Fin set up

[Big H]

Pics of the 9'6" and the 7'8"

[dtc]

Different rail length, different rail shape or thickness, fin box slightly different distance from tail or rails, different bottom concaves. One or many of these mean a fin works for one board and not another. For example, 2 boards with identical dims but one has a channel botton will obviously want different fins. Your boards may not be so obviously different, but they are different enough.

The 'rules of fin' are just general and will usually get you at least, say, 75% of the way there. Want to go beyond that, it's pretty much a question of experimentation and tweaking.

Don't ask why a fn works, it just is.

[Big H]

Figured....which is why I just keep trying different combinations. Surfing time I have; I'll sort it eventually. Just looking for a short cut and thought it interesting and wanted to bring it to the discussion floor that fin draft (length) is not as dependent on total boardlength as I thought it might have been.

[Big H]

Split the sesh today; first half with a shortboard, second half with the Alexander 7'8". Was on a hollow beach break, long period waves about +2ft OH and used this single fin on the 7'8". It's 9 ", and no bonz sideys...so less drive and easier to turn but solid hold with the longer than what I've been using 9" fin...paddled well, felt good underfoot...think I've found the fin for the board, at least when it's pumping.

[Big H]

Changed the longboard from the cutaway to this....gives a little more positive drive and less wandering at slow speeds. Still as easy to turn; albeit probably more a function of me learning to stomp on the tail / improved technique than the fin.

I have the larger bonzer rears now, only had the fronts before (and previously flat foiled....new set is 50-50 front and rear and feels faster when paddling and riding....esp noticeable when paddling) that I want to try in bigger surf when it happens with the same center fin.

[Big H]

....and they are orange which I like (note the foam roller in the background).

[Big H]

So since I apparently can't leave well enough alone, I surfed the last four days using the same center fin and position but changed the bites with the larger bonzer fins from the set. I figured if I had found something that felt great and worked well I could of couse improve on that.

In more powerful waves it went ok though paddling required more effort and felt draggy....once up board turned a bit more slowly and could really feel it on getting up as the timing of the turn to spin it down the line was off as I had to really stomp the tail and it still came around slowly. Felt really solid going down the line in bigger waves though....couldn't get past the felling that it was slower....maybe just mental. Going to put the old set up back in; it seemed the best I'd tried so far.

[jaffa1949]

One thing I'd say about the bonzer set ups, without the Venturii concave channels the result is a poor shadow of the interplay between channel and fins.
There is some improvement as a 2+1 with the different cant like the nub fins too, but the bigger fins are design to work in quad formation and a double concave angling into the fin toe in, the bigger ones probably just relate to being over finned then need to apply more power to drive the fins ,

[Big H]

I like the smaller fronts....seem to work well with the 7.5" fin....can't comment on the channels cause I ain't got them, but I do have a box of fins and like to play around with them.....single 9" dolphin probably works as good as anything, but I'm having fun....

[Big H]

Maybe I'll surf a single in the morning....going to a place with big fat waves and need to have some decent paddle power to get in....single is the best for paddling but the nubs help with stability and give a little more drive & hold (less wobbles).....

[Big H]

New direction....put in a 10" dolphin and no bites, took it out in overhead barreling surf and had the best rides of my short surfing life....hold, drive, food paddle, quick turning....the hold was really good, board a little looser than before but locked in hard when engaging the tail and laying into turns....it is a big mother of a fin, wonder how it will be on a day when it's not firing like today...good times!

[Big H]

I have been using the 9" FCS dolphin (looks like the above but an inch shorter) for awhile and haven't changed it around....haven't really surfed the longboard unless it's a small day so with infrequent use I don't tinker and have left it alone. Recently a friend went home to Hawaii for a couple of weeks so I asked him to get some fins which aren't available here.....specifically I asked for True Ames Greenough 4-a's in 7.5, 8.5 and 9.75 lengths. The 9.75 is for the longboard and so far I've taken it out twice, once with the fin all the way forward and once with it all the way back....base is so wide the difference in the fin box is about an inch and a half.....anyway, I liked it better all the way back and had a very good sesh that day.....solid hold on bottom turns and felt like I got some projection coming out of the turns....lively....I kept in mind what Unc Jaffa and Wchan had said about the fin and tried my best to allow it to load.....mixed results but I'd say when I forgot about it and just surfed I did some of my best surfing to date with a longboard and the board just felt more lively and fun to ride....more drive as well. Part was down to the fin I think and part down to me being better and riding the biggest surf I've ridden at Balangan with a longboard.....Balangan has a fairly powerful wave, especially in comparison to Batu Bolong, Seminyak or Dreamland which is where I usually longboard and is much fatter. Fin held and I shot out of bottom turns.....good times!

I'll get a pic here for the collection later when I remember.

[Big H]

I want to try the 7.5 with side bites and the 8.5 in my 7'8" single fin.....so busy, so many things to do!!!

[Big H]

Fin still in the all the way forward position. Will take it back now. Look at the width on the base.

[mjames]

You guys just cost me $50 on a 6.5" fin for the 9'2

[Big H]

You guys just cost me $50 on a 6.5" fin for the 9'2

What did you get mjames and how is it working out?

[jaffa1949]

You guys just cost me $50 on a 6.5" fin for the 9'2

That's less that $10 an inch! You will hear the song. "slip,sliding away" , whenever you go out! particularly if you have strong tail rocker!

[mjames]

I have been riding the 9'2 with a big Harbour Surf 9" single fin but decided last session to put on an 8" with side bites.... Paddling out I felt like I had a weight on the back of the board so I started reading through the forum and came upon this thread...and then picked up a reasonably price 6.5" to use with the side bites. Going to take it out on Saturday, I'll update. I'm excited at the possibility of being able to get into the wave earlier but having a little more maneuverability instead of having to slam on the tail and try to man handle the board into the pocket.

[Big H]

I changed longboards since the above posts and have a different setup now....I'll take a pic later but I'm running a 2+1 as well....center fin is this in 5.5"......really pleased so far.

Looking forward to hearing how that fin setup works out for you.

[mjames]

Thought I'd check back in and let everyone know the 6.5" w/side bites on the 9'2" longboard is magical, really glad I found this thread and gave it a shot.