VERY COOL. Like the others I’m curious to hear the ride report. I’m also curious about the thinking behind the saw tooth leading edge fins?
Dang. I'm away for a couple days and this pops up. Very sweet boards. I, too, love the feel of singles and was intrigued years ago by a bit piece in Surfer mag describing what they called a "single-twin" fin setup - their name at the time for in-line single fins. Not until wildy Greg posted some placement suggestions a few years ago did I do it, with very good results despite the fact that I botched my box install resulting in a slightly crooked front fin.
Anywho, got a surprise layback tube ride in junk windswell on it. Thanks for posting Greg.
By the way - those wouldn't happen to be the new Futures single-fin box would they?
The boxes are SurfinZ F3. John Field makes them and distributes them, but I got them direct from him so I'm not sure where you can get them. They are designed to take both Futures and FCS, but I like them because they take a straight flat tab fin base standard 7mm, which allows me to make the tab shorter so I can move the fins forward and back. I get about 20mm of adjustment, which is more than enough with this system.
The funny looking 'saw tooth' fins are my take on the turbulator theory, recently shown here by Durbs I think it was. I thank him for the info he sent. Having played with so many fins over the years it seemed only fair that I must try this as well, as theoretically it sounds really interesting.
The best performance foil I've used is the one I base my fins on. These ones are hand foiled as best I can following a template, but the technically correct foil can really only be reproduced by machining and molding. If I get the chance I would love to get molds machined and made, but the cost is not justified just yet. When I first used these there was a very noticable difference. I was really lucky to meet and work with a prominent aeronautical engineer, and he made the early ones for me. The brakes came off so to speak and I've not looked back.
Double post, sorry.........itchy trigger finger maybe.......
If it wasn’t for the word“****BADASS” I’d be speechless right now,good stuff Wildy.
wildy-
did you have an article, or write up, on this design in tracks (aus.) mag in the early to mid 90’s ?..i have a yellowed newsprint article about inline set-ups somewhere and the fins in it have the same template (straight line/geometric) as yours…
just curious, since i made one back then based on that article and really enjoyed it…
thanks-
jim
Any chance you could post a picture of what your fin foil cross-section looks like?
Jim, yeah, that was me, and I'm really happy to hear you tried one, at least now I know someone did notice.
I'd approached Multifins, who were the biggest fin manufacturer in Aus at one stage, but they wanted to change it, put curves everywhere, and basicly make it more mainstream. They said if I could create a demand they would be interested. So I approached Tracks, back then they were more hardcore and interested in pretty much anything surf oriented. But being a nobody it didn't create much interest, and I didn't have pictures of me or anyone ripping, that could have made a difference back then.
I didn't really care, I love them, they work, and that's all that matters really.
NSB, I'll try and get a pic, but as I said, it's hand foiled so not exactly perfect. I'll try and get a pic of the asymetrical foil on the small ones too.
Edit. Need to read better.
I'm in the process of making some more and I want to try and get them better, so I'll save pics for then. Looking at my existing ones they are a little bit thin, they'll work, but it's a bit frustrating without molds.
The asymetrics came out okay I guess, here's a profile....
Great thread .Much food for thought . Wondering your thoughts on In-Line working on a 9ft board.
cheers
Mpcutback
did a double click
sorry
The fins with the uneven edge are similar to the front fins on a blue whale which helps reduce drag.Very cool stuff!This is a great thread.Keep up the experimenting it makes this place more interesting!
Just want to explain a little the reason why I design the profile of my fins the way I do.
Check the pics of a standard fin. I want to point out what I consider drawbacks to the design.
Pic 1 shows the base cord, about 112mm.
Pic 2 shows the forward apex of the trailing edge, cord about 87mm.
Pic 3 further down, about 78mm.
Pic 4 the tip cord, about 83mm.
(edit, sorry, pics are out of order)
As the water flow is predominantly in the direction of the cord, it seems strange to me to have an increase in area toward the deepest part of the fin.
Not only that, this long section of higher pressure is right next to the remainder of the fin, which as you can see is just a very small and very curved section. Under any sort of pressure there will be turbulence and disturbance of water flow.
All this means less performance, unless of course you really like the feeling of losing grip and sliding, which is what a lot of so called 'high-performance' surfing is based on at the moment.
My fin design has the largest cord at the root, and the smallest at the tip. I reduce the last part of the tip so the deepst part of the fin, where there is the most pressure, does not dominate the feel.
I try to balance the cord length and depth so the pressures are even and the forces are transferred smoothly and predictably to the rider.
The straight edges are pretty simple really. Water is basicly static, so when the fin enters the flow it does so evenly, and when it releases on the trailing edge it does so evenly as well. No curves to confuse the water flow.
The outline angles direct the force toward the rider, with the release angle forces, the strongest forces, pointing and angling up toward the centre of effort, ie, the riders head and shoulders, which is where the centre of effort actually is. Again, I want the larger central fin to dominate the forces, with the others there simply to compliment the ride.
I know this all seems a bit techno, but after designing, making and testing fins for years, the scientific and technical approach has given me the best results.
GREAT stuff !!
keep it up greg ....
and the 'saw-tooth' leading edge?? some comments on how it feels when surfed , please ?
also ,
what are your experiences of CURVED fins [a la the webber crv fcs ones] , please ?
i'm enjoying riding them in the cd4 of moonies , but [so far] have baulked at doing the all-four curved setup [no doubt i will EVENTUALLY , though , as lokbox certainly seemed to like that setup!]
cheers Greg !
ben
Ben,
I'll let you know when I do as I'm just as interested as you. Be back in the water in about a month.
Hey Wildy,
I can imagine creating drive using the big fin between the feet, like cranking the tiller on a sailboat, sort-of...it makes better sense that its deep.
Josh
hiya Josh !
...i really enjoyed the thruster set greg sent me a few years ago now , josh . the tab broke on one of them , unfortunately , so i didn't get to ride them a lot .... [they were cabosil core , epoxy glassed. they had that interesting inside foil , too, long before i had ever ridden an fcs set with the inside foil . they felt really alive , fast , like 'something was going on' [if that makes sense wow i'm such a tech guy , aren't i , eh ?!!].
i have since made a few littler side ones [fibreglass panels , but without the inside foils ...i gotta figure that still...maybe vac-bag / molded , with help from 'moonie' ??]
also , i'd be keen putting them on my next board , with probox angled inserts , to see / ?feel? if there is an improvement / difference in the performance and feel of the board
keep it up greg , and josh ....i'm STOKED !!
i hope crew in san diego get to try out your wildfire and wild fins while you are there , Greg ??!!
cheers !
ben