hi, first time posting although I’ve gotten a wealth of knowledge from you guys from just reading the site. I just acquired a Hansen Superlight that is in overall great shape but it needs a fin. the fin box actually has a screw hole in the middle that goes through to the deck. my guess is it’s a wave set fin but I’m not sure so I was hoping somebody on here would know. here are some before and after pics from cleaning her off and prepping her for the ding repair phase. you can see the screw hole on the deck with a blue circle around it in the one pic.
Look on the deck side, near the tail, and find the board number. The number, and any symbols, will identify the year of constructions, and the shaper. Right now I can tell you your board was made in 1967, or later. The ‘‘fin box’’ was molded into the board in the glassing process, using a male plug, to form the cavity. It was a system proprietary to Hansen. Depending on the board number, I may possibily be the shaper.
Good Luck. Finding one of this fins is a near impossibility. Your best bet is to make one. The original screw was a slotted machine screw. I don’t remember the size/diameter. I’ve got two with two differant fin templates. I’m out of town and can’t take a look at them. Lowel
An internet search may turn up some old Hansen fins. Several years ago someone reproduced those fins, and offered them for sale. They were not inexpensive.
thanks for responding. I saw the number and from the best I can tell it reads 20192. the fin box looks to be in excellent to near mint condition. I thought it may be a bit of a treasure hunt to find a fin when I got it. hopefully I can get one made if I can’t find one because I do plan on riding her as opposed to giving her the noose.
Jiblet, were there any letters or symbols after the number? examples: 12345 T, or 12345 The board looks to be about 8 feet long, and by the number is probably a 1969 board, or very late 1968. Check the number area again.
I have seen wave set reproductions, but "inexpensive " is a relative term and I do not ever remember seeing the Hansen type reproduction For Sale. Lowel
it looks like there are marks before and after the serial number. this is the best pic I could get, but hopefully you can decipher it. it’s actually marked 7’2" under the serial number.
The fact that the board length is on the board, means the board is most likely a mid to late 1969, to an early mid 1970 board. The reason is that the shaper of your board was Fred (Buzzy) Smole, and Buzzy moved to Idaho in mid 1970. Buzzy was a skilled technician, and precise shaper, so the board you have is probably as good as a Hansen board gets. If the board had a letter T at the end of the number, I would have been the shaper. Alas, I was not. But, you got a good one.
By way of some history on the fin system, that concept was presented to Don Hansen by Buzzy Smole. The final design, and tooling was developed by Mr, Don Okey, a mechanical engineer, and a pioneer surfer at WindanSea, in La Jolla. Don was also the designer of the iconic WindanSea shack. I’ll see if I can get a lead on one of those fins for you.
I’ve been sanding and whittling away at all the old ding “repairs” and have all the small stuff evened out. I sanded the edges of the ugly resin glob on the nose, wedged a wax comb and putty knife underneath and pried up as much as I could in one piece. I sanded and chipped away at the remainder and have about 90% of it gone. I’m going to jump back in today and hope to have her completely stripped and ready for proper ding repair. unfortunately I have shoulder surgery coming up so by the time she’s seaworthy I’ll have to wait another two months or so to ride her. I also might have a line on an original fin and I should know more tomorrow. thanks for all the input, info and suggestions! I’ll post more pics as this beauty makes the transformation from a dust collector to her former glory.
Wow, I wish I could find an original fin. One of my Hansen’s is missing a fin and all the guys I know that have fins won’t part with them. They are more sacred then ones first born.
well we’ll see what happens, but I’m sure from what you guys are saying, like your last statement, I may be paying a pretty penny for him to part ways with said fin.
I had a Hansen Superlight once, but it got stolen in 1990 on the outer banks for North Carolina. Loved that board. I wish a terrible pox on the person that stole it.
from the looks of them and the pattern that is on the sides of the fin “box”, any one of them would work. I know the guy I bought it from mentioned the original fin had screw holes to adjust the position of the fin. and I hate when fins have been drilled for a leash. I’m not sure what one would be thinking to do that.
