Hello all, I have been researching this board I just purchased and the fin has actually been modified. I am pretty bumbed but can surf it non the less. I wanted to get some opinions on restoring it. I was thinking of laying up some volan to match up with the missing section of the D, and glassing it in. Any thoughts or experienece?
Thanks,
Rich
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Don’t do anything to it. It’s more historic, as it is. A snapshot of that time just before the shortboard revolution.
Now that you’ve posted a photo which shows the fin in full profile, I tend to agree that it was cut down.
The previous pics were done at an angle which made it look a lot narrower. I did the same thing to my first board. It had a D fin and I cut out the back.
I removed a lot more than what was done to your fin.
I’m with Bill, leave the fin alone. I believe less is more when dealing with old boards. Fix the dings as quietly as possible and ride it.
Thanks guys…I purchased it to surf and got caught up in the nostalgia. After cleaning it up a bit it looks really pretty. I thought the cut to the fin was more recent but now knowing, I am stoked on it.
Gene, I haven’t had the pleasure of meating you yet. Tanis is my aunt…
Best,
Rich
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Don't do anything to it. It's more historic, as it is. A snapshot of that time just before the shortboard revolution.
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Bill can you explain more about what happened at that time, what was going on with design please ?
Clint, the proper response to your question would require me to write a book! I’m not ready to do that, as yet. Perhaps a new thread, on that topic, will get a more active response from members. Suffice it to say, it was a time of innovation, and change. ‘‘New’’ things were popping up on a weekly basis. Any surfboard less than 9 feet long, was referred to as a ‘‘Mini Board.’’
History tells us that mike Hynsen took a D fin and cut an arc into it Creating one of the first ’ modern fins. It must have been a red fin that he cut down Hyson has been synonymies with " Red Fins " Boards.
Respectfully, history has told you wrong. The earliest example of a ‘‘modern fin’’, that I have seen, was done by Matt Kivlin in 1949 or 1950
Bill Thrailkill is right. I don’t know where you get your “history” from, but variants of the so-called “speed fin” were around long before Hynson started doing his red fin models.
looks even worse from the side then on your original Wardy post - can opener tip.
And that clothesline hole hurts to look at.
Ride it, see how you like it. If you do, leave it alone.
If you don’t, consider either restoring back to the original D shape, or modifying the fin a bit more, not like it’s sacred having already been whittled on.
Can see a nice pivot fin in there, like a modified Nuiihwa, with the hook tip pared back.
