Fins

[954worldexplorer]

How important are fins, does it matter if they are a little chipped. Is it a noticeable difference to have glass encased honeycomb fins over plastic ones, and how do you switch fins on the board.

[jaffa1949]

Have a read of this viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16523
There are various fins systems usually on a board and it is the marriage between the two that gets the job done.

Most fins systems have an allen key ( fin key) that goes in grub screws in the board to lock or unlock the fin. Centre fins can have a different system with a plate for the screww to screw into in a long box in the board. Some fins are glassed on ( can't change them without surfboard surgery)
Some fins systems are not compatible, Futures and FCS and you cannot swap between the the two. Some fin makers make a fin that can be purchased with a base for a particular option.

Fins get dinged and can be fixed or the damage sanded out .
I suspect if you are asking these questions , that your surfing will not notice the nuances of fin types unless they are grossly wrong!
Relax and go surfing!

[waikikikichan]

Speaking on removable fin systems, the " original " Black plastic fins will be fine and easier to sand smooth if you scratch them. The newer Bone-colored plastic fins are stiffer. You don't need honey-comb fins. I don't really even like to ride them. Do I like to Sell them ?, Yes, we make more profit selling the Honey-comb fins to the half-good surfers that want to "go fast" or "do airs".

[IanCaio]

Since we are talking about fins, broke one of mine 2 days ago (the middle one). Trying to find a replacement now, but it seems like my fin system is old, and its already becoming a headache to find some new one (some brand named EFEX, with only one "base" to lock in the cup instead of two). Is there a way to change my fin system completely for, lets say, FCS (a more commom one) or the shaping job needed would make it unworth doing? (Since its a second hand "not that expensive" board)
I feel too much sliding surfing with 2 fins

[benjl]

@ian- you don't have a future fin system do you (has one screw at the back of the fin to screw the fin in to the fin-slot)?
Take a quick google for this fin system and check. If so, futures fins are common and finding replacement fins will be easy.
I did a search and found this article where someone else mentions the same problem that you have in finding this 'EFEX' system. In that case, I have no idea what they look like or how to find / fix a different fin to it sorry.
http://www.surfinghandbook.com/surfboar ... tem-guide/

@954worldexplorer- I've only been surfing a year but started playing around with fins when I moved down to a shortboard after about 4 months. Luckily enough a few different boards I brought had different fins so I got to play around with them just by chance or I probably wouldn't have ever moved away from the stock fcs m5's. A lot of people can't pick up the difference between changing fins but I noticed a huge difference to how they handled, gripped and picked up speed.
I would probably wait at least 6-12 months before you have an idea of what your surfing needs from your fins ie. more drive, more flex, more release from the fins etc and then start playing around and see what makes the biggest positive impact. Would i pay full price for the latest fins? No, but i looked around for second hand (but good quality) fins that people were trying getting rid of so at least if I didn't like them I could then re-sell them. I found more difference in the shapes and templates of fins rather than the construction so much. I still find the fcs K-3 plastic fins had about as much drive and release as any honecomb fins or other templates I've tried.
I also waited for specials on websites like www.surfstitch.com and ended up getting a carbon-stealth shapers fin set for only $56 at Xmas. You can't even get genuine plastic replacement FCS fins for that here!
I straight away felt the speed and responsiveness of these new fins over that stock plastic fins but didn't find they had enough drive on the side fins for my board. I flicked them off for $70 which then paid for a different set that i really do like (carbon-wrapped honeycomb construction).

[IanCaio]

Well, sounds like EFEX fins are pretty much dead. Talked to a guy that repairs surfboards around here and for changing the 3 fin cups for FCS ones he wants R$250, equivalent of about 100 dollars if Im not mistaken. Its almost what I paid in the board, so I skipped the bus, walked a long way back home with my board, thinked a lot, and decided Im not doing it.
I would rather put my hands at work, even though I have no experience. I have at least readed lots of material these last days about surfboard making and repairs.

Im thinking about taking the cup out with a razor, filling the hole with a resin and foam mixture or only resin, laminating and sanding it. After that glueing a fin and laminating it in the board so I would get a fix fin.

Going after the material needed now, and probably gonna be able to fix it after one or two weeks (dont want to waste this weekend swell and gotta go to countryside to solve a few boring things). Im going to post any results, be it a disaster or a great piece of work (probably it would the first and only board around the world with 2 removable fins and a fixed one!)

[waikikikichan]

If the plugs are fine, why pull them out ? Why don't you try modifying a Future fin base to fit the EFEX plug ? Can you post a photo of the plug and the side EFEX fins for us to look at .

If you have no experience fixing a ding, glassing on a fin is way way harder to do cleanly.

[IanCaio]

Im not sure if its possible to modify a future fin to fit in the cup.

Ive found a picture of the fins on google (even the key to remove the fin is thinner so I couldnt take a picture of mine):

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy ... 00-h225-nc

My cousin has some experience glassing since he works on a marine, and has to do it on boats sometimes, also a friend has some experience too, so I wouldnt be completely blind guided on the work.
I do understand though that it isnt easy, but I guess its worth trying since I cant think of other realistic solutions (that doesnt involve me paying the boards price just for fixing it )

Theres a picture of the cups I took from my board on attachments.

[jaffa1949]

I'd look at getting a futures fin and applying an angle grinder to cut the insert to a size that suits the plug. Grub screws of the right size try a good hardware store.
Do this before trying to glass on fins.
Why? The cost of the repair where you pull out the plug/s and setting the fin or fins correctly.
Get the fin placement wrong and the board will become an obstacle to surfing well.

The board is not worth much other than how it rides for you so I'd be looking at saving the money towards your next board