Somebody recently again mentioned something that sounded like those crazy Frye fish finlets, “L fins,”
so I thought I’d throw this line out and see if I could get a bite with some good pics and a ride report…
This has got to be quick cuz i gotta quit talking about surfboards and go
actually shape a few this evening.
If you ride a Lis-style fish and haven’t tried these things, you should. If you
can fix dings you can make your own and put them on and take them off
your boards.
About 2 days after the TSJ article came in the mail, my neighbor had his
interpretation on his fish. His enthusiasm was instant. Being an inveterate
tinkerer, he made about 4 different shapes and put them in about 10 different
places as he sorted it out. I waited 'til he got it where he liked it, then got
him to put them on one of my similar boards.
I was sold on the first bottom turn. In a nutshell, its a fin when you’re on a
rail, and planing surface when you’re not.
We’re using a pretty simple version, just the "rail blade’', no ‘‘L’’ section. We may
get there but we’re having too much fun with what we’ve got. The blade is about
1//8 thick(before glassing on), I’ll ask how many glass layers tommorow.
5 1/2’’ long. 7/8’’ "deep’', and is glassed on at the apex of the rail. The trailing
edge is 7 1/2’’ up on my 5’9’'.
I’ll try to get some pics later too.
Surely some of the San Diego crew are on this…
Out for now,
Mike
Oddly enough, I’ve only seen them on Lis,Pavel or Frye fish being ridden by Larry and the Crew at N******k. They have been using a combination of blades and “L’s”…Blades up in front of the fin and L’s at the trailing edge. Only seen them on twins. I tried to get a closer look but they started throwing rocks so I skeedadled.
sorry (stouped joke deletomitted)
what’s this you say, Mr Daniel?
I don’t believe–where are the photo?
Sounds sorta like the horizontal fins Walden has used on his longboards. Roughly as far up as standard side bites but these stuck straight out from the rail. Maybe 20 years ago? About the same time he was doing nose wings and solid glass nose panels… at times all on the same board.
I have a Longboard mag from a few months ago with an ad showing that Walden “rocket tail.” I forgot to tell Herb I saw it after he mentioned and I asked about it–was a month or two later. Kind of the same thing. Correction: did have. April issue I think. EDIT: found it
This idea is not ‘‘new’’, I saw a grainy photo of an early 70s version that hangs on the wall
of a bar or restaurant on Kauai. Supposedly a Bunker Spreckles board. The blades are right
on the corners of the tail. Maybe one of the boys over there know about it and can supply
an image.
I’m just really surprised there hasn’t been more discussion on this subject here. It seems lots
of sways people ride fishes, and this is an easy and functional modification that I would have
expected to attract more attention. Maybe the fact that the TSJ photos required forensic-type
evaluation to see what was going on had something to do with it.
I’m going to take photos of mine and try to get them up here soon.
Mike
I’ve been thinking about this since the article in TSJ, too. I was wonder about a good starting place for the finlets. Leading edge/rear edge. Something else? Lee V. “Your mission if you choose to accept it, is…” Mike
Whoa!
I had a conversation about this with a buddy of mine who rides a fish i made for him a while back…i figured i could ocnvince him to let me put those little blades on because hes got the board so dialed.
safe to say i was shot down…but we are going to make an identicle board for him with these fins to see what happens…were planning ours w/FCS plugs in the rail though.
I was afraid to alter my favorite fish too. But once you do it, you’ll see just
how easy it is to glass them on(and take them off). Lots easier than trying to
install a set of sideways FCS, and making the blades w/FCS tabs, IMHO.
It’s so simple a shaper can do it! Hopefully soon we’ll get some pics up.
Mike
ooops, probably too much info…Josh Hall can help as he knows both Larry Gephart and Skip Frye.
Quote:
This idea is not ‘‘new’’,…I’m really surprised there hasn’t been more discussion on this subject here. …I’m going to take photos of mine and try to get them up here soon.
Mike Edited by SF.
A while ago I posted an aluminium fin I made,
but I was too shy to show why I made it.
Its on a ply paipo w EVA top.
Because its screwed on , it can be moved back and forth, in or out, for more or less effect.
Possibly the biggest version compared to the other styles of side bites, but its a lot of fun to ride.
SF.
“It’s so simple a shaper can do it!”
LOL!
Ryan,
I want something like that on my 6’6" hull so I can use a smaller center fin (17" tail)
Jim
hey jim!
id really be into that…lets do it, just let me know when!
Quote:
I’m going to take photos of mine and try to get them up here soon.
Yeah, yes please ! Bring it on !
Quote:
Hopefully soon we’ll get some pics up.
Mike
There ya go. Sorry it took me a bit.
EDIT: Hey Mike, I forgot to ask what the foil is like
For the sake of completism:
Hi Janklow -
Thanks for the pics of those. The horizontal fin in the ad is like what I remember on the team longboards. The ones I remember were glassed on and had a slightly different outline but same idea.
I noticed in the ad that it looks like the vertical fin is installed with the flat side out? Do you think they install them that way on purpose or did somebody goof getting the board set up for the photo?
Thanks for posting the pics for me. As for the ‘‘foil’’, the blades are only about 1/8’’
thick, so there’s not much going on foilwise. Just round the edges a bit.
The pic of Skip is cool, too. Doesn’t look like he’s throwing rocks or anything. They
are obviously farther down the road on this thing than we are. But I can tell you that
the single blade we’re doing does some good things. They have better waves than us,
and bigger boards, so it figures there may be some differences in interpretation.
Mike