I’m confused with fin placement , do u measure fin placement from the stringer or the rail ? I have 2 fish board , one with 12" from the stringer n 1.5" from the rail . Another one with 11" from the stringer n 2.5" from the rail .
The 1st board fin placement seam to be holding better when doing citical/sharp turn . 2nd spin out all the time .
My question is no matter hoe wide the tail , u always measure from the rail for fin placement ? What about 3 fin setup , r they the same too ?
Heard Burton is buying over Channel Island surfboard . Hope they make some really strong board in future . . . . .
Most shapers measure from the rail. You can compensate for stringers that are off center this way and make sure both side fins are oriented off the rail evenly on both sides. 2.5 from the rail is pretty far. If I had to guess I’d say that’s your problem.
Herb’s on it here. Youe need to know how far apart the fins are before setting up distance from rail. I have several taper jigs that I lay along the stringer to mark off placement and they are long enough to compensate for any warp in the center stick, I never liked using a square, moving it side to side and then trying to figure how much toe at a 5" base. Only a c-hair of a pencil line off and you are of miles off by the nose, Jigs mo betta’
A jig is great if you want to, or do, the same design consistently. However, if you do a lot of custom innovations, fin location can vary greatly depending on outline, wings, tail width, rocker, board length (over all) and mostly what you want the board to do or how you want it to feel.
I use a large protractor or a 9 X 12 square. For a 6-2, I locate the trailing edge of side fins 10 3/4 to 10 7/8 up from the tail and inboard form the rail peak (not the tuck) at about 1 to 1 1/8. Some guys like 1 - 1/4. I prefer stiffer drive and do 1" personally. I dont toe them more than 3/16 personally. So over all stiffer feel. For every couple inches of board length I move the fins up 1/8" along the stringer and inboard from the in the same range. And as length increases, tail width usually come in about 1/16 for every inch of extra length.
But, back to a short board or a fish as you describe 2.5" inboard from the rail is a lot unless you are refering to the leading edge of the fin, instead of the trailin edge. What are the overall specs on the board and I'll tell you how I would typically set it up and why. And other guys here would set it up differently as well, I'm sure...Its a personal perference and style/ performance issue. However, there are a few basic principles which have been touched on already which are valid.
Another thing, what are the specs on the fins themselves? Could be the fin depth relative to tail width issue leading to spin out as well.
This is the reason I have 3 different jigs, each with increasing toe to the nose and being about 24" long, can accomidate a large degree of tail widths. Once the distance exceeds about 13" between the side fins, the board starts to act independently on one side fin and the rear fin, rather than as a unit. The feeling of the outside fin breaking out of the water and then re-connecting when going into the next maneuver makes foir a less than smooth feeling. Just my personal experience from riding a 17" tailed thruster in small Florida waves, then trying to ride a wave over 3 feet with any kind of punch
Where shd i fix the fin ? Is a FCS fin system plug .
I have another board single fin , feel like changing it to a twin fin too . Board size 5’6" x 21 x 2 6/8 , pls take a look at the pic from this link >>> http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=281802;search_string=my%201st;#281802 yellow single fin . Nose 15.5 " , tail 15.5" too .Fin size base 8.5" x h 5" .Fin size base 8.75" x h 5.5" . Any suggestion for fin placement ?
Those are some long base keels you made there. Single tabs for such a large area may overload a single FCS plug, or cause lead and trailing twist when turning. Double tabs would be more stable. If you need some blank fin stock I can send you some if you pick up the postage. Its a black, tan and white leopard print…suitable for a rager of your caliber.
Anyway, with a double plug set up you need a standard or "custom" setting jig to keep the plugs properly aligned when wet setting. I would locate trailing fin 11" up from tail tips and inset from the rail 1 3/8 to 1 5/8 and toe them 3/16. You could also do a 12" above tips with the same in set dimensions. The 11" set up puts the fins closer together under foot especially if you're a rear foot surfer. 12" setting more fin spread,verging on max, for he tail width.
An other consideration is where the rocker breaks or accelerates in the fin area, keeping the fins behind the break in the "new" plane allows the board to rock back flat and work smaller wave pockets, while rockin foward more drive, thru, around and out of flats.
With such a long keel base you dont want to span rocker transitions with a " see saw" fulcrum effect. If you need to make shorter base fins to better fit the rocker panel, then do it. Judging form your first four boards, completed in such short time,you posess skill.
When it comes to setting up designs, whether theyre retros, your own, or combo of both, its how they relate to how you ride and how the water will move across them. Mock up some cardboard fins, hot glue them up, and site the board from various angles on a shaping rack . Place your hands on the deck little more than shoulder with apart directly above the fins or a bit in front thats your casual stance. Roll the board on its rail and site the rocker with hands at the same spread. How will the rocker and fins work under your feet? Its an interactive process. I cant tell you how many friends tell me "awhh hate this new board." "Why", I ask. " Dunno," the typical reply. theres a disconnect, they dont think about the board...they just ride it.