something we have been debating for years-I’ll just throw it out and see where it goes.Single fin, longboard or short, which is preffered;glass-on or fin box?
something we have been debating for years-I’ll just throw it out and see > where it goes.Single fin, longboard or short, which is preffered;glass-on > or fin box?..If it’s a gun or a classic style longboard>>> glass on for sure. Other than that>>>>> box it …my 4-1/2 cents(inflation!!!)Herb.
Box. It gives me the freedom to get the right fin on the board without gaving to sand and re glass a fin on every time. Example, I caved in and bought a 6’6" Glass slipper at Donald Takayamas shop, the board kind of plows when you paddle and you have to get way up front if you have any hope of catching the wave, once up look out, the thing is a rocket on the rail. I had mixed results switching fins around. The shop recomended this raked out 7" fin with more wag than flex. The thing tracked in waves over shoulder high and made me feel like I regressd 10 years in my surfing with that fin. trial and error ensued and the thing is a dream with the 9" Greenough 4A the best boad I ever owned, If DT had glassed that recomended fin on I would have sold the thing a week after I bought it
Box. It gives me the freedom to get the right fin on the board without > gaving to sand and re glass a fin on every time. Example, I caved in and > bought a 6’6" Glass slipper at Donald Takayamas shop, the board kind > of plows when you paddle and you have to get way up front if you have any > hope of catching the wave, once up look out, the thing is a rocket on the > rail. I had mixed results switching fins around. The shop recomended this > raked out 7" fin with more wag than flex. The thing tracked in waves > over shoulder high and made me feel like I regressd 10 years in my surfing > with that fin. trial and error ensued and the thing is a dream with the > 9" Greenough 4A the best boad I ever owned, If DT had glassed that > recomended fin on I would have sold the thing a week after I bought it Hey Rob: First of all I am curious about the bottm and rail shape of your slipper.Second, if it does have hull in it it will definitely more fin to give it drive and balance it out.Finally, I too prefer a box on my short boards as it gives you the flexibilty to switch fins and/or move them around.I have found that on any given day i can go out with the fin positined in the spot i think is tuned in and due to the conditions, i find myself inthe shallows re-positioning the darn thing-even a 1/16 of an inch can make a difference sometimes.SO, the next time you see some kook on the beach sanding or adjusting his fin, more than likely it’s me! Matt
Box. It gives me the freedom to get the right fin on the board without > gaving to sand and re glass a fin on every time. Example, I caved in and > bought a 6’6" Glass slipper at Donald Takayamas shop, the board kind > of plows when you paddle and you have to get way up front if you have any > hope of catching the wave, once up look out, the thing is a rocket on the > rail. I had mixed results switching fins around. The shop recomended this > raked out 7" fin with more wag than flex. The thing tracked in waves > over shoulder high and made me feel like I regressd 10 years in my surfing > with that fin. trial and error ensued and the thing is a dream with the > 9" Greenough 4A the best boad I ever owned, If DT had glassed that > recomended fin on I would have sold the thing a week after I bought it Boxes are really nice for experimenting, but when a board and fin get very close to being tuned, I prefer glassed on with a thick fairing into the bottom surface… it just feels a bit better to me in larger, more powerful waves. The only exception was the type of removable fin with a full fairing that George Greenough often used on his kneeboards: stainless steel screws tapped into the base of the fin through a fiberglass plate on the deck via several small diameter holes. In this way, you could move the fin forward and backward as well as take it off. I even used to take a small, custom-handled screwdriver with me out into the surf for those really quick adjustments between sets! Of course, this only worked well if the board had a rear deck/bottom surface that was solid glass and thin. For me, I think this was the best of both.
Dale: I too use to use the screwdriver-in-the-wetsuit method.Thank whomever for the wonderbolt!True to what you siad, once I feel confident the fin is placed correctly for most conditions,I’ll bondo it in the box with some fairing fore and aft.It definitely feels better and cuts down on drag.I think at one time (couple years ago) George and friends were going to mass market hte fin/screw setup you referred to.Hopefullythat will still come to fruition.
Dale: I too use to use the screwdriver-in-the-wetsuit method.Thank > whomever for the wonderbolt!True to what you siad, once I feel confident > the fin is placed correctly for most conditions,I’ll bondo it in the box > with some fairing fore and aft.It definitely feels better and cuts down on > drag.I think at one time (couple years ago) George and friends were going > to mass market hte fin/screw setup you referred to.Hopefullythat will > still come to fruition. Matt, that
s absolutely right... and the beauty of Georges old removable fin method is in its simplicity: totally clean and fast in relationship to bottom contours, easy to use, very solid feeling, functional on both rigid/flexible tails and adding a minimum of weight. Another great idea that just happens to work!
for what is it worth, i have always ridden single fins with fin boxes and never imagined i would feel any difference with a glass-on. well, i was wrong. it definitely has a different “feel” – i prefer the feel of the glass-on. with that said, when the waves line up and the conditions are right i take out my liddle hull – i am VERY glad greg only (or at least highly recommends) does fin boxes. i have moved my center fin around and still do depending on the conditions. plus it is much easier to travel with a fin box.
Greenough was definitely on to something when he removed the base flex and kept it adjustable. We make a new Fin System called Red X. It was orignally designed for thrusters. And it is a spin off from a design Bahne did in the seventies. It has the same affect as Greenoughs though. And we have been working towards making some single fin applications. Basically, rather than having a solid glass tail, we utilized a highly fiberglass filled composite box that extends through the deck with a tapered cavity in the bottom. The fins have a single root with a matching taper that is slightly shorter than the depth of the box. There is a brass nut embedded in the root and a s/s srew drws the fin/s into the box taper. These boxes are so strong you can take a sledge hammer to them and it will take quite a significant swing just to dent them. The cavity in the box is 3/4" longer than the root of the fin. So, it can be adjusted by that range. To make everyone happy we covered the hole in the deck with a soft stomp pad with a removable access piece to get to the screw. Fiberglass Fin Co. Has made some single fins as proto types and we have made two side bite fin templates to date for the long board market. We do have something up our sleeves for a composite single fin in the near future.
is there a good source gor glass on single fins much like the flex series True ames is putting out or do you have to make then yourself? If I were to find the right fin and position for a given board is it better clean it up and glass it in or pull the box, fill, and glass on a similar fin made to be glassed on?
Tom: Cool website and fin system.Mind if I ask where you guys are located at? wouldn’t mind dropping by check out what you have goin’ for the single fin application.Matt
is there a good source gor glass on single fins much like the flex series > True ames is putting out or do you have to make then yourself? If I were > to find the right fin and position for a given board is it better clean it > up and glass it in or pull the box, fill, and glass on a similar fin made > to be glassed on? I have made fins int thepast and am tossing around the idea of doing it again-not sure i want to mess with it though.I have been using the flex fins put out by true ames and if need to sand 'em a little more to desired flex or cut 'em off at the base to glass on.I’m not sure which is better,but I know which is easier!I just bondo the fin into the box(fill in the whole box, sand,etc until it looks like it was glassed on)Besides being a little easier if down the road you want to try a different fin in that board you just have to chip out the bondo, remove fin ,stcik new one in and voila-set to go!
matt this larrys fins system you bone head he had to change the name from xcel to red x.the pool guy.
matt this larrys fins system you bone head he had to change the name from > xcel to red x.the pool guy. well, is he ready to pay me to do the r&d on the single fin system ?matt