Thanks, Dave
I guess the outside fin is on the outside of the turn’s arc so the pressure wouldn’t be hitting the face even on a toed-in fin
And you keep the drive with the tail fin fixed
Let the Sway’s crew know when system become avail for sale
The bumpers do a great job of dampening any sensation of rotation or of the fins hitting the stop. Out of the water, the fins can be moved from stop to stop by hand, but in the water the only indication that they are turning is the sweet performance. No sensation of “now they’re turning, there they hit the stop” whatsoever. The only sensation is of enhanced function. 
Hey Jarrod
Would you say that that system made thrusters more friendly to the WP forward and/or front-foot crowd?!?!?
It seems like it would!?!
Seems I remember you being kinda FF biased?
and that board has the WP a bit forward?
If so, NOW I’m getting excited
(esp if the backfooters like it too–for Dave’s sake)
Seems like with a more Bonzer type rear fin they could optimize for bigger waves, ie not so loose, but maybe I’m just jabbering
I don’t think it is any more or less front/rear footed than a thruster.
I am FF biased, but I think the shape has more to do with feeding that particular need than the fins. But it might help a little, in the sense that it takes away the necessity to constantly drive off the back foot to make the thruster cluster work. It certainly allowed me to push on the gas with my left foot and get moving down the line in trim before planting the right to crank it around, but again, that probably has more to do with the board than anything else.
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it takes away the necessity to constantly drive off the back foot to make the thruster cluster work.
That’s the part I was wondering about, and the fact that it worked (that) well with a WP forward board
Dave, did you ever do other board sports before surfing? That’s where I came by my front-footedness, so I wondered if it would help, because I thought I remembered Jarrod mentioning his FF tendency from snowboarding and stuff
Thanks guys
Sounds like dynamite for longboards - no drag for trimming & noseriding, but then step back & crank off a turn? What do I have to do to get on the beta list and put 'em in a 10 footer?
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Sounds like dynamite for longboards - no drag for trimming & noseriding, but then step back & crank off a turn? What do I have to do to get on the beta list and put 'em in a 10 footer? :)
make me a shortboard compsand and the fins are in the mail
no really, I’m serious…
I did lots of board sports in addition to surfing, I’ve used front-footed surfboard designs for long periods, and rear-footed designs, and adjusted in between, and gotten fully comfortable with either. That being said I prefer rear-footed designs because I think they turn better in general.
I rode the trucks mostly in a 6’1" and I rode it pretty hard on rail a lot. Mainly it was just easy to go vert, so pretty soon I went at each wave looking for vert sections, with “vert” goggles on. I also had them in a 6’4" that was a WP forward board, much nicer on hollow overhead waves…got my best barrel of the year on it. Not a good vert board though, the tail was too narrow.
You can tell the fine details of a fin system easier and easier the shorter the board gets, the rest of the board contributes less to the overall handling, and it becomes more fin dominated.
And the real reason I used a 6’1" was that I wanted to get good feedback from the best surfers around, and they won’t take you seriously if you ask them to ride anything longer than that. My entire 3 fin R&D was driven by a Loehr comment that “the entire modern evolution of the surfboard was driven by how well they come off the bottom turn”. Maybe not an exact quote but close, the real quote is somewhere in the Sways archives. So, I focussed on making a board come off the bottom better, and tweaked the details of the rotating boxes until it worked. And I wasn’t satisfied until good competition-style riders liked it too.
I honestly think it will make any shape built for a thruster easier to ride and faster and higher performance. And I tell people using it to put it in any board they would use a thruster with, same fin positions, same shape. I’m sure someone will work out hull design improvements to complement the fins, but I don’t think you need ANY to fully appreciate what they bring to the table.
Hi Guys
Rob I’m with you if you want to share the cost of shipping to the UK, if so PM me and I’ll put myself down for a quad set.
Anything for keels yet?
cheers Joe
I really would like to try the system on a quad that I am going to build. Please keep us informed on how and where to purchase the RFS. It sounds great.
I have been here: http://www.blakestah.com/fins/
and I have read Schwuz’s one time test and review,
which brings me to the subject of reviews and salesmanship.
Why should someone be impressed by a product with a review done
from one surf in substandard Texas waves.(my apologies to Texas)
Hell, in near dream-like perfect smooth surf I cant’ even adequately judge a new board
because smooth perfect surf can hide many a boards flaws. You got to take it out in
the hollow stuff and throw some heavy bottom turns as well as the sloppy hard to beat sectiony
surf. Before you can ‘blanket’ know whether you have a winner or not!
Which brings me back to the Schuz review?
Mr. B. is that all you got? …and why would that be the centerpiece of your internet marketing.
as an aside I am very interested in seeing this idea do well as I and countless
others have had the idea before, just no engineering moxy to follow up on it.
However, from this one review, I’d be hard pressed as a discerning consumer
to make that plunge.
hmmm…
‘If it doesnt make sense, there’s a buck involved’
I don’t know who said it, but it was something along the lines of “In perfect clean surf everything works”. Personally, I think less then stellar waves are better testing ground then hollow, powerful waves. If the wave provides all the power you need and then some, why would you care about thruster drag?
regards,
Håvard
I like the scope and detail of the review but theres more needed to give it any solid credibility, that is if you’re interested in establishing it as a real option for the global surfing market.
Send off a few sets to established, reliable Sways crew,and a mod or two, in different corners of the world.
A world-wide ‘thumbs-up’ review on Sways has gotta be a hit towards the mass market.?
I think its time to pony up.
S.
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one surf in substandard Texas waves.(my apologies to Texas)
What?! Where>!>!>!>!???
Seriously? If he gets it out there, and they work for people, they’ll sell. Would I like to see a lot more reviews like Jarrod’s before I pony up $74.95? Yeah. But marketing works.
If you are really interested in this fin system, it wouldn’t take much effort to get further ride reports from blakestah regarding the impressions of other folks who have tried it. I can’t refer to them right now, but I remember being influenced to try the trucks by the good reports that were coming through.
I think the reason he referenced my review was that I had actually taken the time to write it out and post it online, so it was convenient to simply put up a link.
For the record, I have now had it out a dozen times, and am still blown away by it.
My understanding is that there has been quite a bit of interest generated already, and there will soon be many more folks out there trying it out. Hopefully they’ll also take the time to write out their impressions.
Meanwhile, you’re welcome to try mine out anytime you’re in the south texas area, otis and spuut. I know our waves don’t quite measure up to the california standard most of the time, but they’re warm and they’re uncrowded.
On that point, given the poor quality of our waves so much of the time, anything that can make a session more fun certainly has my vote.
I’ll have it with me on my upcoming trip to Ecuador, where I’ll be riding it in conditions (clean points) much more likely to favor any shape. Maybe a review in those kind of waves will carry more meaning. I have the feeling that additional praise from me already liking the setup is unlikely to hold much weight for any doubters, but I’m happy to lend my support for the benefit of those who might be riding the fence about trying them out.
I’m not in this forum to market my product. Shwuz bought the trucks and posted his review unsolicited from me.
I am all in favor of people who buy my products doing that, I think it enriches Swaylocks when neutral parties post reviews, but it crossed the line if I ask them or pay them to do so. Of course reviews that I solicit and/or pay for should be viewed as biased, I could go on all day, but I doubt you would find it anymore convincing.
In any case, there should be plenty soon, in the upcoming weeks when they are ready for more. Shwuz bought one of ten beta test units intended to flush out the details. The next generation are better in many small ways, I just wish they would be finished and in my hands FASTER!
Thanks for your continued patience.
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Quote:Seriously? If he gets it out there, and they work for people, they’ll sell. Would I like to see a lot more reviews like Jarrod’s before I pony up $74.95? Yeah. But marketing works.
Quote:You know, Janklow, given that you are one of the nearest swayers to where I am, I think you have a responsibility to come down and try my board out too… For the good of the community. Maybe when the water gets warmer again, eh? Consider the invitation open.
I agree with Schwuz’s comment about riding his boards. Both of you end up getting so much from it. I find it especially helpful if they can say what they like and don’t like. I saw a pair of Blakestah’s fins on Superfatpat’s soon to be completed compsand. They look very interesting
PM!
Yes SF Pat’s compsand should be in the water in a week or two and I am sure a review of board and fins will soon follow. After that I will sneak out on it and give my 2 cents worth for sure. So more to follow good or bad or indifferent who knows. Stay tuned. And oh yea we have all kinds of surf around here.
Christian