Just general surfing stuff

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buddy
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by buddy » Wed Apr 17, 2024 8:37 am

I notice big differences changing out fin templates even if they only look subtle. Or things like putting a slightly smaller rear fin in.
But I've never tried a honeycomb and a fibreglass in the same template/foil on the same board so I'm not sure if I could tell or not.

A few in the last couple years that have been very obvious.
In a 6'6 Wayne Lynch I had some medium fcs1 Soar dahlbergs that I swapped out for medium honeycomb rusty's and they were reasonably similar outlines, and against my bias, I much preferred the Rusty's.
I took out some future AM1s out of a chilli fader and put JJF mediums in and the board was so much better.
I tried some Glide nautilus fins instead of the wade goodalls in my webster DS and the board became really hard to get on rail. The Nautilus fins went ok in my emery's though.
I put the nautilus rear fin which was quite small in the emery short with Wade G fronts and it made it much less stiff through turns.

I'm not gonna pretend I understand exactly what each design element was changing but I have a bit of an idea. But it's pretty obvious that you can feel the differences.
And I am well and truly an average punter.

People reckon futures blackstix vs honeycomb is a significant change but that has the concave inner foil vs flat difference.

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steve shearer
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by steve shearer » Wed Apr 17, 2024 8:38 am

Disagree Yuke.

Pretty easy for almost any competent surfer to feel a big difference related to fin stiffness/flex pattern.

edit: as per Buddy's post above.
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alakaboo
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by alakaboo » Wed Apr 17, 2024 9:28 am

Huie used to send me a bunch of fins in different materials and templates and sizes because I could give him feedback like Buddy's post above, and I'm not a great surfer by any means.
Surfing the same board 2-4 times a week with different fins I found my favourites for different conditions in a couple of months.
Last edited by alakaboo on Wed Apr 17, 2024 7:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Beanpole
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by Beanpole » Wed Apr 17, 2024 11:44 am

Buddy is a competent surfer though. Half the suckers wouldn’t have a clue. Also I guess if you are prepared to put the time, effort and cash into comparing fins you could fine tune your craft. I've just got a big bag of old fins and finding a set that match is the biggest challenge.
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channels
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by channels » Wed Apr 17, 2024 2:04 pm

While I can't predict what a fin template will do by looking at it, I can definitely tell the difference riding different fin shapes.

Can also easily feel the difference between stiffer and flexier materials.

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steve shearer
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by steve shearer » Wed Apr 17, 2024 2:14 pm

yep.
Total fin area is easy to feel.

Different materials easier to feel.
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Beanpole
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by Beanpole » Wed Apr 17, 2024 2:24 pm

There’s a dude I talk to occasionally down the beach who is constantly buying new boards, fins, etc. Given his ability he would have a much better time and catch a lot more waves if he had a midlength.
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godsavetheking
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by godsavetheking » Wed Apr 17, 2024 3:24 pm

steve shearer wrote:
Wed Apr 17, 2024 2:14 pm
yep.
Total fin area is easy to feel.

Different materials easier to feel.
Confirmation bias, moite. I’m certain that in properly blinded testing you wouldn’t be able to pick up any differences

channels
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by channels » Wed Apr 17, 2024 3:38 pm

godsavetheking wrote:
Wed Apr 17, 2024 3:24 pm
steve shearer wrote:
Wed Apr 17, 2024 2:14 pm
yep.
Total fin area is easy to feel.

Different materials easier to feel.
Confirmation bias, moite. I’m certain that in properly blinded testing you wouldn’t be able to pick up any differences
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buddy
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by buddy » Wed Apr 17, 2024 3:40 pm

Fishing as usual.

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godsavetheking
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by godsavetheking » Wed Apr 17, 2024 3:44 pm

Nah not all. Surfing is full of wonderful self delusion and fins are just one part of that

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steve shearer
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by steve shearer » Wed Apr 17, 2024 3:44 pm

Be an interesting test- I'm not totally averse to the idea that preconceived biases (delusions) may be at play.

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godsavetheking
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by godsavetheking » Wed Apr 17, 2024 3:48 pm

You and buddy could arrange quite easily, yes?

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steve shearer
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by steve shearer » Wed Apr 17, 2024 3:49 pm

You need to design the experiment with a little more rigour than that moite.
I want Nightclub Dwight dead in his grave I want the nice-nice up in blazes

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godsavetheking
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by godsavetheking » Wed Apr 17, 2024 3:53 pm

This feels like a great opportunity to publish some proper research in a high impact journal. Beachgrit, certainly, maybe even Swellnet if you do enough repeats

Yuke Hunt
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by Yuke Hunt » Wed Apr 17, 2024 5:13 pm

godsavetheking wrote:
Wed Apr 17, 2024 3:24 pm
steve shearer wrote:
Wed Apr 17, 2024 2:14 pm
yep.
Total fin area is easy to feel.

Different materials easier to feel.
Confirmation bias, moite. I’m certain that in properly blinded testing you wouldn’t be able to pick up any differences
Indeed. Fin size and template variations are definitely noticeable to most, but separating the nuances between various construction techniques in the same size and template would be something the average surfer would most likely fail to do. Although some would like to fool themselves otherwise.
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buddy
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by buddy » Wed Apr 17, 2024 6:15 pm

The confirmation bias could be you two thinking we can’t tell the difference.

(I don’t know, as I said, I haven’t swapped out same template with different constructions)

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steve shearer
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Re: Just general surfing stuff

Post by steve shearer » Wed Apr 17, 2024 6:31 pm

I have.

Had a beautiful custom 6'9" Peter MCabe step-up.

Came with cheap plastic FCS fins.

I'll never forget the day I swapped those out for a stiff pair of fibreglass fins of the same template.

It literally was like going from driving on bald tyres in the rain to feeling like I was in a Porsche with new tyres.

Went from a good board, to completely magic.

I had no idea how bad those shitty plastic fins were and how much difference it made having a proper stiff fin instead.
I want Nightclub Dwight dead in his grave I want the nice-nice up in blazes

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