1 fin or 3

All surfing hardware topics here. Boards, leashes, racks, wetsuits, boardies, surfgear, ding repair, wetsuit repair, surf wax...... you get the idea

1 fin or 3

Postby Johno » Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:42 am

I have just started surfing and have noticed that on some boards people have 3 fins and some people have 1, does this make a difference with the ride, turning, balance etc.

The reason I ask is because at the week end I broke 1 of the fins of my Bic, and rather then forking out £30 for a new set, i was wondering if I would be better learning with one fin in the middle

any advice would be much appreciated
User avatar
Johno
SW Pro
 
Posts: 732
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 11:03 am
Location: Cheshire

Postby kitesurfer » Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:47 am

Your bic is designed to perform with 3 fins. Other boards are designed to have one fin. Single fin boards have 1 much larger fin that is easily adjusted. The size and position of the fins in your bic will make it very difficult to ride as a single fin.
Buy a new set.

KS
User avatar
kitesurfer
Surf God
 
Posts: 3533
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 1:20 pm
Location: In the kitchen making Harmergeddon mead!

Postby el_timmo » Wed Sep 06, 2006 2:11 pm

You can also make your own fins for your bic board in the following manner:

1. Get as many bic biros as possible (preferably the ones where you have to push the top to get the nib to pop out)
2. Get a 12th century chamber pot and put it over a wooden fire, using exactly (no more, no less) a handful of kindling and four chunky pieces of oakwood.
3. Throw the pens in 3 at a time at intervals of 27 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon
4. Chant "Tiki gods, make me a bic, make me a bic with fins that stick" x 3 and smear your face with washing detergent
5. Carve a mould out of wood, and keep mold close at hand.
7. When your potion is bubbling and turns blue, you should see a wisp of pink smoke rise, and make a shape like a bottle of beer. If the wisp of smoke is blue, you've only gone and made potion for NSP fins, you silly fool!
8. Pour potion into mould and invoke the tiki gods once again.
9. Allow fins to cool on windowsill, shooing flies away.
10. Replace broken fins with new ones.
User avatar
el_timmo
SW Pro
 
Posts: 778
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:25 pm
Location: Plymouth

Postby Johno » Wed Sep 06, 2006 2:21 pm

el_timmo,

does that really work???

Think I’ll buy a new set can't be assed with all the mesing around
User avatar
Johno
SW Pro
 
Posts: 732
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 11:03 am
Location: Cheshire

Postby IdRatherBeSurfing » Wed Sep 06, 2006 2:29 pm

Johno wrote:el_timmo,

does that really work???

Think I’ll buy a new set can't be assed with all the mesing around


It worked when I rode my bic into the sand and snapped the fins off :D
User avatar
IdRatherBeSurfing
Surfing Legend
 
Posts: 1194
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:45 pm
Location: buried under a huge pile of the worlds most boring work

Postby kitesurfer » Wed Sep 06, 2006 2:49 pm

el_timmo wrote:You can also make your own fins for your bic board in the following manner:

1. Get as many bic biros as possible (preferably the ones where you have to push the top to get the nib to pop out)
2. Get a 12th century chamber pot and put it over a wooden fire, using exactly (no more, no less) a handful of kindling and four chunky pieces of oakwood.
3. Throw the pens in 3 at a time at intervals of 27 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon
4. Chant "Tiki gods, make me a bic, make me a bic with fins that stick" x 3 and smear your face with washing detergent
5. Carve a mould out of wood, and keep mold close at hand.
7. When your potion is bubbling and turns blue, you should see a wisp of pink smoke rise, and make a shape like a bottle of beer. If the wisp of smoke is blue, you've only gone and made potion for NSP fins, you silly fool!
8. Pour potion into mould and invoke the tiki gods once again.
9. Allow fins to cool on windowsill, shooing flies away.
10. Replace broken fins with new ones.



Class! Free resin tint for your board for that one!

KS
User avatar
kitesurfer
Surf God
 
Posts: 3533
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 1:20 pm
Location: In the kitchen making Harmergeddon mead!

Postby Real Pol » Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:18 pm

I had a bic and broke one of the fins off.

Like you I couldn't be assed forking out for a complete new set and for some reason there is only one shop in the UK which sells them. I surfed with just the centre fin on for ages and then changed to have the two outside fins on (all three are identical so you can do this).

Hardly noticed a difference in all three set-ups. Bics are so easy to ride and progress on that having a single fin or two fins won't make too much of a difference, (or so I found).

Try it yourself if it feels okay, then hold on until you can scrape the cash together for a new set.
User avatar
Real Pol
SW Pro
 
Posts: 952
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:58 pm
Location: Aberdeen

Postby el_timmo » Wed Sep 06, 2006 4:26 pm

unless that shop in the UK you're talking about that sells bic fins is Andy Biggs Watersports, there are at least two, and I'm sure I've seen them on sale elsewhere.
User avatar
el_timmo
SW Pro
 
Posts: 778
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:25 pm
Location: Plymouth

hello bitches

Postby SexY AuSSie » Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:39 pm

hey im america for 2 years talk 2 me about surfing im sooo surf sick. im in fleshin' Corpus Christie and theres no waves :(
SexY AuSSie
New Member
 
Posts: 4
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:04 pm
Location: San Diego, Cali

Postby SexY AuSSie » Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:47 pm

im in Corpus Christy for a week and then its back to cali where i can actually catch a fleshin' wave so my ass can stay alive
SexY AuSSie
New Member
 
Posts: 4
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:04 pm
Location: San Diego, Cali

hello bitches

Postby SexY AuSSie » Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:50 pm

hey im america for 2 years talk 2 me about surfing im sooo surf sick. im in fleshin' Corpus Christie and theres no waves :(
SexY AuSSie
New Member
 
Posts: 4
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:04 pm
Location: San Diego, Cali

Postby IdRatherBeSurfing » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:33 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI6AJold1Hk

You dont need fins anyway, theyre overrated
User avatar
IdRatherBeSurfing
Surfing Legend
 
Posts: 1194
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:45 pm
Location: buried under a huge pile of the worlds most boring work

Postby southwestsurfer » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:47 pm

IdRatherBeSurfing wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI6AJold1Hk

You dont need fins anyway, theyre overrated


Yeah, totally true. I dont get why people spend £££ on a set of fins when they dont really do 'much' and could be snapped of witht he easiest of mistakes.
User avatar
southwestsurfer
Local Hero
 
Posts: 198
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2006 4:45 pm
Location: UK

Postby Johno » Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:53 am

At last some good replies, think while im learning I’ll ride with one centre fin, don’t see the point of buying a new set every time I ride into the beach an snap one,

One more to break then I’ll get a new set

Cheers every one for you advise
User avatar
Johno
SW Pro
 
Posts: 732
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 11:03 am
Location: Cheshire

Postby drowningbitbybit » Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:12 am

willz wrote:
Yeah, totally true. I dont get why people spend £££ on a set of fins when they dont really do 'much' and could be snapped of witht he easiest of mistakes.



I feel that the parody and sarcasm on this thread may have been missed by some people..... :roll:
User avatar
drowningbitbybit
Surfing Legend
 
Posts: 6459
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 11:16 am
Location: Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.


Return to Surfing Hardware