I’m at a crossroads, either sell this twin or start cutting on it.
Board is locally shaped 7’0x 23x 31/4 tombstone shaped flatter twin. Board works for my weight, but it’s a bear to turn. I’m not looking for vertical snaps, but a little wiggle to get up the face would be nice. I’ve tried a half dozen different fins with more cant in them/constructions, but it still doesn’t feel loose enough.
Boards not worth much if I sold it, so I’m figuring adding a trailer box for giggles. Current fin boxes are 9 1/2” up from the tail. 1 1/8” in from the rail. Toe in 1/8”. Tail is extra wide @ 17 3/4” wide, 12” up from the tail.
Ive read lots of posts on here about twin/ trailer placement with the trailer being anywhere from 3- 3 1/4” up from the tail. Seeing as I’m trying to loosen this up, at 3 1/4” there’s gonna be some overlap where the side boxes end and the trailer starts. Check out the picture where the sharpie pen is. That’s the approximate size and location of a potential fin box.
I’m thinking looser. Surfing Oceanside shit beach breaks. Lots of closeouts so get your turns in while you can.
Tried a half a dozen honeycomb twins as well and fiberglass G10 twins and nothing loosened them up enough. I just bought the NVS Volan Krakens as well as the Futures Blackstix twins. If that still doesnt make it playful, maybe I’ll go small thruster side fins?
If the boards just designed for something else, that’s fine. I at least want to try
You say you have tried all sorts of fins, but the easiest way would be the smallest fins you can find to make it loose. However, with the fins being 9 1/2 from tail it suggests it should be loose. Im thinking the width and thickness may be holding back the turning ability/responsiveness. My guess is youll need to really work your weight to pivot and turn, not so much change the fins as theres only so much you can do now. 23" wide and 3 1/4 " thick is quite a bit of foam, almost paddle board levels. As longboarders/paddleboarders know, you gotta push down to get those things to turn.
Thanks for the reply. The tail width and thickness is definitely holding things back. My 8’0 mini mal thruster and 9’2 longboard turn easier than this. This is the only twin I have, so I’m trying to figure this out.
The smallest thruster fins I have are Captain Fin pivot smalls. Normally ride mediums thrusters. Burned the ears off of customer support guys at Futures and NVS with this. I figured the trailer fin would slow things down enough for me to muscle this around instead of it just going straight really well.
A trailer is just going to make it more difficult to turn. I shaped a twin + trailer with a wide tail. Fins were set at 7 1/2 in from tail, trailer at 3 1/2 in from tail. Absolutely impossible to turn with all three fins. I ran smaller fins on the side with no trailer and it helped a little bit. There is no way to loosen the board up other than reducing width in the tail. So adding a trailer fin is not going to help you at all, it will just make it more stiff.
The trailer will do you no good. I’d be surprised if it did anyway. To ride a wide tail like that you almost have to relearn how to surf. Deeper, harder and at speed. But as someone said, smaller fins. I’d try a pair of outside rail fins for a Thruster. The smallest ones first or maybe the next size up from that. I don’t remember, but I think those fins are in the 4– 4 1/2” range maybe 5”. Flat on the inside(no inside foil). That’s the first thing I would try.
Took it out with the Captain Fin Pivot smalls. Toe side was better but still left a lot to be desired. Heel side was just so so. I had to tell myself each time push for this carve, or push for that carve. No flow.
A simple way to reduce your tail surface area would be to make it a diamond tail.
(Not related to your problem. But there was an interesting “old” post where a member re-shaped the tail of his board, removing foam from the deck side, to create a flex tail. Never could find that thread again. Think I just found it; Flex Tail Modification - #7 by astevens)
Without seeing what else is going on to make it stiff like the rocker, contours, rails etc. it’s hard to say but just based off the info and picture
1 1/8” will make it stiff for sure especially on a wider tail. From this picture and tail shape I’d say scrap the twin idea and throw in a single box and run it as a single
I appreciate it but I’ve never even gotten close to rebuilding a tail. Ding repair and a little color tops! Don’t have the space currently to even try and make a mess. Garage is full of family crap currently.
Where are you located Stoneburner? Want to try? Free fitty for all your contributions to the forum. Otherwise I’ll consign it off and move on. On a positive note, the wife said if I get rid of this, I can buy something else!
Big wide tails whether cut out in a Fish, round or diamond, have gotten popular the last few years. The problem is an average or less than average surfer makes the jump from a narrow squash thruster to a wide tail and finds out that he can’t surf it. I am speaking “in general” here, not about anyone in specific. A surfer goes from an easy to surf board to a board that is so totally different in nature and he doesn’t know how to make it work. Wide Twins look really cool under the surf shop lights, but common sense is better than cool.
I truly appreciate the offer. It would be a fun project.
But I’m old and landlocked now and wouldn’t get to use it much.
I think your best option is to sell it for a fair price to somebody who needs a surfboard.
Then get another board that will perform exactly the way you want it to.
