FCS PC-CRV Curved Fins

rvb · October 23, 2012, 1:33pm

i searched the forum but not much on these (post back in 2002 with limited info). anyone try these? i am intrigued..

i am having a 5'2 mini simmons made for me and cannot decide on fins. shaper suggested these althoguh he admitted no experience with them, and also advised they are pricey. goal of the simmons is to be an alternative shape, something different when i get bored. i live and surf in NJ. i pretty much ruled our keel fins or half moons, want a little more drive and dig.

i would love to hear suggestions/experience

thirdshade · October 23, 2012, 3:22pm

Hey RVB
I cant speak from experience about those but I can tell you with absolute confidence that an alternative is the lokbox speed dialer turbos - quad set, also curved - they are designed as a ‘split keel’ setup where you push them right out on the rail with about an inch spacing between them…I’ve used them loads and they never fail to impress anyone who uses them. They would be perfect on a mini sims. I also use the futures controllers - equally good but they are not curved…both sets will offer mega drive…cost about the same.
Cheers
Rich
www.thirdshade.com

rvb · October 23, 2012, 3:54pm

thanks Rich. shaper is doing FCS boxes. any other suggestions for me?

anyone use these fins??

thirdshade · October 23, 2012, 5:23pm

You could try rainbow fins - they do the speed dialers for lokbox - they can also supply them with FCS bases.

Cheers

Rich

www.thirdshade.com

PPK · October 23, 2012, 5:33pm

I’ve been using these Fins (FCS Curved Fins) since they firsst came out when I was working in a friends Surf Shop in Hanalei years ago and continue to use them today on the longboards I ride. I’ve used them in surf range from 3 feet to 10 foot + at Hanalei Bay on Kauai where I live. I use a short / small fin for the center box with the two curved fins on the outside. The inside fin will hold you in there on hard, rail biting bottom turns, the center fin keeps you aligned with no wobble. Rail to rail work would be insanely fast I would imagine on a shorter surfboard. I"ve also tried to use just the Two Curved Fins by themselves on a longboard, but it just gets too squirllie and loose. The short center fin, helps to keep you centered and smooths out your projected down the line approach. Maybe not for everyone, but they’ve worked for me over the years in small to cranking, overhead waves. Not sure if they even make them anymore. I’ve asked on different Forums for them and have traded fins for them or just bought them outright from other folks who didn’t really like them. BTW, I use these Fins on a Billy Hamilton 9’6" longboard OR my Morey / Pope 2 piece Travel model Yater carbon fiber 9’6".

Hope this helps. Aloha, PPK

keithmelville · October 23, 2012, 5:35pm

I’ve used them and am pretty sure I still have a set or two around somewhere… the rail fins are quite nice, and big enough to use as twin fins, although I find they are a bit iffy on very steep faces. The center fin is more or less useless in my opinion.

I know others who use the curved ones as sidebites on longboards and claim good results. I have not tried them in that setup myself.

rvb · October 23, 2012, 5:44pm

they are reproducing this fin again, that is why i am asking for info. keith - do you have a set you would part with? i need twin, dont need center.

here: http://www.thesurfboardwarehouse.com/p-848-fcs-fins-pc-crvbr-thruster-twin.aspx

keithmelville · October 23, 2012, 6:14pm

I probably do… let me check at home and see if they are still where I think they are.

cuttlefish · October 23, 2012, 11:13pm

I’ve used them in a number of different boards. Tried them in quads as front fins and hated them though others have used them in the same quad and thought they were excellent.

Used them in a 4’2" mini-simmons planshaped prone board as a twin and they are my fin of choice for that board…but that is riding prone.

Also use them with an m5 trailer in an old school 7’ diamond tail with great results.

Should you use quad plugs Indo fins make fcs tabbed controller style fins for a good price.

fins · October 24, 2012, 12:28am

.... hi ' RVB' !

Well, my ones are not the 'PC' ['performance core'] recent re-release models .... but they are the original [ 'G-CRV' ] models. But , they ARE the same template , when I compared them to a mate Marty's PC-CRV's that he bought a coupla months back.

I HAVE posted these previously in the 'my fin tinkerings' thread .... as well as on 'my board and fin setups'-type threads , in the past [.... under either 'chipfish61' , chipfins61 or chippy61 , maybe ? ].

These have been used , so far , in the

9'4 mal [shown here with a 'fibreglass hawaii' [finbox] single KEEL ...thanks , 'Zosurf ' !!] I had a GREAT surf on this setup , a few years ago [Rowan took a couple of photos] at the scene of our last shark fatality, north of here ....

the 6'6 walden [twin , thruster , and quad setups ...see below , also ... ]

the 6'6 thruster [once only , though] ,

and

the 5'8 "Bushfire" fish .

The Walden 'CD4' [ it has a 5 FIN option , actually !] is 22" wide ,

so .... in terms of flatness, and tail width , and template / width , it 'may' be 'about' the closest to your 'mini simmons' ...that , or the 5'8 'bushfire fish' , which Rowan rode recently ....

With many thanks to 'rooster' , and 'lazarus' , for sending these fins ...CHEERS , guys !

[....somewhere around , I also have video footage from ? c. 2006 , maybe ? of 'Big Daz' , riding these in his ? 6' DHD ? thruster , at the time ]

[Pretty loose in the twinny setup pictured above [ for my 60kgs ] , but would probably work okay with Daz's 95 kgs powering them , I think. ]

" and , now " ....

********* Plan B ...

you could always [a cheaper option]

have a go at making some , yourself ?

Then , you can play around with different sizes , and curves [also shown on the 'my fin tinkerings' thread , by the way ...]

Here's an example of a small sized prototype curved metal template , that Marty made ...

and ....

a fibreglass one I laid up [ by taping the fin panel to a bucket ...]

[ I definately want to make some more curved fins , at some stage in the future....Barry Snyder here also mentioned HE made some , while working at Brewer , in the past ...]

okay , I hope this helps ?

cheers !

ben chipper , west oz

rvb · October 24, 2012, 12:51am

awesome stuff from everyone thanks! wow, so from those pics, they really do have a defined curve. for some reason i did not think it was that much curve. i might demo the fins, but start my simmons life with a more typical twin fin. so now i must ask for suggestions on a good set of twins!

buttermilkbiscuit · March 11, 2013, 12:54pm

Hey man, can’t give you any experience on these particular fins but if you want I found some videos online that helped me make my choice…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nrst4xkP8s

lawless · March 11, 2013, 5:53pm

Buttermilkbiscuit, for fuck’s sake, give it a rest. You’ve managed to Spam most of the popular surf forums today with you videos, digging up old fin threads (here, errbb, 2ndlight, etc.). We get it, you’re trying to sell fins and your subscription service.

Try being more transparent and just saying who you are and providing usefull discussion. Acting like we don’t know you work at The Surfboard Warehouse is insulting and is going to backfire for you.You’re only going to get a few shots at it, then it’s done. Just be honest with who you are and provide meaniful discussion and you’ll be able to come back and post as much as you want without the charade.

Hell, offer coupon codes to specific forums and it’ll be much easier to track conversions and build repeat customers.

drazicss · May 22, 2014, 12:49am

I’ve been riding curved fins almost exclusively for at least 34 years now…

I’ve used them in many different type waves and have learned a lot about their limitations and where and when they work.

Drop me a line and I’ll fill you in on how and when to use them.

Thanks

Huck · May 22, 2014, 1:03am

why can’t you discuss it here on the forum?

fins · May 22, 2014, 1:14am

[michael peterson : 'I COULD say , but I WON’T say "…]

haaaa !

[hopefully , though , huck , it ‘may’ be because he is the originator of the curved fins , either here in oz , or the cali ones ? 34 years IS a while [pre-thruster , even] …]

cheers !

ben

drazicss · May 22, 2014, 2:05am

I may have over shot that a little. The 80’s…? Used a 55 gal drum to lay up the curved fins… I heard that some kid in Japan first came up with the idea…?

They don’t work well in small choppy waves.
They excel at point breaks. They help me going backside…(no power or fat face, no problem, they will carry you thru the section)
They don’t release unless you fully blow out the tail.
They are very dangerous in very hollow waves due to the incredable amount of lift…, proceed with caution…
They carry you through a turn and maintain your speed during a roundhouse.
Work very well in the foam ball part of the wave. Much more control with the tubulent water.
Work very well in big waves. Limited experence in very large waves, but they seem to feel very positive the few times I ventured out in large surf.
I cannot believe more surfers have not tried them. Cost?, Not wanting to be to different?, No time to experiment? Backsiders on Point Breaks…you pro’s that need a equalizer at J-Bay…

Huck · May 22, 2014, 8:03am

Thanks - will have to add them to my bucket list

johnmellor · July 29, 2016, 7:36am

I’ve used a set as twinnies on a bellyboard to compare with a hoop fin I made for same. I really liked them. I think that to appreciate what’s going on, you kind of have to imagine what’s going on with the outer surface of the outer fin when making rail transitions. I believe that the big convex curve allows that outer surface to release the outer edge much easier than a flatter foiled fin.

Dansan · May 22, 2014, 10:31am

quartet…ala neil purchase jr…

i used to use a twinzer setup…but prefer …the “reverse”…now