Out surfing the other day, wound up in the emergency room watching my friend get his underarm sewed back up. I could have put my fist into the hole!
He has a 9’6" longboard with a single fin that is much like a scimitar in shape and effect.
I would like to get him a blunter fin, what sorts of sizes are appropriate for this board, it’s a new but traditional longboard shape. Not a noserider or anything. Regular old normal fin box.
Thanks,
Mike
Eureka CA
Just blunt the trailing edge with some sandpaper, use anything from 60 to 220 grit.
Be thankful you saw the hole in someone else, and consider the sharpness of your own fins.
Agreed. The leading edge SHOULD be rounded anyway, and the trailing edge should be as thin as possible, but otherwise blunt enough that it cannot cut your leash. Or your skin.
For the truly paranoid, there are Pro-teck fins.
The Velzy noserider fin is a good all-around choice that’s kind of blunt. Its about halfway between a pivot fin (wide, upright) and a rake fin (narrow, swept). Its the one on the right. I have one that has made the rounds of all my longboards and a lot of friends’ boards too. Whenever a guy is going from a shortboard or a tri-fin longboard to a single, this is the one I suggest. Usually, after using mine, they go buy one. Again, True Ames.
(The Velzy fin on the left is a gutless copy of the Greenough 4a. No drive whatsoever.)
WOW… that fin on the left is my favorite one so far for my 9’2" (relatively new board, but shaped “old-school” style with very round/neutral rails, wide tail block and round hips, and with a hefty, but not heavy, weight to it). Then again, I don’t longboard when drive is very necessary, just pivoting and noseriding. Diff’rent strokes for diff’rent folks I guess.
My biggest problem with it was it mushed out on me. But I’m 220 lb and tend to do that to fins with small surface area. I’m stoked it works for you, everyone should try all kinds of different fins until they find the right one for their size, board, and style.
Benny1- good point. I’m a bit smaller than you (6’0", 180 lbs), ride light on my feet in general (long or shortboard), practice the glide-and-pivot style when longboarding, and hang the LB back in the rafters and grab a fish or shorty, depending on conditions, if it gets above chest high.
if it gets above chest high.
That’s when the biggest board comes out! (Kidding)
Ben