Fins WTF

Can't find the right forum, then post your general surf-related remarks here!

Moderators: jimmy, collnarra, PeepeelaPew, Butts, beach_defender, Shari, Forum Moderators

sgo
newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:18 pm

Fins WTF

Post by sgo » Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:06 pm

I'm not sure if I'm just out of touch, but went to the local surf shops to check out some new boards today. Prices around $700-$900 and fins are extra! When did this happen ? :-? You wouldn't buy a new car without wheels! Sure the dude in the shop had a number of reasons to justify it, but looks like another scam to me? Is this the norm now ?

User avatar
speedneedle
charger
Posts: 877
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:16 pm
Location: Cold and lonely.

Re: Fins WTF

Post by speedneedle » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:14 am

It's a quandary for manufacturers - it was indeed unheard of not so long ago, to sell a board without fins.

The problem is this - the mainstream brand fins which come inclusive in the sets of plugs for manufacturers are poxy plastic rubbery shite.

So loads of experienced surfers who come in for a board literally tell me "Don't bother sending me the rubber fins, they're not worth their weight in dogturds."

Consequently I have a box full of plastic dog-turds. I since changed to an Australian made plug brand which gives the option of buying plugs without fins.

I imagine many shops have a cupboard full of those plastic fins. They're really good for added incentive to buy for an entry-level board...like "wow, free fins!"

But if you're the type who would immediately step up to mags, you'll leave those bog-standard pressed steel rims there in the show-room.

Likewise, if shops automatically supplied the better variety of fins with an off-the-rack board, two things would happen -

1) - It would be factored into the price. (The difference between the molded dogturds and the fancy multi-coloured hard-on fins is significant even at wholesale, with dogturd sets mustering a whole $15 or less.)

2)- You would complain that they're wrong for your board! With so many variations on fin templates and construction available, the shops want it to be up to you to choose, rather than give you an expensive mis-matched set inclusive in a board price.


So somewhere, someone has a Philipino garbage-tip-sized pile of plastic fins...you probably only have to ask.

JD

User avatar
steve shearer
BUTTONMEISTER
Posts: 44824
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:20 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by steve shearer » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:43 am

what he said.


once you try hand foiled fins you'll never go back.

although it does open a huge can of worms.
I want Nightclub Dwight dead in his grave I want the nice-nice up in blazes

User avatar
spork
barnacle
Posts: 1276
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:01 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by spork » Sat Aug 31, 2013 4:16 pm

I recently got rid of a set of those cum coloured dog turd fins, gave em to a bloke who was using those flexible black palstic dogturds that come with tufflites. he loves em. :-?
When it gets to this level of self important stupidity I lose interest.
Roy Stewart

daryl
Huey's Right Hand
Posts: 27145
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:23 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by daryl » Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:02 pm

How'd your new toy pirate fin come out, spork? Can you turn out steve's favourite lure too, and are they in a good plastic, utility wise.

User avatar
spork
barnacle
Posts: 1276
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:01 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by spork » Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:44 pm

Just a plug at this stage daz, but yeah very good. Lure? Yes, no problem, just need the dims. ABS plastic, stronger and not as brittle too. Pics soon.
When it gets to this level of self important stupidity I lose interest.
Roy Stewart

daryl
Huey's Right Hand
Posts: 27145
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:23 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by daryl » Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:50 pm

There's a nanometre scale miniature statue of liberty pic in a physics mag, so accuracy must be not a problem.

User avatar
spork
barnacle
Posts: 1276
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:01 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by spork » Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:48 pm

Yeah, down to 100 microns with our printer and its a low end model.
When it gets to this level of self important stupidity I lose interest.
Roy Stewart

alakaboo
Huey's Right Hand
Posts: 22625
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:33 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by alakaboo » Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:57 pm

daryl wrote:There's a nanometre scale miniature statue of liberty pic in a physics mag, so accuracy must be not a problem.
How'd they measure the full scale one?

alakaboo
Huey's Right Hand
Posts: 22625
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:33 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by alakaboo » Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:01 pm

Ah, don't mind me. Figured out you meant that you can print to nm scale, not that it was an accurate replica to the nm scale.

daryl
Huey's Right Hand
Posts: 27145
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:23 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by daryl » Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:07 pm

:-D-:

fins
Grommet
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:51 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by fins » Fri Sep 06, 2013 9:52 pm

...." show us your fins , show us your fins" , the crowd yelled .....

but just not the "plasticy dog turd ones" , okay ?!

:)

Image

User avatar
steve shearer
BUTTONMEISTER
Posts: 44824
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:20 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by steve shearer » Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:45 am

Looks interesting
I want Nightclub Dwight dead in his grave I want the nice-nice up in blazes

alakaboo
Huey's Right Hand
Posts: 22625
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:33 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by alakaboo » Sat Sep 07, 2013 4:35 pm

Looks conflicted.

User avatar
Karlos
Snowy McAllister
Posts: 5316
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:20 am
Location: Not around here

Re: Fins WTF

Post by Karlos » Sat Sep 07, 2013 5:18 pm

Looks like the fin a bloke in Manly (presumably the inventor) used to have on display in his front yard.

User avatar
spork
barnacle
Posts: 1276
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:01 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by spork » Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:35 pm

They used em on windsurfers, used to call em Kangycocks.
When it gets to this level of self important stupidity I lose interest.
Roy Stewart

fins
Grommet
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:51 pm

Re: Fins WTF

Post by fins » Tue Sep 10, 2013 6:24 pm

bobby owens used the boomerang back fin in hawaii in the 1980s . windsurfers, maybe earlier

'hockey stick fins' , i wanted to make , after seeing curren rip on a set of three in the video [yep video] 5'5 x 19 1/4"

Nick Carroll
Huey's Right Hand
Posts: 26515
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:29 am
Location: Newport Beach

Re: Fins WTF

Post by Nick Carroll » Wed Sep 11, 2013 8:08 pm

Bobby was awesome. Still is.

I used to paddle out at Sunset and watch him turn in the centre of the peak and do these no-paddle takeoffs - like he would push his board down the face under the lip and just stand up as the board fell into midair. He had the situation that wired.

He and Harold Ige experimented for at least a couple of seasons in the mid-80s with the boomerang fins, didn't try to sell anyone else on them ( that wasn't the spirit of the times) but Bob always seemed to have it handled.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 72 guests