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Surfboard fins

Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 4:41 pm
by drroc
I took a look at the Futures Fin's website and saw that there is a great variety of fins, and some cost serious cash. I am curious if the difference in fins will be noticeable. However, it looks like everybody at Waddell that rides a Tress pass board uses the stock plastic fins.

Re: Surfboard fins

Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:46 pm
by gtilde
I doubt that many Waddell people use this forum-You can easily find near-endless discussion on fin theory, shape, rake, foil, materials, etc. in the surfing world.

Surfboard fins

Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:01 pm
by sc-surfer
gtilde wrote:I doubt that many Waddell people use this forum-You can easily find near-endless discussion on fin theory, shape, rake, foil, materials, etc. in the surfing world.

...and most of it is complete bulls$it. Big changes in fins can make small changes in performance but MOST of the fin marketing is just a tool to get you to buy $100 fin sets that used to cost $30.

I ride basic plastic fins and they work fine. Why break a fin out of a $100 set. What a waste.

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Surfboard fins

Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:02 pm
by sc-surfer
gtilde wrote:I doubt that many Waddell people use this forum-You can easily find near-endless discussion on fin theory, shape, rake, foil, materials, etc. in the surfing world.

...and most of it is complete bulls$it. Big changes in fins can make small changes in performance but MOST of the fin marketing is just a tool to get you to buy $100 fin sets that used to cost $30.

I ride basic plastic fins and they work fine. Why break a fin out of a $100 set. What a waste.

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Re: Surfboard fins

Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:26 pm
by yojimbo
By "basic plastic" I'm guessing you mean an entry level fiberglass fin, and not actual plastic fins, which could possibly be used for surfing, but would easily snap at the base when subjected to the intense forces generated while kitesurfing.

Surfboard fins

Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:38 pm
by sc-surfer
yojimbo wrote:By "basic plastic" I'm guessing you mean an entry level fiberglass fin, and not actual plastic fins, which could possibly be used for surfing, but would easily snap at the base when subjected to the intense forces generated while kitesurfing.

No. I don't mean that. I mean that I ride basic FCS and Future fins that are molded FRP (fiber reinforced plastic). I refuse to spend $100 on a fin set that won't surf any better. I can assure you that the basic entry level fins WILL stand up just fine to kiting. We aren't talking about very much force. Anyone who tells you different is either uninformed or trying to sell you something. I still have sets of fins from years ago and still ride them. They never break unless I hit something, and then I want them to break before the board does!

I'll put a $100 bill on the line for anyone who can pick the fiberglas finset over a plastic set of the same size in a blind test. No joke.


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Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 7:09 am
by Rob
+1 go with the cheap ones.
If your paddle surfing yea maybe you'll see a diff in each shape etc but behind the kite you will never notice.

Surfboard fins

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 7:43 am
by sc-surfer
Rob wrote:+1 go with the cheap ones.
If your paddle surfing yea maybe you'll see a diff in each shape etc but behind the kite you will never notice.

Yep. Same $100 for anyone paddle surfing that can tell the difference too. Kelly Slater might be able to but most of us? Nope. I know this because I shaped boards for competitive surfers for years. I used to try things on them without telling them.
Save 'yer money. Kiting more will help you more than any fin set can. Take those couple of hours of pay you would have spent on fins and go ride instead.

Surfboard fins

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 7:45 am
by sc-surfer
Rob wrote:+1 go with the cheap ones.
If your paddle surfing yea maybe you'll see a diff in each shape etc but behind the kite you will never notice.

Yep. Same $100 for anyone paddle surfing that can tell the difference too. Kelly Slater might be able to but most of us? Nope. I know this because I shaped boards for competitive surfers for years. I used to try things on them without telling them.
Save 'yer money. Kiting more will help you more than any fin set can. Take those couple of hours of pay you would have spent on fins and go ride instead.

Re: Surfboard fins

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:01 am
by Sandman_510
the size and shape of fin is huge in determining how turny or pointy your ride will be.

For bigger fins you need better construction to handle the load

Don't believe me, just look at the fins the formula guys ride and compare to the fins on a kite surfboard...

I'm surprised there aren't more fin sizes available for kite surfboards. I'd like to have a 6" fin to swap for my 4" center fin when the wind is light