I have a 5’6 Lis style fish currently equipped with future fins, and quite honestly I believe they are the reason for my fish being slower than everyone talks about. I was wondering if there is some type of way that I could make some wooden keels and shape them to fit into my future fin boxes already on the board… anyone done this? too hard to try?
I haven’t tried making keels for a Future box set up but I know that my twinnies go faster with keels. I would think that it should be quite easy to make them for a Future box. I have made them for an FCS setup (x4 plugs) and this was a real bugger !
Steve
Are the fins plastic / molded ones made by Futures? if so, you may want to try fiberglass…manny of mandala was offering futures boxes in his quads, with fiberglass fins made by Rainbow. This is the set-up I have and my board flies…I also have a twin keel with double-foiled gepharts and the difference in speed is negligible. Manny seems to have switched over to lokbox, but I’m sure you can track something down…
I have used both the Future twin fins and Lokbox keel fins and I would have to say that you are correct in your assumption. The Keel fins are much faster and are still vary loose. The reason that Future does not make a keel is due to the way you have to install the fins in the boxes. In order to install the fins in the boxes you must rock the fin back into the box on the trailing edge and then down in the box. With a large base fin such as a keel fin it would require the fin to dig into the board in order for the fin to fit into the box. I have seen some large glass twins made by Rainbow for future boxes that have a cut out in the back base of the fin in order to install them in the boxes, but the template is still much smaller than traditional keels. You may want to try them as the future twins are just to small. I would definitely recommend the Lokbox keels as they do not have this problem and are true keels with all of the benefits of a keel fin. Truly they rock and are adjustable to the front and back. Good luck.
Michael
sorry, for some reason I thought you said a Lis QUAD with futures…
there was a posting about a month ago about futures releasing a set of keels this summer. it also had a pic of the fins, the back end was rounded so you could rock it back and forth to get it out. There rep told me it sould be coming out in the beining of this summer but no definitive date.
http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=202683;search_string=futures%20fins;#202683
Yes, those are the larger twin fins I was talking about above. Notice the cut out base so you can install them in the boxes. They are available from Rainbow Fins California and I think they are called the Bio-Hazard twin set for futures or something like that. Give them a call. The people at Rainbow are super helpful and there are a ton more templates that are not listed on the website or in their catalog. Unfortunately, the ones that I have seen are still only just over 6.5 inches in length at the base. Which is small for a traditional keel fin. They are taller and have more rake than the traditional keels. I haven’t tried them yet so I can’t say much about them other than to compare them to what I have rode. I am sure someone out there has though. Has anyone out there tried them yet?
Michael
Icarus, the fins you speak of are twins not keels. The largest based fin they make for futures is 6 inch,according to them.
I think hes talking about a fin set thats made by rainbow fins for the futures system. Im looking at the futures brochure and the biggest twin set is the FEN which is: height 5 1/8 and base 5 7/16. It says that its a MR style, “perfect for a tru old school twinnie” so Im wondering how would this work on a fish, has anyone tried it, if now Ill call rainbow and ask about the biohazard, but I probably get the FEN for about $35
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I have a 5’6 Lis style fish currently equipped with future fins, and quite honestly I believe they are the reason for my fish being slower than everyone talks about. I was wondering if there is some type of way that I could make some wooden keels and shape them to fit into my future fin boxes already on the board… anyone done this? too hard to try?
All this posting and I forgot to ask what type of fins are you using?, Im really intrested. You might want to try a FTI or FEN set with or without the trailer, Id probably go with the FEN myself.
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I was wondering if there is some type of way that I could make some wooden keels and shape them to fit into my future fin boxes already on the board…
go for it mate !! see the “moulding fin bases” threads for ideas on how to attach the wood into the base, which will then go into the Futures boxes…
OK so basically Ive already shaped the actual fin, but still need to shape the part that slides into the box. The fins are approx. 7.5 inches at the base, and 4.75 inches tall. Ive had to cut a chunk out at the rear base of the fin to allow the fins to fit in the boxes, because they have to be “rocked” into place. Its not that huge of a piece missing but Im still worried it wont be the same as a fully flush fin.
Thanks for the tips guys.
maybe it will add release, or work like the trailing fins in the canard quad cutaway set-up…