Can anyone recommend a fin for a 9’ rounded pin longboard, with a tail about 14". The board is a fairly light performance type board. I have a 9" wingnut cutaway that I used on a 9’4" performance board, but it seems a little too stiff…but tracks real well. Looking for an all-around fin…maybe a little more performance oriented. Thanks, Dizzy
If you’re considering going the custom fin route, Rich who posts here as Halcyon can make you a tailored fin for this board. He made one for me and it truly rips.
you could always try the g&s ‘perfecto’ template- give em a call 1-858-635-9480…
Dizzy, I surf a wingnut cutaway in small waves on one of my longboards. It’s a good fin. It could be the one you have is bigger than you need on your board if your board tends to track with it. Single fin long boards tend to track more than ones with little side bites. If I can help I’d be glad to whether or not I build you something. You can email me a . We can talk about the specks of the board your riding, the conditions you ride in and you surfing style. I have several templates of my own and some tried and true favorites we can discuss through email and photo attachments. Singles for performances longboards are laminated fiberglass/high density foam composite construction; all are custom work & they float. I’m glad to share photos of my work with you any time. Hey Gregg thanks for the good report on the LUXE template fin I sent for you. How are things going on the 8’6"? Mahalo, Rich
Hi Rich, I start the 11-footer this week. The template looks good. After that the 8’6. I’ll send you an email with a full report.
I have a 9’0" longboard with a rounded pin, 14" wide also. I have been using a 9" Island Design fin, a basic swept back template and it has worked just fine for me. I also have a little finlet just in front of it that seems to make the board go faster, at least it feels like its going faster. The board and fin are posted in the board archives, #417.
Just an observation – the template of the fin on Foamdust’s 9’0" has been a standard longboard fin for many years for good reason. One of the best longboard surfers that I know surfs a 9’6" Hap Jacobs with a glass-on fin almost exactly like this. I have a Hap as well it’s a 9’10" pintail single and the fin that came with it looks much like the one in the photo. As far as I’m concerned Hap’s the longboard God. The fin just needs to be the right size for the stick it’s on. I have one in the works for mine that I’ll be comparing to it real soon. I surf other longboards I surf with multiple fin setups so they’re very different than a single set up. I think the canard in front of a single is a great idea. I’ve gotta try that one. Thanks for the reference Foamdust. Your 9’0" looks like a real sweet board. Bet it nose rides super. Mahalo, Rich
true ames - Yater Greenough Wayne Rich all of these are loose drivers. I like the WR 8" 8.5" 9.5" as single fins
What is the Finlet? How does it work? Will it work with a tri fin longboard set-up? Can it work with any type of center fin? Diz
Dizzy, Check out Archives #417 here. It’s a canard – small fin in front of the main fin. It acts like a jib on a sailboat. Do a little reading and you’ll fined what it does. In a nutshell it breaks the water and as a result you get less turbulance and more speed. Gone Surfin’, Rich
I used a Wingcut 7" on my 9’6" as a single fin only to great effect. I really loved that fin and still have it. There is an 8" Wingcut as well. The fin was been redesigned with a bit more tip and base to give it more drive while making it easy to make your turns release more easily. I use the 9" Wingcut on my 12’3" Eagle and it made it much more responsive. Aside from a custom fin you really can’t find a higher quality fin than Rainbow and the Wingnut and Rusty series are the top of the line.