Fin recommendation for 8' fatty

I’ve been surfing the board I just finished with my beautiful spitfire fin (thanks Solo and Larry), and having a blast with it as I figure out the board. However, I want to play around with other single fins and wanted some recommendations (I’m also going to try twin keels, and maybe twin fins as well).

The board is 4" thick, 25.5" wide, not a whole lot of rocker, and the softest/fullest of rails from nose to tail. Rather than repost pix here, check it out on the build thread if you seek pix: The Thing.

Main idea I have had is a flex fin to add a little squirt and drive, but my 10 and 9.5" harbour fins might be a bit long, and Rich says they don’t work in soft railed boards.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

–BCo

Whoa - just read your build thread…don’t know how I missed that last week ::slight_smile: Looks great!

I’d probably try a TA Velzy Noserider fin. Its kind of upright & squared-off like a pivot fin, but a lot narrower so less surface area. Looks like your box is nice & far back (no placement-limiting thin tails here, dammit :wink: ) so its a little looser too. It snaps around like a pivot, but you can turn it even if you’re not right over. Its a very stable knee-paddling fin too (like the Spitfire), since you knee paddle a lot, you’ve probably noticed what a difference the fin makes. 9 or 10 inch, depending on what you feel like the board needs…

You could also try out the Slickermeyer fin, I haven’t tried it yet, but its sure got that new-skool blended pivot/rake look

IF you like that one, but want a little looser, Fibre Glass Fin Co makes the Sparky and Fins Unlimited design makes the Miss Lucy, both of which are like the Slick but with kind of a very slight (1/2"?) blended cutaway in the trailing edge.

And lastly, it would probably be fun with something drivey with a wide base, but with a small tip for noserides with control from the front. I’ve really been liking the 10" MD3 (Mikey DeTemple 3 ) from Rainbow. Its shaped a lot like the Greenough 4a, but for us 200 lb’ers, that G4a sure flexes a lot - maybe too much a lot of the time. The MD3 is foiled thicker than the G4a, all the way to the tip. I’ve been using it a ton in my classic soft rail noseriders, and have recommended it to a couple other bigger guys both of whom use it more than anything else now. If it weren’t for my current fascination with the Spitfire, its still all I would be using. The 9" version has more rake, the 10" is more upright.

Quote:

The board is 4" thick, 25.5"

Yup. Ridiculous, I know.

–BCo

Ben,

Thanks again for your inspiration and guidance in designing this. I skipped the pinlines because I liked the simplicity without it. I’ve got four sessions on it now, complete with a LOT of knee paddling, and not a dent yet where the wood is. After putting that little bit of wood on there, I can see why you guys do the compsand thing. Looks good, feels good, and makes it durable.

Anyway, fins. I definitely think those all have some potential. I was thinking the exact opposite direction, though, like the Liddle flex:

Velzy classic:

or the Norm:

My thinking is that for riding slower waves, I wanted something with a little more flex and drive than the spitfire, whereas the spitfire (or pivot fins I would guess) is very fun in faster waves with more push. You bring up a good point about flex, though…the L flex and the Norm might be too much flex for my heavy frame. I was also thinking I could go shorter, but you bring up a good point about stability when knee paddling. I’ll borrow my buddy’s 7 or 8" liddle flex and see how that works. It is flexy and drivey, and short, but maybe too drivey. I was thinking of the greenough fins, too. I’ll check those out. And maybe my girlfriend will let me try her wingnut sweep. Similar shape to the greenough.

And finally, for real stability and drive, I will have to try my rainbow Skeg (mine is green):

–Ben

YEAAHHH MIKEYY!!!

I’d lean towards Greenough 4a and similar designs, rather than the more pronounced flex fins (the MD3 would be decent)…the Liddle flex is in this family too.

I can already tell you how the D fin is going to ride…heh-heh…