tunnel fin fun: A new wooden'barrel' fin

[Roy Stewart]

What we gave done is make two nearly identical hulls, one a 9'3"squaretail with a singlefin ( The 'Duke' ) the other is a 9'7" crescent tail which is going to have a stand alone wooden tunnel fin. . . this one is a development of a stand alone tunnel I built previously, and really loved. This one will be a big improvement.

The fin is a lamination of cotton cloth paulownia and epoxy with nearly 100 pieces of wood in it, it's a whopping big powerful fin. it's double foiled with a hollow trailing edge on the inside and leading edge channels on the outside.

It's hard to describe how a board with a single big tunnel feels but I'll try: it's super loose, slippery, and fast, almost like no fin at all in some ways, it's a wild feeling and anybody who like no fin boards will absolutely go crazy on one.

:monkey:

[Roy Stewart]

[Roy Stewart]

[billie_morini]

Roy,
it is beautiful. How does it behave in the surf?

[Roy Stewart]

Thanks Billie,

It's not all that easy to explain how they feel in the surf, it's a sort of slippery loose feeling, there's almost zero resistance to rolling rail to rail, and then there's the lift produced, which is another dimension again. The last one I made is a lot less powerful and can be sideslipped, which is heaps of fun as it's totally controllable.

[The Fafanator]

Looks weard, and cool. Ever tried that on a shortboard?, if not, I think you should, but put on two side fins for stability, otherwise you would just slide off. Also try and make a really small fin and put it in the middle of it, and tell us what it feels like. Keep up the creativity.

[gerk86]

^you do not know what you are talking about

[Roy Stewart]

Looks weard, and cool. Ever tried that on a shortboard?, if not, I think you should, but put on two side fins for stability, otherwise you would just slide off. Also try and make a really small fin and put it in the middle of it, and tell us what it feels like. Keep up the creativity.

Hi Fafanator,

We have used tunnels in multi fin setups since about 1998, in boards from 7 feet up to 14'9" and they are the really great, I'm totally sold on them. My most well tested and favourite setup is to put the tunnel behind a single, also we have had good results with side fins and tunnel, using very low toe in angles.


The pure tunnel we did is another kettle of fish, I really enjoyed riding it and the sideslipping was totally controllable, even though I'm no trick surfer I found the sideslipping to be quite fun and even functional. . . it only happens at low speeds when the fin is pushed hard, when the fin is moving faster it holds more strongly. . . .I have to keep in mind that the initial test board for the pure tunnel is a really extreme board which we call the IRB due to it's incredibly high volume rails this new fin is way more powerful and has leading edge channels as wll as being mounted on a thin board so it will be interesting to see how it behaves.

I have some pictures of the first pure tunnel board being ridden which I'll post if you like.

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[Mudharp]

Any videos of this being surfed?

[Roy Stewart]

The board is not quite finished yet, but here's a picture of the first tunnel only board surfing . . . because it has such high volume soft rails it's quite a good test for the fin as the rails provide almost no hold at all. We didn't have a video camera back when these were taken, just long manual focus lenses for chemical film still shots:





And some multi fin setups:

[parrysurf]

I love to see the envelope being pushed. Great vision.

In the early 90's I made a fin with a tunnel in it....first I ever saw... it was on the market soon after......not mine

Keep on pushin

[rich r]

Hope you boys put in a patent for those!

[The Fafenator]

I might be coming to NZ next week.

Would be able to rent this weard board to have a try to see if I can improve

[O_Danny_Boy]

haha wtf?

[isaluteyou]

Ive always wondered if tunnel fins are more of a novelty than actually having any practical advantages. Having never personally used one. I stand neutral Still they look pretty cool

[Roy Stewart]

I love to see the envelope being pushed. Great vision.

In the early 90's I made a fin with a tunnel in it....first I ever saw... it was on the market soon after......not mine

Keep on pushin

Thanks, funny how that sort of thing happens. These tunnels ae easy to make and install but they need to be set up on the right sort of board. . . basically any board with a flattish tail rocker.

Are you still making fins ?
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[Roy Stewart]

Hope you boys put in a patent for those!

No we did the exact opposite by publishing pictures and ride reports on the net for at least the last 5 years, also some tunnels were tried in the 60's (not very successfuly though )
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[Roy Stewart]

Ive always wondered if tunnel fins are more of a novelty than actually having any practical advantages. Having never personally used one. I stand neutral Still they look pretty cool

The only way for you to know if a fin really works is to see it in a glossy magazine endorsed by a hired jock

But seriously They are amazing and done right will add a whole new dimension to your surfing as well as loads of speed.


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[Roy Stewart]

I might be coming to NZ next week.

Would be able to rent this weard board to have a try to see if I can improve

The two pintails are sold so I can't rent those out the new tunnel board should be ready but read mine mine mine I do have a nearly new tunnel board the Power Pig which I could rent out if your wallet talks really nicely to me .


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[Roy Stewart]

This is the Power Pig: