Fin set up

[Jester]

Ah thanks Dbbb! Yeah in all my excitement over fins I'd completely ignored that rather obvious point!

The chap I bought it from had had it only a few months brand new from the summer and said he put the sides in coz he was getting nowhere with it! So I'm looking forward to how I'll feel with a looser board when I take them out for an experiment this weekend.

I was extremely fortunate to pick up basically a brand new titanic with L plates, not a scratch on it including board sock and car straps for a third of the price of a new one!! saved me some moola for other things

[benjl]

Hey guys

I've just picked up an 8'0 minimal with a longboard fin box. I've got two fcs GX fins as side bites but how big do I go with the centre fin? 7"?
Also, if I got a 7" centre fin would there be any advantages of using fcs G5 sides instead of the sidebites for more hold and direction on turns?

Cheers

[jaffa1949]

Have look at the tail rocker, the bigger the tail rocker the more it will be of a longboard short /board performance.
8" would the maximum I would go and try it at various places in the fin box.
Try it as a single, and then, I think the G5s would make you a little over finned, but again this can be tuned out somewhat by placement of the centre fin.
If you are over finned the board will feel stiff and tend to track.
Thrusters were originally three equal fins, but that thinking has changed quite a bit, it the tail rocker is performance (that is more rockered) then the thruster option works a little better.
You will need to learn about the trim spot on a long board where the board can be worked to give continual acceleration and to use cross stepping to move back and forward .
Good fun and will enhance your style greatly
Adds a lot more days to be able to surf too!

[benjl]

Thanks Jaffa.

Annoyingly the seller didn't give me the hardware to screw in the centre fin so I couldn't try it with it in. Funnily enough the seller said that it rode better with no back fin- I tell you what, try doing a bottom turn in a hollow 3ft wave with no centre fin!! Lol a new skill set I tell u.
I was basically just turning the board by digging it's rails in!

The board seems to have a decent amount of overall rocker and u can see the tail lift in the water when the board lies flat so I'm guessing it's somewjat performance orientated. It's definately more rocketed than another 8'0 I tried last week.
I started to get some shuffling up and down the board to help turn it so it will be great once I get a proper back in there!
The one he's given me looks huge and jams in the fin box so I doubt it's even for a surfboard??

[benjl]

Ps. I've also got a 7'0 (slightly pointed nose) minimal. Would my fcs k3 fins work on that to give it more drive and more release from the smaller back fin or best to stick with its G5 thruster set?

[jaffa1949]

Pictures of the fin and the boards on a flat surface then one of the boxes.
longboard stuff always look huge,particularly if its for a really big board

If you want to try the fins just go for it then your body will know what works and what doesn't, amazingly it will get you really feeling the board to actually try all the variants you have.

[Jester]

Just a small update.. I took out the sides and went for a surf the last two weekends. First weekend was pretty small so couldn't tell much and when I got to my feet there was no power left and very little chance to turn. I've noticed being such a beginner that when you don't have speed behind you the chances of affecting a turn are slim to none!! (Or I'm just still doing it wrong) found myself having to get forward on the board just to keep it moving on the few inches of wave height..tried stepping back on the fins to make a turn and it immediately bogged the back end down and I could feel myslef losing the wave so back on the gas and hot-footing it forward was the only way I could keep going.. Straight that is!

All change today when I got some bigger stuff and proper rideable waves!! I guess I'm saying this experience mostly for the frustrated beginners who may read and know what its like to be locked forward heading for the beach in small stuff. The bigger waves gave me more speed, I definitely know how to turn it just sort of happens naturally when the board is moving faster.. You can step back over the fins, the board suddenly feels mega responsive, everything starts feeling right! If a beginner like me gets stuck just on small waves they'll never know how amazing it can feel and how it's not the boards fault you can't turn, so don't give up or get discouraged! I advise just find a wave more around waist height or slightly bigger and feel that thing suddenly change direction a heck of a lot quicker!!!

Sorry tangent over.. The single fin was awesome on it's own, Uncle Jaffa you'd be so proud I definitely felt it planed through the water better on the paddle out. I think it turned a bit easier too but I'm still too inexperienced to know if the difference was the fins, me, the waves or the moon being in the forth quarter with Jupiter rising! Gotta say though, I definitely didn't notice the board crab so much underneath me so I'm wondering again if my original thought about the sides pulling might still be a factor combined with the current of the water moving too. Anyway gonna be playing around with more setups for the hell of it but good surf today! Stoked!!!

[dtc]

Great stuff - yes, without speed you cant knock out sharp turns. On small waves it becomes a matter of slowly inching around (or just starting off at an angle and cruising along the face without turns). Some of the really small 'grovellor' boards (5ft6 and 3inches thick) overcome this, I gather, but I've never surfed one.

I suspect you found the board turned easier because you had too much fin to start with, so removing reduced your drive and some of the speed, but meant the board wasn't tracking forward but let you turn.

Now inch the fin forward a little bit and see if that helps - although, that said, I am a fan of not adjusting too much at once. Do 4 or 5 surfs with it 'as is' and get used to it, then you can better assess whether future changes are good or bad

[thejoete]

Hi guys,

I have a question about 2+1 setups and seeing as there are so many posts regarding the issue, I thought I'd ask here (sorry didn't mean to hijack your post).

I am waiting for my board and it's driving me nuts so now I'm fin shopping. It's a 9'1 x 22 x 2 3/4 longboard but I want the flexibility of surfing it single and 2+1.

I am looking at a 6.25" center fin plus sidebites. This is the part I get confused the most --- this is a silly question but could I just use a regular thruster fin as sidebites or would it be too big? I initially wanted to get tiny sidebites but hard to come by. Seeing as a lot of the sidebites available are over 4" (someone mentioned that the McTavish side fins are 4.25"), I have my eyes on a thruster set with a 4.42" height (4.29" base). Would that be too big or would it work with the 6.25" center fin?


I saw Jaffa post using bonzer side fins and it looks interesting too.


P.S.
I'm 5'4", roughly 125-128lbs if this makes a difference.

[Jester]

Heya Joete, you must be so excited to be getting your new board!! Did you have one before or is this your first??

I know that Uncle Jaffa will tell you that when running as a single fin you'll need an inch of fin for every foot of board. Your board is 9 foot so you're probably gonna need a 9inch centre fin when run as a single.

Disclaimer: (I don't know what I'm talking about - esp compared to those above me!)
But I am gonna guess that a 6.25 centre with 4.45 sides will be probably quite nice! Like a thruster but a bit more centre which you'll need for such a big board. I have a BIC 8'4 that came with an 8" centre and two 4.5 sides, I've taken the sides out and just like you would love to get my mitts on a small pair of baby fins like Jaffa has!
I think your setup sounds ace with the 6.5 and two 4's though! Jaffa has a fin post on here and they have way more wisdom than me so when they chime in they'll be able to put you straight

How long are you surfing and what's your local break like? BTW I'm curious, your 5'4 and your board is 9'1.. That's a lot of board for someone who isn't a porker!! What made you choose that size? Do you like longboarding??

[jaffa1949]

AH , Thejoete, the Bonzer set , it s a bit of an outlay, and is available in FCS system but you have to buy the full quad set,
FCS B5 the small pair have a depth of 2.09" and the larger 2.76".
If you have a Futures system then Roy Stewart can 3D print Bonzer fins to fit.
Most of the time I just ride single fin and only put in the side bites when I am surfing more serious stuff. BTW more serious stuff for me is about 8ft
Basically a 2+1 set up allows you to pick and choose varying from a thruster set up with equal size fins to whatever. simple rule the bigger the side bites the smaller the centre can be.
Other factors like tail rocker and fin shapes will determine your centre fin size.
Don't get hung up on theory go surfing acquire fins as you go, your surfing and your fin set will evolve.

Tell me what system you use there are other fins I have used that are not across the range.

[thejoete]

Hi Jester,

Thanks for your input! This is gonna be my first board and yes it is so exciting that there are days I am so anxious! I actually had a local shaper make me one but they totally messed up the measurements and it ended up being too wide for me to even paddle properly. I first surfed around 2009 and I've done it on and off during vacations and whatnot. I started getting serious just last year - I'm land-locked and the closest beach is 3 hours away but the beach I go to is 5 hours away. It's mostly beach breaks near me the really nice surf is in another part of the country which is a plane ride away (Cloud 9, Majestic, etc). That pretty much explains my longboard plus I wanna be able to noseride I am hoping to progress to a 7'6 by the end of the year. Is the paddling the only big difference? That's the part I found most challenging when I started learning.

Wow, that's some serious stuff Jaffa! Hahaha Well, to be honest, I really haven't got it all figured out since I surf whatever I can. These days I just rent a board so whatever is available. I figured since my board will have a 2+1 fin box I could mix it up. It's a performance type longboard of sorts so I kinda wanted to try the 2+1 fin setup above. I just wasn't sure and didn't wanna buy too big of fins for the sides since I got my eyes on that 6.25" center fin.

Oh, I think it's gonna be FCS compatible system.

Thanks for the advice guys! I'm prolly gonna get the 2+1 fin setup just to get a hang of it then compare it to single fin and play around.

[jaffa1949]

Flying to the surf zones of the Philippines, some great spots there. You should have fun playing with various set ups. Classic waves even at small sizes enhance the whole experience.

[thejoete]

Yeah we do have great spots here... One day I can surf the bigger tougher reef breaks. That's the goal but for now I am having a lot of fun with small waves.

One last thing, would there be a significant difference from say, 6.5" center fin vs 7.5" center fin? Assuming my sidebites are around 4.5"? I am leaning towards just the single fin since it's a lot easier - slap on a 9" and good to go. Hahaha

[Jester]

It's so exciting about your new board, you gotta post some pics of it when it arrives! I feel your pain, I'm landlocked too but my local beach is only an hour away but the good ones are 2,3 and 5 away. I spent a good part of last night looking at new boards and drooling so getting a new one must be awesome!!

How do you plan to transport it that distance btw? My 8'4 JUST fits inside my car. I'm thinking that depending on shape at your height and weight you could probably get on a 7'6 right now without too many ill effects. What board do you hire when you go now?? I'm just thinking that when you do progress it might get easier to transport if you can get one to fit inside your car having said that you want to noseride so the longer board is gonna be amazing for that. I think I remember waikikichan saying that you can noseride anything that you can paddle-kneel on?! Someone with more knowledge can correct me! But then your 9'1 is more designed for that.

I'd love to start doing cross-stepping!! It looks so cool, have you checked out kelia moniz and 'wingnut'?? Amazing nose riders! actually Jaffa put up a video on here of a wave at noosa that was the most amazing show of noseriders taken from a drone..so sooo good, I don't know how to link it but maybe Uncle J could help out?

Found this Question and response from 'wingnut' himself regarding fins you might find interesting, it has a bearing on what you're asking for your board.. Hope it's OK to replicate it here.. Surf Patrol?

Q

I have a new 10' Infinity epoxy noserider, and I am having trouble with my technique riding the nose (all the way) and controlling the edge.

(Note: My board has what is called a "Cluster V", meaning the thruster fins are very large and the center fin is the standard 7 1/2" fin.)

So besides asking if you can suggest some noseriding basics, which will help a guy like me (I weigh 215 lbs) look as good as the women noseriders out there who have me beat by 100 lbs and 5-10 years more of noseriding experience, I would like to know if this "Cluster V" which give me great turning ability is also making it harder to direct the board when I am up on the nose?

Also, do you think if I removed the thruster fins and go with a single large fin, like you see on most longboards, do you think that would help me in three-foot faces went all I really want to do is track?
asked by Mark Rodgers, Oahu

A

Longboard superstar Robert "Wingnut" Weaver replies:

To start with....

In the small surf you are right -- go for a single fin set up, it'll let you direct the board from the front; the large side fins of the "cluster" do track -- which is fine if you find a line and want to keep going along that line. But if you need to do adjustments to the line, the large side fins will not allow it.

But the large side fins will also help prevent the tail from slipping out -- a common problem with boards that have hard edges in the tail.

So go for a 10 inch single fin and keep it in the back of the box. If it's too stiff, move it forward. (But a nice epoxy board should be light enough to muscle around in small surf...)

You know you have a good board -- now just modify the fins for different conditions.

good luck

*hope that helps

[thejoete]

Thanks for that Jester! At this point, I'm actually just overthinking it. The waves I surf are gentle beach breaks so no problem with the tail slipping out or whatever.

Yes! I've seen a lot of videos of amazing noseriders and lots from Australia (Noosa, Byron Bay, etc) you guys have such beautiful long peelers and I would love to learn to noseride and enjoy those! I'm working on my cross-stepping. I hire a 9'0-9'1... Never surfed anything smaller yet so I'm quite nervous but I've read that with my height and weight I can go for a 7'6. That's my next board by the end of the year if I can wait that long! Anyway, everyone I asked advised me to go for at least a 9'0 for noseriding so I'd like to have that in my quiver anyways. I initially wasn't that interested in progressing to a shortboard but the more I watch and learn, the more I wanna be able to pump and get barrelled.

You're lucky your board fits inside your car. I have a soft rack that seems to do the trick although I get a bit nervous the whole ride. So for now that will do. I'm actually trying to surf as much as I can now since it's cheap to go to beach resorts here and I usually have a guide with me just because I don't like the idea of being alone in the beach. We go really early so we end up having the whole beach to ourselves. There are way too many tourists who don't really follow etiquette and have seen close calls. I already got hit in the face by someone's softtop and I was thankful it wasn't an epoxy board. How's the surf in Ireland? You guys must get interesting waves there!

[Jester]

Ouch!! Yeah I managed to hit myself in the head when my board came down out of the sky and I was looking around for it.. Suddenly it's raining surfboards!!

Ireland is amazing for surf but then I've not surfed too many other places. My local beach break is very hit and miss though and gets quite a lot of onshore chop but the west coast of Ireland is amazing! I was out last wkend and there was about 12 guys all sat out in the lineup and we watched the sun breaking through the clouds and the mist gathering around the cliffs of moher. It was quite an experience, almost ethereal. Everyone was commenting on it and felt like it was a gift just sitting there.

It's really cool to build a quiver, I'd like to do a few more swishy turns but I've found that as I'm learning they're starting to come and I'm pretty confident I can get them eventually on my 8'4.. Just need some bigger waves and a smidge more talent

I'm looking at a 7'6 as my next board too! But now you've got me thinking about a purpose built noserider there's something about that glide and trim and pure style that I'm totally loving. I see drop knee turns and I go all wibbly and misty-eyed.

[jaffa1949]

Only an Irish surfer would go wibbly

[Jester]

It's like goofy Jaffa but with more Guinness involved

[Big H]

Look familiar? Thanks Jaffa; loving this 9" with smaller size bonzers in this Tolhurst 9'6"....rode it as a single but seemed like it became easier to handle especially in bigger waves with the mini bites. I'm not good enough to really put this the equipment through its paces, but I fall less on steeper waves and have better hold on the face...still feels like a single fin and catches waves like one (drag is less than with the traditional sized sidebies I tried)...love it!