Flex fin recommendations

General Discussion
1

Hi all, I had posted this questions in this thread, http://www2.swaylocks.com/node/1004490 ,but Iwasn’t sure I would get a response with it being in the archives. I hope nobody minds me asking again here. 

I
have a 7’6 single fin egg (its wide and thick) and am looking for a fin. I don’t have any experience with flex fins and would like to give
them a try. After reading some posts on swaylocks, I think I’m going
to give the Liddle Flex fin a shot.

However there are so many options, which would you recommend? And what is the best size to get?  I’ve come accross these three online.

True Ames L-flex

Fibre Glass Fin Co - Greg Liddle Flex Fin Wide Base

Fibre Glass Fin Co - Greg Liddle Flex Fin Narrow Base

 

Thanks in advance for all your help!


 

2

Oh yea, I should probably mention that the board is mostly ridden in knee to head-high crap surf, so I’m not sure if that will influence anyones recommendation

3

I'm a huge fan of the TK flex, by rainbow fins.   It's the only thing I put in singlefins.

4

What size would you recommend for use in a 7’6?

 

5

You might also consider the PG Designs 9" Nail available through Fibre Glas Fin Co.

6

All the fins mentioned are excellent. FCS has one called the ''soul flex'' that also works really well, and you might be able to find one at a shop near you if you want to avoid shipping. (yes, FCS does make single fins for ''normal'' boxes).

7

Thanks for all the responses. I’ll look into those other fins but I think I want to give the Liddle’s a try.

Can anyone tell me the difference between the three Liddle’s I mentioned in my original post? And also can you recommend a size for a 7’6" board?

 

cheers

8

Hard to put into words that translate here.

Volan will flex more…  thicker foils will flex less

wider base has more drive, less base is loser with less drive

higher aspect has more hold while on rail

depends on the board.  9’’ seems to be a magic number…

placement of fin also greatly alters feeling.

The difference can be very subtle and personal.

 

 

9

Thanks!

I think I’ll go with a 9" Fibre Glass Fin Co Liddle Narrow Base.

One last question,

Motif, you mentioned a higher aspect, what is that?

10

I would go for a George Greenough 4A in 8" or 9"

Liddle is not adapted to an egg, too radical. An egg is not a stubby.

You need more base to hold your board but you need the flex.

The 4A is hands down the best fin on the market except for very specific uses.

11

Hi,

I have a Greenough 4A 8" and a TK flex 8.5" that I'm using in my 6'6" egg.

I only had a handful of sessions with each fin, so it's hard to make a judgement, but the Greenough seems a lot flexier then the TK.

12

(Taken from Surfline GG page):  “Velo weighed only about 6 pounds and was powered by an 11-inch high-aspect fin designed built by Greenough. Wide and thick at the base, then sweeping and tapering to a raked tip, the fiberglass foil loaded up on torque and propelled his kneeboard out of a turn with alarming force.”

http://flexspoon.com/flex/20things

With your egg being wide and thick I would think that having a slightly stiffer fin with a wider base might work better than a very thin foil with less base.  

I always like to go with the bigger fin to start with and then if you don’t like the feel you can always re-shape it down…

I have a 8’ egg (wide and thick) and I ride a 9 3/4 Greenough(custom) and it is the magic combo on that board.

Good luck!

13

Thanks to all who responded!

I purchased both the Liddle narrow base and  the Greenough IV. Now all I need is some waves, I hate Rhode Island in the summer (especially when I’m excited to try new equipment!)

I’ll post my impressions once I get to try them both out

14

Throw down the coin and take the ferry from Pt. Judith to Nantucket when you see a swell coming. Worth it if you’re jonesin’.

15

I’m with you on that one! Rhode Island in the summer is an exercise in patience. Unfortunately no waves on the horizon that look like the swell we had coming in a few weeks ago. Let me know how you like the fins, I have a 70s singlefin I’d like to try a flex fin in.

16

1 When it comes to eggs, tail width is a major factor in fin selection. Wider tails need longer fins. When I rode a 6’4" egg as my small wave ‘go to’ board, I used an 8" fin that was ground down and re-foiled from a bigger one. I kept removing material along the trailing edge and base until I felt the right combination of flex and twang.

2 I am not aware of any ferry that runs from PJ to ACK. AFAIK, you have to drive to Hyannis. Besides, if it’s flat in RI, it won’t be that much better on ACK, if at all. ACK will pick up a SW windswell that RI doesn’t see much of. But, waist high mush is not a good reason to spend the kind of $ it takes to go to, and stay on Nantucket.

 

17

I didn’t realize there was so many people from RI on here!

 

Yea as far as I know the Nantucket ferry leaves from Hyannis, maybe he/she meant Block Island. Or the Vineyard from Quonsett. Despite surfing in RI for the last 11 years, I never surfed out at any of the islands, I never thought it was worth it (maybe i’m wrong though)

18

It's always best to try as many fins you can obtain, buy, borrow,  I usually change fins every season, gives the board another performance,  I would like to give my recommendation, try a small size Rusty Performance Flex by Rainbow Fins in Northern Cali,  it has a 4 OZ. layup,  I have a tri-fin egg and thats my center fin, going on many surf seasons.....