Thruster V Single Fin

[Laurie McGinness]

Do I remember hanging in on a rail at First Rock Johnno? Not as well as I remember not hanging in on a rail! If you are thinking about learning sequences my observation would be that fins simply don't matter much in the early stages and by the time they do start to matter they are probably less important than a lot of other factors. In particular the developmental sequence should be CONTROL - STYLE - POWER.

A lot of young surfers stuff themselves up by trying to generate power before they have style. In that respect a single fin may help in some cases but the real issue is how the surfer is approaching the wave. If they are throwing themselves into turns all that a single fin will do is make them fall off more often but if they're looking for the right line, they'll find it more easily on a thruster. But yeh, if I was coaching there are a few local kids who might benefit from being restricted to a single fin for a week.

I strained a hip muscle a couple of weeks ago and kept aggravating it on my 6'4" so I've actually been surfing a 7'4" pintail that Chris Goulding shaped for me as an Indo gun about five years ago. It certainly fits in with offshore's comments about thickness under the chest, it glides in and takes off down the line......the length gets in the way after that but it goes much better in little waves than I had any right to expect. Fun to play around with until I straighten my hip out.

Oh and offshore those comments about it getting better all the time are spot on, but like you I'm growing steadily less able to take advantage of them......still we had it pretty good, I don't know if I would have wanted the modern boards if the modern crowds came along with them!

[ric_vidal]

Some interesting stuff here kids, thanks Johnno, Offo and Lozzo(?) for the latest contributions, you sound like seers.

I started my journey on a single fin in the early ’70s so can relate to a certain amount of what is being offered.

Maybe that is why I (we?) like riding a variety of boards and at the moment, with our summer conditions, I am quite enjoying the glide of a single fin mal where you have to slow down and ride in a different manner.

I have found in my recent thrusters an increasing importance in the rails and if I want to turn early into something steepish from the take-off then it is the low rails that are doing the job. Would a single fin hold - dunno?

My first ‘Energy’ thruster was a chunk of foam compared to what we are riding today. I must see if I can find a photo.

Perhaps boards have developed so far in areas like, rails, rocker, etc that we can start generating some dynamic single fins?

‘Bonzers’ Johnno, I wouldn’t right them off just yet. I’ve been very interested since it was first brought up by Kalaku(?)Kid in the mal forum and Poorboy’s board thread + Fong’s lurking interest.

‘Bonzers’ have been around since ’69, so they are not going to take over but it might offer some interesting middle ground. I spent a fair bit of time yesterday going over the Campbell brothers website and there is some interesting stuff. I think the inference is that the ‘bonzer’ was the precurser to the now beloved single to double concave no less!

Let me put it to you this way, I’m putting something on the drawing board with one big fin and maybe some little ones

[collnarra]

In regard to Bonzers and Four fins (quads? twinzers?) it's worth checking out the surfer mag design forum. Those guys are mad for that sort of stuff (although I have this nagging feeling that some of those people look to boards, rather than technique, to sort out their surfing)

the modern campbell 5 fin bonzers look interesting, and would be fun to ride. Another design that might be worth looking at is the WidowMaker - a single + two small outside fins. Neal Purchase jnr rides one to great effect in Glass Love (which, as a reminder, is touring the east coast this month). The performance difference between him riding the WM, and the guys that ride Fish in the same flick is really obvious.

then again, Neal could probably ride the proverbial ironing board well.

I think that a properly volumed thruster is right for 95% of surfers 95% of the time. But there's nothing wrong with trying alternatives. That's what keeps surfing healthy.

and finally, as a mod, I just wanted to apologise to all for my little bout of name calling the other day. Sorry Ron, you are right. I was being over sensitive.

col.

[Longygrom]

My English mate who has only surfed for 8 months found it difficult to develop his skills on his 6'0 thruster. I instructed him to get on a board with more volume yet still has the maneoverability of a shortboard. After chopping and changing between 6'2 Black Beauty Tom Curren Merrick, my 5'3 lis style fish and my various longboards....he is now permanantly hooked on my 6'0 76 single fin.

The outcome of this is he now surfs smoother...draws proper lines and knows how to position himself better in waves, as well as getting more waves.

Riding a single fin for me is totally different aspect to waveriding than surfing on thrusters. Flow, trim and increased inertia are what i have found occur when riding them. I have been riding them for 7 years now (since primary school) and have a wide variety of choice between what to ride...but when im really in tune with my surfing i will ride my singles as i can get more out of the wave than on a thruster.

[Johnno]

Do I remember hanging in on a rail at First Rock Johnno? Not as well as I remember not hanging in on a rail.

Me too ............... Not always a high success rate.

WidowMaker - a single + two small outside fins. Neal Purchase jnr rides one to great effect in Glass Love (which, as a reminder, is touring the east coast this month). The performance difference between him riding the WM, and the guys that ride Fish in the same flick is really obvious.

Don't have any links to images Col, as I would be interest to check it out.
But they seem like what Campbell's putting out and one thing that struck me with his boards was the refinement to the rails at the tail to what McCoy was doing 25 + years ago. But they do look like a fun board to ride, as the McCoy single fin I had is still one of the best boards I have ever riden.

[moreorless]

Getting back to Johnno's question "has riding a thruster made surfing easier on short/ mal boards?" I think it has, assuming you already have some level of competence, which is a bit of a catch 22. If you do have some competence the thruster has not only made it easier it's also made it a whole lot more fun. The problem is reaching that level of competence in the first place. From my observations a lot of people out there, especially among the short-board fraternity, aren't doing themselves any favours by selecting low-volume, high-performance boards that are way out of synch with their ability and the day-to-day conditions we face on the East Coast. The average short-board rider should focus on length, width and thickness rather than fins, or even rails. That said, maybe it would be better if they persisted with the performance boards, got disillusioned or just plan sick of it and gave the whole thing up.

[collnarra]

In the latest STAB Joel Parkinson weighs into this debate, saying something along the lines of "if you want to carve and lay down a rail, you'll need a board with proper volume. And if you think you can't do air on a board with volume, check out Luke Egan's boards."

Moreorless more or less nailed it saying that you need to concentrate on length, width and thickness. Once you've got those key things, a good shaper will take care of the rails. And fins, well that's just a matter of experimentation.

Johnno, this swaylocks thread on widowmaker might interest you

http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.c ... er;#191340

[Johnno]

Thanks for that Col I'll check it out in the morning.

I'm in beer time now

[Johnno]

Thanks again Col and my next board will have one of those setups for sure .......................

[ric_vidal]

My first ‘Energy’ thruster was a chunk of foam compared to what we are riding today. I must see if I can find a photo...

Found the photos:-

Quite different to today’s low volume biscuits!

[Beanpole]

That board looks a bit like a fish. All it needs is a fishtail. I would imagine its way thicker than a modern fish though.
One thing not mentioned about the single fin is flex fins. Since I've finally got a mal with real flex its reminded me of how good that sensation used to feel on singles. A bit like reverb on a guitar
I know some people hate flexy fins but I love them when theyre tuned right. They can be a major hangup though if tuned wrong or too flexy.

[ric_vidal]

...real flex its reminded me of how good that sensation used to feel on singles...

Beanpole, can’t remember the dimensions unfortunately but it was a lot chunkier than today’s boards, still like the planshape though.

Fin flex, now you’re talking, had a real nice Jack Knight single fin with a very flexy fin years ago.

If think it makes a reasonable difference in the mals, but with the thrusters it’s more about just keeping the board in some form of control...

[fong]

2'3/4 thickness too.

it's so hard to get that kinda thickness out of a blank

i mean if u got a 6'4'' blank.....no way

thin boards go good....but i prefer a thicker board....u tend surf more off u rails than tail it's horses 4 courses and rocking dums right too many show ponys running around on thoroughbred gear

[Beanpole]

Hey Rocky how do you reckon the Rabbidge goes?
I've been thinking of getting one for a while.

[greygrom]

The outcome of this is he now surfs smoother...draws proper lines and knows how to position himself better in waves, as well as getting more waves.

Bunch of pasty kooks. What a crock of shit.

The bloody pom has been surfing for 8 months and fins make a difference.

Fork me how some people toss on.

Volume is for fat people.

45 & 78kgs once was 19 & 75kgs

[Beanpole]

Hey greygrom is your board thinner now than when you were 19?

[freefilms]

Volume is for fat people.

nup, have to respectfully disagree with you there mate.

volume is for people with open minds who are willing to explore riding surfboards with more than one sweet spot & more than one trim speed. some of us like to enjoy equipment that doesn't need to be wiggled in order to go through the gears. several proven designs including fish (twin, tri & quad), bonzers, singlefins, eggs & logs inherently depend upon generous volume distribution.

absolute devotion to a single low-volume design is of course entirely your choice, & good luck to you, but there's no need to disrespect fellow surfers who are interested in exploring alternatives outside that paradigm.

[sean--]

My first ‘Energy’ thruster was a chunk of foam compared to what we are riding today. I must see if I can find a photo...

Found the photos:-

Quite different to today’s low volume biscuits!

I had one of those energy thrusters when they first came out. Shaped by Scott Beggs. Got it at tradewinds in Newcastle. Thick n fat and not unlike an ironing board in planshape. No more twinnies after that.