There seems to be a lot of interest in single fins, and variations like the widow maker and the newer duos.
I’m old enough to have ridden singles for a good part of my early surfing years. One of the things I find about my style, is that I stand further up on my board and that doesn’t work well with modern thruster style boards. I have to constantly think about keeping my back foot on the tail when I ride thrusters, quads, or my 5 fins. When I ride my singles I automatically step back for a hard top turn or cutback, and then step back towards the middle or back third for everything else.
On my mid-length boards I’m finding more tail rocker works great for singles. That extra curve loosens up a narrower or straighter tail outline that I prefer for singles. With a short wider outline, the duos are working great, and I’m planning on playing with variations of the 2 + 1 or widowmaker setup. While I enjoy boards from 5’10" to 6’6" in overhead surf, I find I have more fun on boards between 7’ and 8’ because I can paddle much better and compete for waves if I have too.
I’m also seeing a lot of short boards going back to a flat deck and then a hard transition to the rails. The difference from the old days seems to be that transition to the rails start a little further in allowing for a nice small radius curve along the edge.
One of the younger guys I admire is Neil Purchase Jr. He’s messing around with boards that interest me and his style is something I can relate to more than today’s pros. If you watch him surfing, you can see the way a single allows the rider to stand a little further forward, and then step back for the big gouges off the top or hard cutbacks. In this video here, he mentions some of the things I’ve also done like using very little rocker and having a great board.
https://vimeo.com/94466879
Today, I’m using a lot of rocker by comparison, but I also ride longer boards and I’m working with a smoother continuous curve. I think he rides boards in the 6’0" to 6’2" range. I think you can use less tail rocker in short boards, and also a 3 stage rocker.
Hey Harry,
It’s cool you posted this.
I don’t know if you were hoping for any particular response, but I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a thread where members could post their single-fin variants (that you listed above, and adding Thrailkill’s twingle) and provide their descriptions, feedback, observations, etc.
It seems to me you just opened the door.
I forgot about Bill’s double single. It would probably have been a good candidate for the board I just made from EPS packing scraps.
I have one board with his fin setup, but it has very low rocker. I haven’t been using those boards for a while. I’m playing with much more rocker in the tail right now, and an almost smooth arc. I used a 7" FCS Dolphin in this board. I didn’t like it in my Duo at all because it has more flex than I’m used to, but it seemed to be fine in this new board.
Good on you , Harry ! …
You know my love for widowmakers , and Andrew Kidman’s films !
I hope you make a few… and give ride reports , please , mate ??
Cheers !
Ben Chipper , Sydney’s northern beaches (see my blog link , below ! 
)
Hi Ben! Are the surfboards in your blog yours? Like that blue and green single fin.
Hi mate !
It’s my neighbour’s
Cheers !
Ben