durable for carbon (there is also a plastic one which is extremely durable and frankly just as good, really - just a tiny bit heavier).

[Luc Benac]

With Black Project fins, I found the Tiger to be my favorite for long distance. It is the lightest fin I have owned, the the fastest. I also found that it worked best with my weight on the Sprint UL and the Sprint 14x23 and the Nelo series 1.0 board - with the perfect amount of tracking for the above boards, and very predictable stability.

Have you tried the Sonic. I really like it and use it with my Ace-GT and Vapor with zero problem for tracking instead of the Mako 37.
I am surprised that you use such a large and deep fin on the pin-tail of the Ace.

[photofr]

In my experience, it's the nose that dictates the size of fin for tracking purposes.

The ACE has a very rounded nose. I find it great for drafting and releasing itself for surfing. The problem with that is that it's all over the place on flat water.

On the opposite end of the spectrum lies the Sprint UL (sharp nose that acts as a front fin and tracks from the front). For this reason, I was able to get away with very little surface area on the rear fin - while using the Sprint or similar.

The new version 2.0 Nelo board was all over the place similar to the Ace.

CAREFUL:
Don't take my words for it.
This is very dependant on YOUR board and YOUR weight.
Choose a fin that works for you.

[Eagle]

Yeah for the Dom and M14 the SIC 7.0 works best.  On the AS the Elite or SIC 7.0 depending on AW or DW.  On the Bullet the plastic Touring or SIC 8.3 DW.  While on the Touring pin the Hybrid or OEM Race 23 work best.  So does depend on the board and the use and what ride you want.  Just personal preferences to tweak is all.

But for max speed the SIC 7.0 is fastest for me but has the least amount of tracking.  Catches zero weeds.  Note both the carbon SIC fins come in old fat and new thin profiles.

[ukgm]

Demo a 14ft starboard sprint in a 21.5 width. It's beyond my own ability but its proving surprisingly popular and has an amazing glide at that size.

[photofr]

Has anyone compared the new LIGHTCORP boards with the NSP Ninja boards?

Someone on my Facebook page just brought to my attention that the two boards are really similar, especially looking at the tail and the standing area (which look so close to identical)

Can anyone shed some light on this?

[ukgm]

The Mako is an excellent flat water fin with the least drag of any fin I’ve ever tried (and I’ve got a huge range of SUP fins). I use mine for paddling on a weedy sheltered inland canal.

Yep, I agree and I tested this formally. I do believe the Tiger should be faster but its smaller size can exaggerate any stroke or tracking inefficiencies so it may not suit everyone. You need to pair it with the board. For example, for flatwater racing, I use the Maliko in my current board (a 2017 24.5 Allstar) but used the Tiger in my race board last year (A Naish Maliko 26). As I'll probably go narrower next year, I'll likely stay with the Maliko fin. It's extremely well designed.

[ukgm]

Well, if I had the choice I’d take the 2.0. But then I’m a balance-challenged 83kgs who is a “brute force” paddler with no technical sophistication.

And it’s not me who has bought what I thought was going to be the 1.0.

Nice looking board though.

Yep, I must admit, it's become more appealing to me as a result of this thread. That said, if its now got heavier, you have to wonder what benefits are really left for it as a product.

[photofr]

Well, if I had the choice I’d take the 2.0. But then I’m a balance-challenged 83kgs who is a “brute force” paddler with no technical sophistication.

And it’s not me who has bought what I thought was going to be the 1.0.

Nice looking board though.

...you have to wonder what benefits are really left for it as a product.

Benefits?
You still get a very light 14' board in under 10 kilos... that coupled with the great durability of gelcoat that you find on surfskis. For Earth conscious people, you will now do without the Styrofoam (another plus in my books).

[Area 10]

In the entire history of SUP racing, has anyone ever lost a podium place because their board was 3-4lbs heavier than it might have been?

[ukgm]

In the entire history of SUP racing, has anyone ever lost a podium place because their board was 3-4lbs heavier than it might have been?

I missed a result in a SUP sprint once because (upon reflection) I was personally 14lbs heavier than I should have been. (but no, insofar as kayak and rowing research seems to suggest, that percentage of weight is going to have very little (likely no) impact in a typical distance event.

[photofr]

In the entire history of SUP racing, has anyone ever lost a podium place because their board was 3-4lbs heavier than it might have been?

In the history of "a man having fun with the elements" - has anyone felt like crap because their board was heavy? (especially after 40+ km)

[ukgm]

In the entire history of SUP racing, has anyone ever lost a podium place because their board was 3-4lbs heavier than it might have been?

In the history of "a man having fun with the elements" - has anyone felt like crap because their board was heavy? (especially after 40+ km)

No. The human body alone could see nearly the same amount in day to day bodymass drift. I doubt you'd really notice it unless you're doing a lot of accelerations from low speeds (i.e. SUP surfing).

If I feel like crap, it's likely because I'm tired from training, not because I'm 4lbs over my norm at my feet. 

[photofr]

My sprint was like 11.8 kilos with the ultra light fin.
My Nelo is more than 3 kilos lighter - that's 6.6 pounds!!!!!!

A 6-pound difference is HUGE - especially when:
a) you are a super light paddler.
b) you are launching your board from one sprint to the next (during a flat water race, but especially DW).
c) you are paddling long distance

There is a remarkable difference, super noticeable on a surfski that glides way better than our slugs. But don't take my word for it. Just place a 6.6 pound water container on your next 35 km run and tell me all about it the next day.

[ukgm]

My sprint was like 11.8 kilos with the ultra light fin.
My Nelo is more than 3 kilos lighter - that's 6.6 pounds!!!!!!

A 6-pound difference is HUGE - especially when:
a) you are a super light paddler.
b) you are launching your board from one sprint to the next (during a flat water race, but especially DW).
c) you are paddling long distance

There is a remarkable difference, super noticeable on a surfski that glides way better than our slugs. But don't take my word for it. Just place a 6.6 pound water container on your next 35 km run and tell me all about it the next day.

I can only speak with any confidence about c). I intentionally dropped 14lbs over the course of 3 months last year to get ready for a bike event. I've kept it off since then. Over the length of a 2 hour paddle (15-18km), I haven't measured any reliable difference.

(note: However, I did get a real boost in speed from dropping from my 2017 race board to my 2018 that saw a drop in width of 1.5 inches. However, if I were doing sprint races or efforts, yep, physics 101 is obviously going to agree with you.)