Just general surfing stuff

[Legion]

...

[foamy]

Oh! So, fins do make a big difference.

yeah, sure. but not to people who go on about them on the Internet

Yeah, but it is confusing. They are just seeking some clarity, which for weekend surfers does not seem to be easily available. Nick, if you wrote a longer piece on basic fin principles (you probably have already), taking into account the range of fins available and the range of boards being ridden, I reckon many people would eat it up.

You could have four different types of boards the average joe or joanne surfs and the different fin setups that best suit the range of surfing intentions on those boards.

The fact you reckon Steve needs guidance tells you something.

[alakaboo]

I assume it’s painted like the Sistine chapel ceiling, given the wait?

Nah it's a fetching shade of green.

[steve shearer]

Looks like I'm going to run thruster fins in it.

Forgot about the quad option pretty quickly in light of a free thruster set, eh.

Nothing free about it Leeg, no free lunches here mate. Carroll is coming over in person to collect payment.
I'll have to invest in a pasta making machine and god knows what else to give him a spread to which he is accustomed.

[Beerfan]

Oh! So, fins do make a big difference.

yeah, sure. but not to people who go on about them on the Internet

Yeah, but it is confusing. They are just seeking some clarity, which for weekend surfers does not seem to be easily available. Nick, if you wrote a longer piece on basic fin principles (you probably have already), taking into account the range of fins available and the range of boards being ridden, I reckon many people would eat it up.

You could have four different types of boards the average joe or joanne surfs and the different fin setups that best suit the range of surfing intentions on those boards.

The fact you reckon Steve needs guidance tells you something.

There's this thing, it's called Google. Or buy some and try them out maybe? Sounds crazy I know

[offshore1]

Yeah. Buy three thousand fins and watch three thousand videos.
Nah. Nick's not even sure.

[foamy]

Then you have a fin shape you think you want, but can you identify the product that fits? And these 12 sets of fins that look pretty much the same, are they really pretty much the same?
Luckily, I just bodysurf and only get on a board once in a blue moon.

[godsavethequeen]

My suspicion has always been that the emergence of a discrete fin market was a gloriously surprising golden goose for the surf industry. It's really not in their interests to restrict choice or to allow any suggestion of emperors new clothes hence the vast and confusing ranges of essentially the same thing and the pofaced magnificence of the futures ride number etc. For the man in the street it's mostly horseshit, of course, with the solution to the problem sought usually being surf more and spend less.

[tootr]

Also a nice revenue stream for surf stars to stick their names on.

[Nick Carroll]

OK basic fin principles for the bemused purchaser:

Fins can fine tune a surfboard's performance but they can't overcome a surfboard's design deficiencies, so don't overthink 'em.

Generally speaking, the more complex a fin design, the less likely it is to work.

The wider the tail of a surfboard, the more fin volume is required to control it. Reverse with narrower tails.

The original 5 template made by FCS back in 1996 is just fine for pretty much any surfboard. The best FCS 5 template fin is the sanded finish PG5, the see through blue one. The best Futures 5-style template is the JJF fin.

Trust your surfing instincts on it, even if you are a shit surfer.

In my opinion and in the opinion of most good to excellent surfers of my acquaintance, fin systems >>> glass-ons.

[crabmeat thompson]

i discovered these fins. from all places cali, via scotland.





there was something really familiar in their feel. I swapped them for my old favourite fins AM2's ... compared to them, they're a little looser in the junk, but really have a lot more hold when the beachies and points go backless and when i find myself really surfing on my backfoot.

I was at a shapers house who used to shaped me boards in the late 90's and early 2000s (god bless him, the great man) ... he was keen to see what kinda boards i was riding. In my van I had a hi-perf 5'11" thinly foiled Emery based on what Mello rides, and a 5'10" Haydenshapes love buzz and the 9'3" log.

He took an instant liking to the love buzz's outline and rocker and fuller foil. But the fell in love with the fins. We dug around for 20 mins in his shed, and then he pulled out his very first fin templates ... back when the only option was glassed on fins.

Sure enough these luna's fit the old gold coast beachies and points every-dayer board's fin template to a T. literally identical. the base, the rake and foil.

the more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Cranked]

After stuffing around for a long time I've gone for a more upright, wider base, fuller tip:



Large for fronts and tri's, GX size for quad rears.

All done in old school glass, very stiff and only $50 for a 5 fin set from Indofins in Bali (at the Nirmalla mart in Ungasan). Hand made with a few slight imperfections, just reject the ones that are a bit too imperfect.

[Nick Carroll]

i discovered these fins. from all places cali, via scotland.





there was something really familiar in their feel. I swapped them for my old favourite fins AM2's ... compared to them, they're a little looser in the junk, but really have a lot more hold when the beachies and points go backless and when i find myself really surfing on my backfoot.

I was at a shapers house who used to shaped me boards in the late 90's and early 2000s (god bless him, the great man) ... he was keen to see what kinda boards i was riding. In my van I had a hi-perf 5'11" thinly foiled Emery based on what Mello rides, and a 5'10" Haydenshapes love buzz and the 9'3" log.

He took an instant liking to the love buzz's outline and rocker and fuller foil. But the fell in love with the fins. We dug around for 20 mins in his shed, and then he pulled out his very first fin templates ... back when the only option was glassed on fins.

Sure enough these luna's fit the old gold coast beachies and points every-dayer board's fin template to a T. literally identical. the base, the rake and foil.

the more things change, the more they stay the same.

these are just Al Merrick's template renamed.

[Nick Carroll]

btw Sunset's gonna be v nice around Nov 30 for the World Cup thingo, WNW swinging NW maybe 6-8' with bigger sets

[crabmeat thompson]

i discovered these fins. from all places cali, via scotland.





there was something really familiar in their feel. I swapped them for my old favourite fins AM2's ... compared to them, they're a little looser in the junk, but really have a lot more hold when the beachies and points go backless and when i find myself really surfing on my backfoot.

I was at a shapers house who used to shaped me boards in the late 90's and early 2000s (god bless him, the great man) ... he was keen to see what kinda boards i was riding. In my van I had a hi-perf 5'11" thinly foiled Emery based on what Mello rides, and a 5'10" Haydenshapes love buzz and the 9'3" log.

He took an instant liking to the love buzz's outline and rocker and fuller foil. But the fell in love with the fins. We dug around for 20 mins in his shed, and then he pulled out his very first fin templates ... back when the only option was glassed on fins.

Sure enough these luna's fit the old gold coast beachies and points every-dayer board's fin template to a T. literally identical. the base, the rake and foil.

the more things change, the more they stay the same.

these are just Al Merrick's template renamed.

slightly smaller rake, and slightly smaller base than the merricks.

i've done analysis.

[crabmeat thompson]

btw Sunset's gonna be v nice around Nov 30 for the World Cup thingo, WNW swinging NW maybe 6-8' with bigger sets

you going?

my neighbour below and beside me are both going. both billabong riders, too.

but there's no crabmeat invitations. i can't fucken believe it, tbh ...

[Beerfan]

i discovered these fins. from all places cali, via scotland.





there was something really familiar in their feel. I swapped them for my old favourite fins AM2's ... compared to them, they're a little looser in the junk, but really have a lot more hold when the beachies and points go backless and when i find myself really surfing on my backfoot.

I was at a shapers house who used to shaped me boards in the late 90's and early 2000s (god bless him, the great man) ... he was keen to see what kinda boards i was riding. In my van I had a hi-perf 5'11" thinly foiled Emery based on what Mello rides, and a 5'10" Haydenshapes love buzz and the 9'3" log.

He took an instant liking to the love buzz's outline and rocker and fuller foil. But the fell in love with the fins. We dug around for 20 mins in his shed, and then he pulled out his very first fin templates ... back when the only option was glassed on fins.

Sure enough these luna's fit the old gold coast beachies and points every-dayer board's fin template to a T. literally identical. the base, the rake and foil.

the more things change, the more they stay the same.

these are just Al Merrick's template renamed.

slightly smaller rake, and slightly smaller base than the merricks.

i've done analysis.

By analysis do you mean putting them back to back, holding them at arms length and squinting intently ?

Just got some shapers AM2 fins, using the above method of in depth scientific analysis they look pretty much like my pc-7's but have a narrower tip.

[foamy]

The WSL women at Honolua. There's some nice waves rolling thru, but just not enough of them for it to be very watchable. Unfortunate, because the title situation is very tight.