…hello Bill, the market still is responding the same way, as mentioned.
Hello Lawless, could be.
Hello Wrcsix, interesting experience.
I have been in a difficult position, due to fill the orders-money-not to lose clients (due to the market s perception) situation.
For small HP boards thick and too much tilted fins do not provide easy paddling too.
As mentioned seems that the fin factories and the market found in 1/4 3/8 thickness for shortboards the middle point position between, performance, production cost/materials, final weight and aesthetic.
I think that for multi fins and HP small boards you can tweak a lot the other variables like tail rocker, tilt, area and toe in to adjust.
I measured the chord length and thickness of the G-Whale 7 SL, which is the thinnest fin of this type which I can make with extreme stiffness. The ‘L’ stands for ‘Lean’.
I am not entirely certain if the chord ratio calculation done this way are valid for a tubercled fin with undulations.
Chord ratio at the tubercles on average: 10.84%
Chord ratio at the valleys on average: 13.05%
G-Whale 7 SL (Lean) chord ratio on average: 11.86%
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In summary, the well performing fins in the G-Whale-7 range have these chord ratios:
G-Whale 7 SL (Lean) chord ratio on average: 11.86% (as low as 10.17% for 7-SLL, but not stiff enough)
G-Whale 7 SR (Regular) chord ratio on average: 13.6%
G-Whale 7 SF (Full) chord ratio on average: 14.9% (possibly up to 16% for 7-SFF, testing incomplete)
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Screenshots show fins with 16% to 10.17% chord ratio.
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According to the latest ride report, we might need a new topic: “How stiff is too stiff?”
I am quite impressed how stiff the latest fin you sent is. I do not think the same thickness fin CNC’d from G10 or fiberglass to the exact same shape/foil/template would be much, if any stiffer.
I surely need more waves on it without a bunch of annoying sheep following me around, but today’s impressions on my better waves were that marginally thicker and more flexible fin was a bit quicker in full trim and a bit more forgiving. The instant response of the stiffer fin also needs to be learned to be taken advantage of and I did not have the time to do so today, nor the patience
or perhaps the slight delayed response when loading, and reaction when unloading of a flexier fin needs to be unlearned.
Lots of personal preference at this point in the refining of the feel, but it is enlightening isolating these variables on a board i know so well on a wave i am so familiar with in so many different types of conditions.
It is neat that this 9.625 mm thick fin has almost the same exact deflection as the other 12.98mm thick fin with exact same template at 5 and 10Lbs of pull near the tip of the fin. Swapping these fins back to back on the same day should be quite informative in this thick vs thin debate.
That is the GW-7-SL with 11.86% chord ratio and the GW-7-SFF with 15.98% chord ratio. Same flex, because the carbon reinforcement was re-designed and the thicker fin has less carbon in it.
With ‘medium’ fins, from chord ratio 11.8% to 14.5% or thereabouts, the FinTune system can be tuned for optimal flex or flex preference, but the thickest fins and thinnest fins allow less options. Although, thicker fins could most likely be printed from more flexible material.
