i have a set of the simitar w/ hatchet center fin. i really like the way they perform in small to med surf. in larger or more powerful surf, they tend to make the tail of the board feel as though it is not connected to wave.
With Futures and quads it might be a good idea to check the rear fin box depth. The fin boxes can be either 3/4" or 1/2" depth. This may limit your choice of fins.
Futures now has inserts so you can run 1/2" (X) fins in any 3/4" (F) boxes. I have also heard that the Scimitar with Hatchet rear is fun in small surf but just doesn’t work in bigger surf. I have the Scimitar Quad set up on my fish but that is because my fins are closer than the McKee set up. When using the McKee I find that the 340rears slide out too much on my hybrid fish. I need to ride the 375s. I’m 150lbs. All of this depends on board, set positioning, weight and style of course.
i forgot to mention, ride the board with the stock fins it comes with, try it out in a variety of conditions first, then make your purchase for another set based on what you like/dislike on the current set and what you specifically want in the next set.
Thanks for the replies yep looks like that what ill do…I already have a set of fcs stretch fins and they are alright although im still not completely used to the board (gun) …It might be good to have same fins on both boards anyway (1x fcs stretch on gun, 1 x future stretch on stretch quad) that way im more used to both boards between changovers.
However later on i think the Blue FEA’s might be a good option for heavier days.
Not sure what fins i should go for on heavy days for the gun though, maybe TC aqualines.
I’ve had problems with every set of futures fins I’ve ever owned.On the glass fins the base always splits where the grub screw attaches the fin into the box,eventually the fin will wobble because you can only tighten it so much.On the plasticycompostietype fins the tip always breaks off where the grub screw holds the fin in the box.I really like the schimitars with the hatchet center fin,in larger surf I just remove the hatchet and run an M7 for a little more traction in the tail.
There are reasons for this happening, mainly due to the way the box is engineered. Firstly you have a thin flange with very little to hold it down. Secondly, fins flex from side to side, not up and down the length of the box. This “twists” the flange from side to side as well and hey presto, the fibreglass cracks and water gets trapped in between your Futures box and the fibreglass covering it. It’s kind of cool watching water travelling up and down the flange under your fibreglass as you tilt the board up and down though.
There’s no way around it that I can think of due to the engineering behind the Futures box unless you want to replace it with another system. Fin boxes need to have good support to the sides of them due to the sideways force being placed on them from the load of the fin. In the case of Futures this is soft foam supporting the flange and that’s about it. This is why some fin system manufacturers recommend fibreglass around the box. Once the fibreglass put in the routed hole around the sides of box is wetted with resin and cures, it provides reinforcement against the sideways movement of the box and gives the box something to push back against.