I just can’t get enough of the “Happy D” fins as I am now referring to them as. I shaped a 9’-2" pig a few years back and glassed on a (10"h x 11"b) marine ply happy d that I foiled myself. To my amazement the thing works really well for me and since then I’ve gone crazy. I want to have happy ds on all of my boards. My friend had this old knee board laying around which we glassed on oversized keels. We knew that it would surf like shit and it does but it’s all for good fun. I’ll take some photos of the pig shape when I get a chance.
ahhh I did a search a couple of weeks ago on dee fins and this post didnt come up… should have used d fins… Some very nice d’s
heres a shot of my latest pre glass and halo…Made from 5mm Paulonia and cedar laminated onto 6mm marine ply, hand foiled and glassed with 4 layers of 5oz saturn weave. Fin has been glassed onto the board a bit further foward than shown here.
Boards just getting the finishing touches and should hit the water soon
My son has been experimenting with glass “D” fins he made this past summer. Reverse D’s have very pivotal turning characteristics, the Star Fin uses that shape. Currently, his optimum regular D is 8-1/2" base x 8-1/2" high with a “V” shaped cutaway in the base. This is very small, about 2" high x 2-1/2" into the fin (straight lines; appox. 30 degree angle) and this makes a big difference. The platform is a 9’2" LB with the box about 6" from the tail. Best performance has been with the fin about 8" from the tail; much different from vintage boards with glass-on’s that were almost on the tail.
Ben, That’s not a JP fin. It’s a, oh man I can’t rememeber, I think it’s a One World fin from FL. OW used to do a good number of fins for Dale. Jim did do a mighty fine job of putting it on the board though.
