Why does it seem that flex fins seem to be quite a bit larger on shorter boards? For example: A 9" fin on a 7’ board. I was always told that you want to try to keep the fin size relative to the board length like having a 9" fin on 9’ board, 9.5" fin for a 9’6" and so on. It was always concerning longboards, though. Does this theory differ for single-fin, mid-length boards(7’-8’)? Is it a “flex fin” thing or does it apply to regular fins as well? Thanks.
It’s all about what kind of ride you want. You can have a 7’6 with a a set of 3-inch fins on it, or whatever. And it doesn’t matter whether its a flex fin or not…depending on what kind of ride you want. But, from what I’ve noticed, when most people talk about mid-length boards lately, they’re often talking about retro-influenced boards, and thus a retro-style ride. Retro obviously means the board is mostly influenced by the past…with these boards, the 70s-era, in which Greenough fins were the hot ticket. In this era, shorter fins weren’t considered the norm yet, so naturally, any board made with this era’s influence will have a longer fin…A 7 or 8-footboard might even have had a 13-inch fin (like a Greenough Stage III) but it’s not just a “style/look” thing. It’s the feel of the ride. Longer fins=longer, smoother carves. Shorter fins=quicker, more abrupt pivots. Hope this helps some. Dale, Gene, or others might be able to give us more insight into this topic…deeb out…
Why does it seem that flex fins seem to be quite a bit larger on shorter > boards? For example: A 9" fin on a 7’ board. I was always told that > you want to try to keep the fin size relative to the board length like > having a 9" fin on 9’ board, 9.5" fin for a 9’6" and so on. > It was always concerning longboards, though. Does this theory differ for > single-fin, mid-length boards(7’-8’)? Is it a “flex fin” thing > or does it apply to regular fins as well? Thanks. It’s about drive and balance, and how do you want the board to perform.eg, do want it to just go fast and straight or do you want it to turn as well.also placement of the fin is key too.For example, on boards Ihave that are 7-7’2" I use a 9" flex fin placed anywhere from 12.75" up all the way to 14.25" up.Iknow if you take a 8" fin and place it further back the board will maintain the speed but will lose turnability.The key is balance.Too much fin and the nose of the board will tend to drive toward the beach-too little and the nose will want to drift up and over the wave.It really is a fun aspect of surfing-tuning in the right fin and placement in order to get maximum performance fro your board.