Fins...

Discuss shaping and repairing techniques here.

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Cpt.Caveman
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Fins...

Post by Cpt.Caveman » Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:46 am

So, has anyone had any good experiences with new fin templates/construction/designs etc recently?

The C-drives had some hype a while ago but they seem to have fizzed out. I notice Maurice Cole is still adament on them, but not many others I'm reading about.

Any good bad or indifferent experiences? Any wierd fins that did well?
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Re: Fins...

Post by Natho » Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:59 am

No

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Re: Fins...

Post by Cpt.Caveman » Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:08 pm

Natho wrote:No
Well thats that then...
Davros wrote:Ego saved - surfing experience rubbish.

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Re: Fins...

Post by Natho » Thu Feb 14, 2013 1:04 pm

I bumped your thread back up given no one had replied didn't I. Always here to help.

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Re: Fins...

Post by Natho » Thu Feb 14, 2013 1:12 pm

I've got a few standard types of fins that work for me and I tend to just stick with them. Never been into changing fins too much. My standard go to fin would be something like a PC 5. They work for me in any board and any issues are probably the board or rider not the fins.

I tried some Powerbase fins recently however the set I had felt a bit too flexy through turns (flexy tips). I like a stiffer fin. The flex tended to give a bit of a spring through turns, but I felt the flex was at the expense of overall drive. I think Powerbase make a stiffer option so I would be keen to try that option.

Im looking at going back to glass ins in my next board.

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Re: Fins...

Post by alakaboo » Thu Feb 14, 2013 2:29 pm

I've got some carbon fibre and wood composite hollow fins.
Bit thicker than average fins.
Very light, stiff but with a twang to them.
They go really well in a small wave quad board, in fairly small templates. At about 3 foot they get a bit twitchy, for want of a better word.

If I remember I'll put some pics up on the weekend if anyone is interested.

But I haven't ridden that board much recently as I've been trying out a few others with different fin set-ups.

Now I'm basically riding only handshaped glass fins in all the other boards.
Fin templates to suit the board. Mostly a bit bigger base but roughly the same as a m5 size in the FCS style.

Foil and flex tuned to me based on my height, weight, the way I surf and feedback from 5-6 boards and probably about 10-12 sets of fins in a range of boards and conditions over 3-4 years.

Took me a while to figure out what I like, but like Natho I don't change them once I get them dialled in.
Except for quads where I change the rear fins based on the wave size.

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Re: Fins...

Post by Yuke Hunt » Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:13 pm

Natho wrote:I've got a few standard types of fins that work for me and I tend to just stick with them. Never been into changing fins too much. My standard go to fin would be something like a PC 5. They work for me in any board and any issues are probably the board or rider not the fins.

I tried some Powerbase fins recently however the set I had felt a bit too flexy through turns (flexy tips). I like a stiffer fin. The flex tended to give a bit of a spring through turns, but I felt the flex was at the expense of overall drive. I think Powerbase make a stiffer option so I would be keen to try that option.

Im looking at going back to glass ins in my next board.
I've got a set of powerbase (DXL ...?) on a swallow tail quad ... they suit me ... I like.

They've released a ceramic version that Owen Wright apparently uses ... interesting concept with a proven template.
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Re: Fins...

Post by Cpt.Caveman » Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:23 pm

you know, I always liked Speedfins but it seemed they hit a huge industry backlash at some point which stamped them down. Something to do with an early fin-box not locking the fin properly, and no reimbursement for pissed off board shapers. Even after fixing the problem barely any shaper would provide Speedfins and 99% of board shop owners or shapers said something along the lines of "they are crap fins, they fall out".

All propaganda, I had them in a Geoff Horner HPS and they worked beautifully. Drive and twang out of more drawn out turns. Only problem was when you run over something/someone they ding the board.

If they released more templates that would suit quads, i.e. more upright with more base, plus small trailers, I would use them in 100% of my boards.
Davros wrote:Ego saved - surfing experience rubbish.

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Re: Fins...

Post by swvic » Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:09 pm

Oke in vicco still go with Speedfins
marcus wrote:and that vicco dude, whatsisname?

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Re: Fins...

Post by dUg » Fri Feb 15, 2013 3:00 pm

Cpt.Caveman wrote:you know, I always liked Speedfins but it seemed they hit a huge industry backlash at some point which stamped them down. Something to do with an early fin-box not locking the fin properly, and no reimbursement for pissed off board shapers. Even after fixing the problem barely any shaper would provide Speedfins and 99% of board shop owners or shapers said something along the lines of "they are crap fins, they fall out".

All propaganda, I had them in a Geoff Horner HPS and they worked beautifully. Drive and twang out of more drawn out turns. Only problem was when you run over something/someone they ding the board.

If they released more templates that would suit quads, i.e. more upright with more base, plus small trailers, I would use them in 100% of my boards.
swvic wrote:Oke in vicco still go with Speedfins
Actually... they BOUGHT speeedfins. :O

I ordered a few sets off them not long after they took over the reins, but to be honest people just stopped asking me for them and I haven't bought them in 2 years or more. Tiger sent me down a huge bag of old and new pots which I still have, but I doubt I'll ever use them. I lost one of the ceramic fins first surf but I wasn't too cut about it- that set of fins buzzed something shocking. I surfed a set of the hex core ones for a while and I liked them a lot, but I noticed over time they definitely became quite wobbly in the pots. I had them re-installed after the buzzing happened and I got the "new, improved" ones.

I wasn't aware of any large scale "stamp down", but I know a few shapers here ( in SA ) who jumped on board early moaned about the installation process. Apparently it did get better though.

The impression I got talking to a few in the know was that they ( former owners ) began diversifying too much and poured too much cash into too many new products too soon - and nicely timed that investment with the GFC.

There are a couple of guys on RS that I know can definitely shed more light on it than I. ;)

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Re: Fins...

Post by swvic » Fri Feb 15, 2013 4:39 pm

dUg wrote: swvic wrote:
Oke in vicco still go with Speedfins


Actually... they BOUGHT speeedfins. :O
That'd be good reason
marcus wrote:and that vicco dude, whatsisname?

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Re: Fins...

Post by pridmore » Sun Feb 17, 2013 11:52 am

lovin Shapers CORE-LITE fins, they have good flex and are light too, some fins make boards feel tail heavy, especially quads or 5 plugged set-ups...lotsa diff templates so you can mix and match.....

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Re: Fins...

Post by dUg » Mon Feb 18, 2013 2:17 pm

LMAO at the endless creativity when coming up for names that describe identical 3mm hexcellite core / Resin Transfer Method vac-molded construction. Maybe I should register "dug-o-lite", or "Dugcore", or "Peformance Hex-o-dug" trademarks. :D

But seriously ( yes, that's a stretch for me these days, obviously ), am I alone in my perception that the innovation in fin materials & construction led by Neil Pryde and picked up by FCS has largely stalled? All we seem to see now is variations on the same theme... a splash of texallium here... a strand of carbon there.

Has me thinking what the next advance will be... or if there'll even be one. I guess the intended goals should be weight reduction, improved flex characterisitcs and strength... but I suspect the main motivation for any innovation will probably be cost.

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Re: Fins...

Post by Deesee » Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:39 pm

PC5 for thruster, K2.1 for quad - works really well for me..

K2.1 thruster just felt too light..
If it feels good, do it.

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Re: Fins...

Post by Cpt.Caveman » Wed Feb 20, 2013 12:54 pm

wingnut2443 wrote:It's all R&D ... Rip off and Duplicate :roll:

What about these ---> http://www.hanaleifinsystems.com/pages/ ... eries.html ???
Now these look interesting!

I've always wondred what new designs might come out of trying to utilise the flex of a more raked fin with a smaller base.

With 20+ years or fin templates being designed for the thruster it makes sense the quad fins are looking pretty different.
Davros wrote:Ego saved - surfing experience rubbish.

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Re: Fins...

Post by Nick Carroll » Wed Feb 20, 2013 3:19 pm

Yeah didn't seem like Speeedfins got stamped on by anything but lack of consistency in the face of intense competition.

I'm among those who lost fins using that system. Still got a ceramic set but only one board with the plugs and it's not being ridden atm.

Fin companies have to do some very hard yards to gain traction in the market, you've got different types of clients and it's hard to please them all at the same time, even a great system like Futures has taken a long time to really find a strong foothold in Australia.

It's no good complaining about your customers or about other people fighting you in the marketplace, that's what business is all about. Love your customers! Beat the opposition! Never give up!

Got a set of classic Webber fins to go with a board I've basically stolen off him for a couple of weeks, it's a quad set with the front set the big swept back high aspect fins and the back set these little semicircles with just one tab, so they can move in the back half of the fin. Soar made 'em and they are bafflingly perfect fins. But who knows how they'll go, spose I'll find out in the next day or so.

Fan of the Surfinz box for fcs fins, it's strong, allows fin movement up and down the board, though I hear FCS are about to release a new thing that's meant to be the Bomb, let's wait and see on that.

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Re: Fins...

Post by ric_vidal » Wed Feb 20, 2013 3:48 pm

Nick Carroll wrote: even a great system like Futures has taken a long time to really find a strong foothold in Australia.
It's not that great a system. You obviously haven't worked in repairs. :wink: Saw some god awful things with ALL the systems.
Nick Carroll wrote: Love your customers! Beat the opposition! Never give up!
No Nick, embrace your competition.

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Re: Fins...

Post by Nick Carroll » Thu Feb 21, 2013 9:52 am

Well that's all part of beating 'em.

They're in the same game, if you love the game, then you have a shared passion. You might understand and like them better than you understand and like most other people.

But you still wanna BE better! You can't share the customer. You want to reach that person first, with a better choice, and do it with optimism and energy.

I guess I don't see competition as essentially negative.

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