Author Topic: Best fin to surf a 14’ downwind board?  (Read 2436 times)

Ripple

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Best fin to surf a 14’ downwind board?
« on: March 10, 2019, 07:20:10 PM »
Hi, I am after suggestions and recommendations on fins to use on my blue planet bump rider 14’ x 27” for surfing 3 to 6 ft waves.

Also can anyone explain to a novice how the different parameters such as fin length, rake, width, and sweep affect the performance of the board?

Cheers

Area 10

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Re: Best fin to surf a 14’ downwind board?
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2019, 07:27:44 PM »
I use a 10” FCS Fat Boy to surf my downwind boards (including unlimited boards). Or a True Ames 10” Squirrel Cutaway, which is very similar.

As for a tutorial on fins, there is another thread here on that. It would take some time to write. There are some basic summaries on the interweb surf sites.

Everyone differs in what they are looking for out of a fin, so expect to get quite a lot of different answers to your question.

Ripple

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Re: Best fin to surf a 14’ downwind board?
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2019, 07:42:50 PM »
Thanks, incidentally the 10” fatboy is the fin I’ve bought in a rush to get back in the water after loosing my 9” fcs connect in the surf. Glad to hear that I’ve picked a good one.
With more time to choose now, I’m after a fin which will make the board turn sharper from the tail.

burchas

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Re: Best fin to surf a 14’ downwind board?
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2019, 09:55:03 PM »
Hi, I am after suggestions and recommendations on fins to use on my blue planet bump rider 14’ x 27” for surfing 3 to 6 ft waves.

Also can anyone explain to a novice how the different parameters such as fin length, rake, width, and sweep affect the performance of the board?

Cheers

Take a look at this thread, where master fin maker goes through shapes and explain their functions and when not to choose. You might get some I idea
what to look for in your next fin.

https://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php?topic=31121.75

Everyone has their own choices for their specific reasons so it's better to look at it in a more general way. I use 3 different fins on the bump rider each
totally different and serves its purpose in the intended conditions
« Last Edit: March 10, 2019, 09:59:49 PM by burchas »
in progress...

Area 10

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Re: Best fin to surf a 14’ downwind board?
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2019, 02:06:20 AM »
Thanks, incidentally the 10” fatboy is the fin I’ve bought in a rush to get back in the water after loosing my 9” fcs connect in the surf. Glad to hear that I’ve picked a good one.
With more time to choose now, I’m after a fin which will make the board turn sharper from the tail.
Well, then get a smaller fin, and one that has less rake (like a pivot fin). But bear  in mind that fin choices are just a matter of weighing up one set of advantages and disadvantages over another. There will always be a limit to how tightly a 14ft board will turn, and the fin is only one component that determines it. (Incidentally, the rider is the most important one.) You can end up with a board that can turn faster, but is also very difficult to control and prone to spinning out, which is not great with a big 14ft board in decent-size waves.

 


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