what is the best way to actually quantify rake? are there two points on a fin that one can measure from to get a number or angle, but more importantly can this number be compared to other fins’ numbers. i havent really given this much thought and will report back if i come up with something, but i figured someone else might have already done the work and could save me the trouble.
what is the best way to actually quantify rake? are there two points on a > fin that one can measure from to get a number or angle, but more > importantly can this number be compared to other fins’ numbers. This is a question I have struggled with since the late 60’s and haven’t been able to resolve. I know that computer programs can determine rake angles based on lateral center points, base to tip, but in my experience those numbers can’t be transferred to another fin design with the same results. (Maybe on paper, but not in the water.) Another x-factor is the tail rocker of the board that fin is used in. A straight tail rocker will generate a more veritcal rake angle, etc. So who’s to say what rake is, anyway? The fin? The angle of attack relative to the center of the rockerline? What? If you take a fin you are familiar with and use it in a board you are familiar with, then lift the fin out of the box a little bit at a time, you can really feel the difference in how the fin performs. A more vertical fin produces shorter, “nose up” turns, while a steeper fin rake angle tends to lay the nose in the water more. What’s right or wrong is so totally subjective, I wonder if there will ever be any fact-based generalizations other than “try it and see if you like it.”