Surfing Waves

This is a question which the slightly older gentlemen might be able to answer.

Convenience aside, is there really a difference between glass-on fins and a fin system? I've always been very curious about this. I know some people swear by them. I'm not about to get some, I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference, although i have tried fiberglass fins in a fin system and enjoyed them immensely.

Anyway, thoughts?

I have a board with glass ons and one without

the usual support for glass ons is that the connection is more solid and the fin doesnt move around. I dont notice it at all. Glass on fins are not necessarily different to normal fins, they are just glassed in. The fin itself may be exactly the same

as a general rule, I dont really see the point of them. there are significant downsides. I only have a board with them because it was a second hand board that was well priced and that is what it had. I know some shapers (but not many nowadays) think that glass ins means that you always use the 'right' fins for the board (ie the one the shaper considers is the best). Clearly thats an argument with serious logical flaws

I think if you have more time in the water than I do then maybe changing fins will matter. You have to learn to surf the board that you have under your feet and if changing fins makes a noticeable difference then it will also slow down learning to surf. I am pretty sure that if you have good fins on a board and you try another set then you won't suddenly be able to do things that you could not do before unless you are a surfer who is trying to learn things that are minor differences from what you can already do. A couple of advantages are that you can change out fins if one is damaged and you can remove them for shipping.

Concerning the question of what difference it makes. I don't think at my current state of surfing it would make much difference if the fins were glassed in or not