Surfing Waves

Long story short, am getting a new fin from an online store no cost to me. As a beginner am looking for something not to performancey and was tossing up between fluid foils dolphin or the fluid foils single fin 9" for my 9'6". To my eyes they look similiar but can see some subtle differences. Was hoping someone could explain them to me. Found a site with them next to each other (not the site I'm getting them from)
Realise at my stage I wont notice much out on the water but am curious.
Thanks
http://store.magicseaweed.com/Longboard-Fins/Browse/31/

Hi APH I'd go the dolphin fin , I looked at the site you posted and yeah a little difference , but IMO the dolphin fin will do both the single and with the side bites. You can loosen the turning ability by moving the centre fin towards the nose and tighten by moving it towards the tail.
If you have the side bites in I suggest you do not move the centre fin further forward than the rear of the base of the side bites beyond that you create a drag conflict with the flows from the fins on each other and the board will really lock up.

As a rule of thumb broader base of fin tighter and more power delivered in turn but harder to change within the turn.
Narrow tip of fin upper face release and change of direction release, flex can add drive through the arc of the turn as per old Greenough fins but they could snap under the force catapulting you every which way.

Get a pencil and mark your centre fin box as to where you place the fin for various surf types gives you insight as to what you are doing.
Go out and play especially with summer coming on

Thanks for the input jaffa. Was leaning towards the dolphin as it seems an all rounder. And re catapulting, don't need fins to snap for that. Should have seen me this morning. Could get a job with cirque de soleil with the amount of time I spent flying through the air with a nice tuck and roll along the reef. Finding my paddling improving but the ol' nosedive is a bit of a problem. It seems to be a fine balancing act finding the exact spot to be lying without pearling or jamming the brakes on. Part of the learning curve I guess and my board is getting a nice collection of X marks scratched in the wax for my sweet spot marks

Well my fin arrived today.Fluid 9" dolphin and have installed it. But have noticed the rear footing is sitting slightly proud by 3-4 millimetres where as the front end is sitting pretty flush with the board, maybe slightly inside the box. Have I done something wrong or it normal and not important? It seems to be sitting tightly. It came with some plastic shims which I didn't use as the tail isn't loose.

APH wrote:Well my fin arrived today.Fluid 9" dolphin and have installed it. But have noticed the rear footing is sitting slightly proud by 3-4 millimetres where as the front end is sitting pretty flush with the board, maybe slightly inside the box. Have I done something wrong or it normal and not important? It seems to be sitting tightly. It came with some plastic shims which I didn't use as the tail isn't loose.

I'm glad the dolphin fin is proud to be with you
Mark where it sits flush with the top of the fin box then get ou you favourites sanding or grinding tool and grind it down to that mark. it's no big deal but is better done
m
Merry Christmas, hope you get a swell time

Merry Christmas to you too Jaffa and everyone else on the forum
OK forgive me because I was blonde a long time ago before my hair migrated from the front of my head to my shoulders, but did you mean grind from the end that fits into the box or grind where the fin ends and the rectangle begins to extend the fin length down to the deck? If the first I wouldnt have thought it would do much as the pins are fitting fine in the channel unless I put the shims in at the front end to lift and pivot the rear down? Or do I have to channel the inner sculpture within myself and choose option B?

Let's go back a step before we grind, as I think I wasn't quite listening, try the shims at the front especially if the screw area is slightly below the surface of the fin box and a shim would lift it and tilt the rear further into the box.
Hey try the board without doing anything, may not be needed but if it's noticeable well then.
If the fin can't go further into the rear because it is bottoming out then you can shave the bottom of the fin where it goes into the box but not the sides as long as it doesn't weaken the lugs for the slot.

If you feel that too much material is going to removed near the lugs then the rear of the fin that protrudes above the box is the answer.
If you need further help I'll do a drawing but I'm a bit Christmased at the moment