do fin systems matter?

[baja fresk]

hey guys

i just traded in my board for a 5'10 al merrick sashimi. its soo badass. anyway i got the FCS GAM fins with it and i notice theyre just like..bleh. i got the new h2 fins for only 50 bucks and that new 3D red tip, i cant wait to test em out. anyway i was comparing them all and figured out a fin system (h2 side fins with 3d as centre for waist high and below / all 3 h2 fins for waves between waist and head / and then the GAM fins with the h2 centre fin for head high and above)

anyway i cant help but notice all the ads for fins adn how they ALL say they make you go faster or flex more or have more drive etc. they all seem to be saying the same thing and are the best.

so i was just wondering if anyone here has a different fin system for certain conditions adn actually notice a difference in their performance.

[Laguna]

Hey, I was curious about different fins aswell, cause when I bought my new board, the guy in the shop suggested I ask a surf shop to loan me different fins to try out because they make a big difference. I didnt think such a small thing could make such a big difference.

So I am wondering whats the difference in fins and whats the best

[drowningbitbybit]

Ah... fins... complicated things...

A tricky one to explain the intricacies and details, and Im no expert on fin dynamics so I wont even try!

But, yes, they can make a huge difference.
There's obvious stuff like single/two/three fin set ups, but assuming we're talking about changing the fin set up on a given board then its a case of trying it out and seeing what you like.

The sixe of the fin is important (big fin = more stability, generally), but also the shape and angle in relation to the board

For an example, Ive got a 7'4 funboard in my quiver which I always rode like a mini-mal until I smacked the fins on a sandbar. Then I replaced them with a slightly smaller and more splayed set of fins... and it immediately meant I ride it like a shortboard

To be honest, I dont think you can work this one out without trying lots of different fins, so if you can do that then do it!

If not, talk to your local shaper about what you want out of your fin (more/less stability, drive, turnability) and let them decide for you

[k mac]

www.swaylocks.com ......'nuff said

[Brent]

Fins; here we go...
I've got & use the h2's, the red tip and the various FG series in 3's & 5's.

The H2's in my opinion are not as good as the marketing suggests. They turn on a dime yes, they look cool with all that trailing edge,extra cant & toe in....but in a straight line...nope. They're not as fast as FG-3's or 5's. They work great in small waves, but get vary twitchy in anything over shoulder high. In my opinion they add more drag than most people realise, just stick em in your board and look at the board nose-on. They must add drag - the side fins are angled in about 11 degrees.
But they do look cool :-)

Red Tip. Yes. This beast works - it's a copy of a fin made in Aussie in the late 1980's by some guy who watched America's cup yacht keel design closely (can't remember his name). I use mine on a mini-gun (6'7") with FG-5's on the sides and this thing in the middle. It is fantastic in any large sloppy windswell conditions or waves with a rough cross-chop, it stablises the board and stops the tail hopping & skipping down rough faces...the faces that would otherwise throw you off. Doing big fast carves & turns with this fin is a dream, it piviots off the top just like a normal fin, it just stablises the whole rear of the board. I can't say enough good things about this fin. But only in these conditions. I tried it in my hybrid fish when I first got it. And it was too "tight", the board wouldn't turn hard & fast - so this fin is for bigger & steeper waves when you're travelling fast. But that should be obvious from it's design.

If you want to try a fun experiment with your new board; use the complete set of H2's in small waves...and then borrow a GS trailer or a GX middle fin and stick that straight in and paddle out again for a few more waves & see what happens.

Use the Red Tip with your GAMS in bigger waves.

[k mac]

still im determined to surf without fins one day and see the difference

[sinistapenguin]

k mac - tell me when you're gonna do it, I'd love to see it!

Apparently (bearing in mind this is from the movie North Shore) the ancient Hawaiians didn't have any fins on their boards and they used to drag the toes of their back foot in the water to give them some traction!!

I've been surfing for 16 years (give or take) and have only just got my first board with FCS - I never really understood the difference fins can make.

Drowning's post intrigued me:

For an example, Ive got a 7'4 funboard in my quiver which I always rode like a mini-mal until I smacked the fins on a sandbar. Then I replaced them with a slightly smaller and more splayed set of fins... and it immediately meant I ride it like a shortboard

So by this assumption I may be able to make my mini-mal much looser? The only thing is I have no idea what fins I have on my board, or how to change the 'splay'. Any tips would be greatly received!!

Cheers

Sinista

[drowningbitbybit]

Drowning's post intrigued me:

For an example, Ive got a 7'4 funboard in my quiver which I always rode like a mini-mal until I smacked the fins on a sandbar. Then I replaced them with a slightly smaller and more splayed set of fins... and it immediately meant I ride it like a shortboard

So by this assumption I may be able to make my mini-mal much looser? The only thing is I have no idea what fins I have on my board, or how to change the 'splay'. Any tips would be greatly received!!

Yes, thats right. You can really loosen it up
Well, you can if you're not already on 'loose' fins.

When I first had the 7'4, it was my first 'real' board, and so the shaper put in some F5 458 Future Fins, which are quite chunky, and the outer fins have a real 'edge' to them ie the outside is curved but the inside of the fin is more or less flat.
The board was very stable, and quite slow - ideal for someone just finding their feet

Then a particularly inept bottom turn at Bournemouth snapped 'em!

So I got them replaced having spoken to the shaper again and he sent... damn, I cant remember the number.... (I can find out if you're interested, but only any use if your on futures and not FCS). Anyway, they're ever so slightly smaller, and a little more 'splayed' and also are shaped inside and out.

The first time I paddled out with them (at croyde) it was a transformation - suddenly it generated speed much much quicker and I had to shift my weight right back and start to turn it like a shortboard


So well worth the change


Ive now got futures on all my boards, so one day Im going to spend an entertaining afternoon swapping them round and seeing the effect - 7'4 funboard with hybrid fish fins anyone?

[sinistapenguin]

Cheers D

I'm guessing the fins I have are the cheapest/ standard fins you get with a new board. I haven't even looked at them that closely. They're just black with no markings at all!!

They're definitely FCS though. I never really thought about changing until I read this thread. I then went and looked at how expensive they are and thought 'Damn'!

I like the look of the wierd 3D red tip thing - especially if it does what it says on the tin.

I find that when I'm trying to turn quickly, the board feels like it wants to, but there's something missing - probably power.

I'm convinced that the board I have is shaped to be quicker and looser than it is, if fins can make that much difference, I need to get me some.

Looks like I'm gonna have to do some research and get me some new fins!

Thanks everyone!

Sinista

[moncho]

sounds like a physics degree is required to understand all this. especially with a girl's brain that can't handle things like aerodynamics (hydrodynamics?)
I saw one of these bad boy longboard fins in a shop the other week... what on earth are they supposed to do?! anything? or just look monstrous?

[baja fresk]

Fins; here we go...
I've got & use the h2's, the red tip and the various FG series in 3's & 5's.

The H2's in my opinion are not as good as the marketing suggests. They turn on a dime yes, they look cool with all that trailing edge,extra cant & toe in....but in a straight line...nope. They're not as fast as FG-3's or 5's. They work great in small waves, but get vary twitchy in anything over shoulder high. In my opinion they add more drag than most people realise, just stick em in your board and look at the board nose-on. They must add drag - the side fins are angled in about 11 degrees.
But they do look cool

Red Tip. Yes. This beast works - it's a copy of a fin made in Aussie in the late 1980's by some guy who watched America's cup yacht keel design closely (can't remember his name). I use mine on a mini-gun (6'7") with FG-5's on the sides and this thing in the middle. It is fantastic in any large sloppy windswell conditions or waves with a rough cross-chop, it stablises the board and stops the tail hopping & skipping down rough faces...the faces that would otherwise throw you off. Doing big fast carves & turns with this fin is a dream, it piviots off the top just like a normal fin, it just stablises the whole rear of the board. I can't say enough good things about this fin. But only in these conditions. I tried it in my hybrid fish when I first got it. And it was too "tight", the board wouldn't turn hard & fast - so this fin is for bigger & steeper waves when you're travelling fast. But that should be obvious from it's design.

If you want to try a fun experiment with your new board; use the complete set of H2's in small waves...and then borrow a GS trailer or a GX middle fin and stick that straight in and paddle out again for a few more waves & see what happens.

Use the Red Tip with your GAMS in bigger waves.

damn brent ur right. i was using the red tip with the h2's in small waves for some reason. does that work too or is the red tip only for bigger waves?

so here's my updated fin system thanks to brent (i only have GAMs, h2's, and the red tip):

full set of h2's in anything below chest high. GAMs with red tip in anything chest high and above. (but there are many other fin combination possibilities with these sets! i.e. GAMs with h2 center or h2's with GAM center....theres too many!)

but i have to ask, what conditions would i use the h2's and the red tip as the center? cause you have to admit..that fin system looks badass

[sinistapenguin]

I was just looking about and the G-CRV fins look awesome.



They're supposed to make any board feel 6 inches shorter cos they provide a bit of lift.

I was thinking about a pair of these on the sides and a shorter centre fin - what do you guys think?

Imagine these with a red tip!! Awesome!

[sinistapenguin]

[Brent]

Correct; Um, on the question of h2's on the side & red tip in the middle - well, I've never found that to work, reason being, the h2's are a set of fins for turns, sharp arcs, the have little surface area and have little hold. Yet the Red tip is designed for hold & going really fast with stability.

So (in my opinion) they're designed for a totally different set of conditions.

I've never tried those CRV fins; I imagine they would feel like big twin fin sides, MRX or whatever.

Tell you one thing to try, do borrow a GS trailer and slap it in your small wave board. Hilarious. Like riding a skateboard with loose trucks.

[sinistapenguin]

I checked my board this morning and I've got G-Rs on it.

Don't know anything about them apart from what I've just read on the net:

The GR was developed by Rusty Preisendorfer. It is one of the larger fins in the range and designed to draw out turns on big powerful faces. This fin is recommended for bigger surfers or more powerful surf where the board requires extra hold.

Not really me - I wouldn't describe myself as big or powerful, plus I NEVER get to ride big, powerful faces!!

I might pop the center one out next time I go to see what the difference is - just for a laugh!!

[Driftingalong]

I've got G-R fins as well. I got them when I got my first new board (2nd board total). I didn't know any thing about fins (still don't know much), and the guy at the shop gave me the G-R set. He just said that they were a really good set of fins and that I would like them a lot. I'm not a bigger surfer, and I don't surf big powerful waves. However, they do seem to provide a lot of drive through turns and even when catching waves. They do turn really well for me too (nice and smooth).

[Phil]

you know its really nice to read a thread on fins without roy going on about how amazing tunnel fins are so glad swaylocks unbaned him

[sinistapenguin]

Editing:

you know its really nice to read a thread on fins without roy going on about how amazing tunnel fins are so glad swaylocks unbaned him

[Phil]

[Dopey]