So I’ve decided to shape myself a pintail longboard. Don’t have any pintails in my quiver so I thought it was high time I shape one.
Would you go single fin or 2+1?
I’ve got the blank and the planshape drawn out already, just have to finish sanding out my gun before I start shaping another stick. Also shaping a 7’1" funboard I plan to put up for sale. I suppose that one should really be a tri-fin …
as much as I hate the idea of surftech, i have a johnny rice 9’8" pintail long board that is absolutely my favorite board ever…it is a 2+1…kinda wide and thin, v all the way through the tail with slight concave in the nose (see dims on surftech site)…caught a wave on it yesterday at Sharks that was just epic!
single. No question for me, on a pintail LB.
I agree with Keith. Less surface, less need to stabilize the board at high speed (which is the primary aim of side-bites, tell me if I’m wrong).
All my pintail boards come in single set-ups, except when customers insist on having side-bites.
As foe me, It depends on the kind of surf & the overall shape of the pintail longboard. I like a tri fin set up on my higher performance longboards. But on a standard longboard i do a 2 + 1.
My buddy who live on the Northshore all he surf is tri fin long boards. He surf T&C longboards made by GG, everyone of them pintails, and everyone of them super thin. Everyone of them 9 ft.
As foe me, It depends on the kind of surf & the overall shape of the pintail longboard. I like a tri fin set up on my higher performance longboards. But on a standard longboard i do a 2 + 1.
My buddy who live on the Northshore all he surf is tri fin long boards. He surf T&C longboards made by GG, everyone of them pintails, and everyone of them super thin. Everyone of them 9 ft.
Some longboards benefit from rail fins some don’t depending on the shape.
Gone Fishin’, Rich
Some longboards benefit from rail fins some don’t depending on the shape.
Gone Fishin’, Rich
agreed, thanks for that. These two boards ride well as singles too.
…if you use 50/50 s rails all the way, no need for stabilizers
i ride most all of my logs as single fins. on my 9’ performance pintail, i rock a 9" farberow flex fin that’s flippin’ sweeeeeet. then, on my 9’2" hobie fusion, i’m rockin’ a Island Fin Designs Sunset Cutaway (similar in style to the Da Cat fin). both ride GREAT!
well depending on the outline and rail /rocker configuation, it depends
performance, 2+1 can also be used as a single fin
nose rider’ish single fin
I had a board that was in between the two and it had round pin and a single flex fin from G.T.
the board was insane!
While I have just about zero knowledge about board design and setup I can tell that on my 9’0" pintail it came as a 2+1. I however ride it as a single fin with a big fins unlimited cutaway. The side bites just seemed to add mote drag than I wanted and the board was way more responsive without them. Maybe if I was riding it in actually good surf I would like the side bites better, but I ride as short board when it’s good, so I’ll probably never know.
Yes the side biters will slow you down in mushier waves
but they wil generate speed when theres some face and you pump the board a little
Hi EW,
For more turning pleasure i have always preferred 2+1 over single fin. Single is just slower to turn (on the same board). Besides that, with removable fin systems it would be silly not to put them on.
Wouter
No, they are “removable”, not “on-putable”… (lol)
The first stage of R&D with fin configurations was with singles of course. Now add rail fins to the picture and the flavor of this thread is the essence of what I wanted to solve in the second stage of R&D. The drag produced by flat sided rail fins was too me an unacceptable option so after considering what would best serve 2+1 surfing and doing lots of experimenting. I came up with a high profile template that I could put a very aggressive helical foil on. The result was the mental template with a very aggressive helix. The fin turned out to be just what I was looking for: very low drag and minimal at low speeds to let the board turn nicely and adjust trim direction easily but as the board sped up the fin served quite well the create lift and drive when loaded and yet release beautifully. I have a 9’ Freeline and 9’5" Junod that are both 2+1 boards. The are both in fine shape after 10 years of surfing and both have Mental set-ups on them. Each surfs it’ own dream. They are great boards which I’ve gotten many memorable rides on.
These days my longer boards are quad or twinzer variatons simply because they are faster, livelier and more maneuverable.
Stay Stoked, Rich
halcyon
pm me if you want to make/sell me 2 of those mental templates for 2+1 template
Wouter
I just picked up a 9’6 Hobie Fusion shaped by Midget Smith and had no clue what size fin to slip in the box. On my 9’6 Ole (circa 1996), I’ve got a 7-inch Island Fin in the box, and it does ok, I’ve not put any other fin in there. With the Fusion, I picked up a 9.5-inch Island Fin and rode the board for the first time today. I did get some sweet swooping backside bottom turns from the Fusion this morning, but am wondering, is the 9.5 too big for the board? I’ll probably try it with the 7-inch Island fin.