Anyone surfing with one? How are the results? What type board/wave are you finding it works best in?
Tim, “ajl” in Hawaii has been evaluating a True Ames 9.75" on his shortboards.
We’ll put them on your next fish!
Check out the string “Greenough Edge Board” below. Kirk Putnam gives a little discription and he’s trying some smaller ones in a 2+1 configuration.
ive been using a 9.75 one on a 9 6 long for a year and a half . easier turns and cut backs with extra drive . real good control noseriding. also tried 7.25 on a funshape seems good also bob
Welcome back, Bob! Could you share an update with us about your work adapting paddle fins to thrusters? I`ve seen much smaller tri-fin versions in use on some Australian boards.
Tim, Like Dale said, I recently got a 9.75" True Ames paddle. I use the fin on my 6’4" and 6’6" shortboards. Strange, but the fin seems to possess two seemingly contradictory characteristics; it’s maneuverable yet stable at the same time. For example, turns are very easy to initiate and by linking them together, you can really load up the fin and build some speed. The fin’s stability is evident when you’re stuck in the foam or hit rough water. I notice the board feels solid in situations where I would have normally gotten bucked off with some of my other fins. I hear the paddle is great for noseriding. I haven’t had the fin long, so I’m still trying to get it wired. I’d love to hear feedback from others that have used it.
I will be putting it on my 9’6" for my next go out…thanks for the feedback
From True Ames Fins (http://www.trueames.com/xsurfing.htm) Background information on the evolution of the Greenough Stage 6 Paddle fin: Around about 1981 George began what was to be a keen interest in windsurfing. He took what he knew about surfboard construction and directly applied these concepts to windsurfing. We all know he was into flexible vehicles to ride waves. They could easily bend to the curve of the wave face producing incredible performance results. He took this same concept and applied it to his sailboards and fins. As far as fins were concerned he noticed his boards started spinning out when using conventional fin designs. In his words “…so I started experimenting with different fins. It soon became obvious the more area cut out of the base, the better they worked.” George evolved this concept in to what he calls the Paddle fin. His fins were ultimately constructed in ground, hardened stainless steel. Windsurfing fins take far more load than surfboard fins and no other material seemed to hold up under the high stress levels. George always encouraged me to try this same design for surfboards, but with reluctance (somewhat joking around but with underlying truth). He didn’t want surfers to have any further advantage where competition for waves is already heated. … George used to have many days at Rincon where he could use as much wave face as he wanted with his flexible spoon. I have toyed with this design for many years until recently a few respected riders encouraged me to get this out to the public. “It is valid enough and you can work on it as you get more feed back.” So our quest at True Ames to offer the seemingly impossible. Theory and application: These fins are designed as power fins and need to be treated as such. George’s description of the foils go like this… “The foils are compound; a surface- piercing foil is used in the leg and a flatter foil in the blade. The leg acts as a torsion bar, letting the blade bend off in the turns.” He also refers to the blade as an active paddle and the leg as a passive support. You can haul ass around the turns, is the theory. Well, we also have found these fins to have EXCELLENT nose riding results. The 9.75" is rock solid on the tip of your 9’ + single fin long board. Materials and construction: Currently we are using the traditional fiberglass sheet lay-up for the 7.25"- 9.0". We will be studying the loads on the fins and try to move towards the molded technology that we are in production with on the 9.75". We are finding that we can get a stiffer leg and a more “active paddle” using fiber orientation with a molded glass construction. http://www.trueames.com/stage_6.htm