what are some techniques for riding a single fin?? i’m bout 5’9" and board is 6’5" 20.5, 2 5/8, with a 3+ center if it matters to anyone…i’m having difficulties adjusting to the single fin style from my thruster? any thoughts?
Single fins encourage fore-aft weight movement. Weight forward for trim, weight back, way back, to turn. You basically step hard on the rear corner to turn, then lean forward coming out of the turn.
I’m kinda backfoot masher with little feel, so always shoved leading edge of 9" fins just under back foot (wish I knew measurements, but I’m dumb).
Tried to surf them like current tris.
I switch back and forth all the time and it does take some getting used to…when I go from the tri-fin to the single, I try to just stand still and let the wave do the work for a while. Drop straight down to the trough and pick up speed from the drop rather than a mid-face turn. Don’t jam back up the face; draw the turn out and drift up the face into a trim. Play with the rail a bit; release, reset. Feel the power pockets in the wave. Start pushing everything a little harder later in the session and you’ll start to feel a different rhythm and the different lines you need to draw to get the most out of a single.
In my mind, on waves less than head high, a single gets its power from the wave whereas a tri gets its power from the surfer.
today was the first time i tried out my single, and i notice that if i put my feet closer together and more up front i get a better balance ratio then puttin my back on the fin…is that true??? or am i just not feeling it rite?? and so trimmin is more of a front footed base or rail to rail or back foot???
Actually, you can surf a single fin almost any way you want.
Sure, some Wpoints well forwards with narrow tails need juice and speed to move out, but overall, the surfer dictates the pace, not the surfboard.
You can do all the moves, just not as many and not at the same frenetic pace, as modern tris.
More wave power helps, of course, and I assume you are not meaning riding a minigun around 6’6" x 18" in thigh high surf.
Got to take a step back before you can take two forward.
Learn to surf again, as the single needs to be ridden with more technique, not as forgiving as a thruster.
The more you master it, the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.
Even if you don’t get hooked, it will improve your surfing.
It’s all about the rails. Where you have hard rails, that’s where the push comes from. If you don’t have hard rails, get another board.
Also, not to be unkind, but…
<rant mode on - hey, i’m an old so and so who was there in the day, I can get away with it>
if your board is a repro of an older design, bear in mind that a lot of the old boards really sucked. many were no more than ‘new for the sake of new’ like the G&S eggs and the Weber pigs, wide-assed sorry things that were like the old definition of a clarinet ( an ill woodwind that nobody blows good) in that nobody but Mike Tabeling could look good on.
This retro thing I am seeing a lot of lately; look, guys, of the many ‘70s board styles, there were a few (the gunny shapes pre-Reno-hyper-nose-kick and the Plastic Fantastic no-nose no-nose rocker items ) that really, really worked well. The vast majority are , to put it mildly, crappe’. They were pushed out the door to have a new summer model that everybody hip had to have and of course buy, whether they worked or not. Hype-a- mundo. There were hype victims back then, those who couldn’t make the flavor of the month work and gave up on surfing. They thought they were out of it, and instead, the boards were.
Solo, remember the first twin fins? What utter crappe’. And a bunch of other board designs that were pumped out just to have a new board out there, planned obsolescence in action.
Nice thing about being a kneeboard type deviate - the main line of surf hype never targeted us.
In any event - look for your hardest edges, that and your wide point. That’s where you work it from. Behind the wide point and as close to your hard eges as you can.
hope that’s of use
doc…
You need some inspiration, watch some 70s films. And don’t think about it to much… just surf…
thanks everyone for the tip, if there’s anymore tip or techniques, please feel free to post more…and i will be watching a lot more 70’s films…by the way what are some good RETRO movies with retro single fins and fishes…like so far i only know of SPROUT and GLASS LOVE???
I have a flat rockered, modern single from Mr. Mandala and I have to say, it is a different animal than the thrusters I grew up riding. Of course, that it exactly what I wanted when I went looking for it so I am happy. Is it the only board I’ll ride? No way but it definitely has conditions that it excels in and those it does not.
As far as the ride goes, I let the wave do most of the work. I am pretty much a passenger along for the fun, smooth ride. In my experience, thrusters require much more active input - like riding a mountain bike on the street - once you stop pedaling, you slow to a stop. The single seems to have more wave driven momentum.
Singles are fun but now I want another type of board to fill in where the single leaves off.
I guess that is why they call it an addiction!
Quote:
thanks everyone for the tip, if there's anymore tip or techniques, please feel free to post more....and i will be watching a lot more 70's films...by the way what are some good RETRO movies with retro single fins and fishes....like so far i only know of SPROUT and GLASS LOVE????
Morning of the Earth
Free Ride
“by the way what are some good RETRO movies with retro single fins and fishes…”
Morning of the Earth is a good start. There are so many great ones though! Where do i start. the list is endless…
Quote:
Got to take a step back before you can take two forward.
Learn to surf again, as the single needs to be ridden with more technique, not as forgiving as a thruster.
The more you master it, the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.
Even if you don’t get hooked, it will improve your surfing.
Well put Wildy, loosing the “training fins” can definitely improve your surfing and will fast track you to having some style.
Moviewise, also keep your eye out for “Super Session” and “5 Summer Stories” (these are the real deal with king approved soundtracks, unlike most recent retro snoozers).
Also pay a lot of attention to your center of gravity. Like Blakestah said about fore & aft weighting and Doc said about rails, its all about where you put yourself. As well as how far forward & back, and how far out over the rail or not, I find I surf singles best when I’m really using my knees to weight & unweight the board. Load up going into your turns & unweight the board coming out but never pump. To gain speed either move forward or go rail to rail with micro s-turns then lift your arms and weight your back foot to unweight the rails for a cutback when you start to outrun the wave…
as everyone has already pointed out, moving on the board and adjusting your weight / stance depending on where you are on the wave or what you want to accomplish is important…don’t plant your rear foot on the tail…
I’ve got a few vintage singles, as well as a nice 6’10 T. Maus 70’s outline and rocker single that has slightly updated rails…the board works great in larger surf or when I want a change from the way my fish ride…experimenting with the fin is also important, not only location, but also try different fins…
right now I really like the 8’0 Joel Tudor FU Island fin:
bud brownes ‘goin’ surfin’
jepsen ‘super session’ and ‘a sea for yourself’
5 SUMMER STORIES
lopez BK terry fitzgerald
I agree totally with the idea that learing to ride such a board will help your surfing/style immensely.
trifins can be controlled with the ankles, but singles make you plan commit-to and execute an actual turn: or you fall off…
If you can get your hands on Pacific Vibrations, I’d recommend that one, as well. Also The Cosmic Children…
another one-standing room only- watch BK burn it down!!!
Problem is… all the footage is of great surfers surfing waves with power, speed, juice, and steepness!
Given those conditions, all boards work well.
Given the conditions you normally surf, well, maybe it’s hard to laydown a bottom turn dragging your forearms and back knees.