Hi to the nice folks of Swaylock’s!
Any opinions/experiences on the 4 Way Fin System www.4wfs.com
out there!? It looks very interesting!
Greets from Germany
IMHO any fin system the does not gain structural integrity from the shell lamination of the board is no going to stand the test of time. There are systems along with Bert Burger’s own that stand above the rest. No in any particullar order they are O’Fishl, Lokbox, Red-X, & Furture Fin Systems. All the rest are put in like a plug and can’t be expected to stand much strain.
No Worries, Rich
I’ve used the 4 ways and have found that there boxes have been solid. I have been impressed with their specially designed inter-discs that have been designed to break on front impact, something i think all fin systems fail from. Unless you’ve tried the 4 ways i wouldn’t write it off. The adjustability component lends so much more value than a regular/single-positioned fin system. I’m stoked with the system and what it does.
"designed to break on front impact, something i think all fin systems fail from. "
Most…but not all. Read the last paragraph.
hey trash…off topic but i met two guys from germany in the carribean last year…i didnt even know you guys had a coastline?!
duh…learning everyday
havent tried 4w’s…yet
I’ve had 4wfs in my board for a year now, worked real well, still rock solid. Good for new shapers - you can compensate (to a degree) for stuff ups with tail outline/rocker or fin settings. Also the “sharkskin” carbon composite fins have a good stiffness to price ratio.
I am glad to see there are systems other than 4 way fin system (few) that i have now seen that have thought about the fins breaking from front impact. I noticed with Lokbox, you can move the fins up & down, but the cannot be rotated to toe-in or out, how do you change the splay without having another set of fins with a different splay in the fin? I found adjusting my fins helped me especially when i needed speed in smaller waves. If anyone’s interested it would be worth visiting their site for more info: www.4wfs.com
Thanks for you opinions! I think I want to give it a shot, because I want to test how far my ability goes, for being able to feel different fin positions anyway! I think that is a great thing, for people like me. Time will tell if the system is stable enough to make it!
Is there any other fin system out there, that offers toe in/out, cant and horizontal adjustment?
And yes Germany has coastline, but I never go, Dutch Coast is closer for me, but it´s rarely good! So it´s always traveling for us!! So to everyone who lives at a coast with good surf: You don´t even know how blessed you are!
Have a good day!
Hi, i agree, i just got an e-mail press-release from the 4 way fin system, they’re in Munich at the Ispo trade show, looks like the got an award “Brand New”.
if it’s close, and u want more info, it will be worth visiting them…happy travelling.
I won a set of 4wfs last year in a shaping competition, I haven’t gotten around to using them yet. It seems to me that they would be ideal for a fish where by you can change the Toe and Cant to suit but I’m a bit concerned that the base of support of the fin tab of around 2" is a bit small. Anyone have any observations on this
just to let u know, i have used the system for a while, their composite fins work great! good stiff-flex, their fins don’t wobble in the boxes/plugs like other systems do. Also their fins do snap perfectly from side impact (great if u fall on your fins trying to do a layback or aerial and it all goes horribly wrong… trust me… i know…
4wayFS is a good system. Really helps when your trying to dial in a new shape also sometimes helps when your tow is off when you set the fins. A slight change in tow can really make a board come to life or kill it. Unfortunately there is now a glut of competing fin systems on the market all of which have some great qualities. The 4way has the widest range of adjustments which is great if you know what your doing but probably means little to the average surfer.
I really Like the system- as J troy said - it can allow you to really bring a board to life… it’s amazing how very very subtle changes in positioning have a massive effect upon performance… I’ve ridden boards where a 1mm change in the toe in has meant the difference between a good board and a magic board. Everything can be right on your board but if the fins aren’t set right - it’ll be a dog!