I have 2 single fin longboards, one is kind of a 7’ Tudor/Liddle style square tail egg. The other is a 6’10 SurfRX single fin diamond tail. I was thinking that the Liddle flex for the egg, and the norm flex for the RX single, but the Greenough fin is nice also. I am not sure what sizes to use on these boards also. Having the wrong fin, or wrong size fin on a board sucks!!! and fins are not so cheap also…so If I could get some advice I would be stoked!!! If it would help, I could email pics of these boards…and specs. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE TO ALL THAT CAN GIVE ADVICE!! Mahalo, Mike(slingie)
I have 2 single fin longboards, one is kind of a 7’ Tudor/Liddle style > square tail egg. The other is a 6’10 SurfRX single fin diamond tail. I was > thinking that the Liddle flex for the egg, and the norm flex for the RX > single, but the Greenough fin is nice also. I am not sure what sizes to > use on these boards also. Having the wrong fin, or wrong size fin on a > board sucks!!! and fins are not so cheap also…so If I could get some > advice I would be stoked!!! If it would help, I could email pics of > these boards…and specs. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE TO ALL THAT CAN GIVE > ADVICE!!>>> Mahalo,>>> Mike(slingie) on the 7’ i suggest the 9" liddle flex by tru ames.for the 6’10" you could use the same fin , or if you are wanting to try the norm, i suggest an 8" one since they have more area swept back in the tip.as for the Greenough fin, if it’s the one i am thinking of(flared base) a 9" one would provide maximum drive but would be a bit sticky due to the increased area around the base of the fin.
on the 7’ i suggest the 9" liddle flex by tru ames.for the 6’10" > you could use the same fin , or if you are wanting to try the norm, i > suggest an 8" one since they have more area swept back in the tip.as > for the Greenough fin, if it’s the one i am thinking of(flared base) a > 9" one would provide maximum drive but would be a bit sticky due to > the increased area around the base of the fin. Thanks Matt…You helped a lot!
Hopfully you have a long box in both boards because moving the fins up and back can really make a difference. Don’t get bummed if one seems like a dog at first, even a 1/4 inch can make a difference you can feel. Newbs
Hopfully you have a long box in both boards because moving the fins up and > back can really make a difference. Don’t get bummed if one seems like a > dog at first, even a 1/4 inch can make a difference you can feel.>>> Newbs Thanks Newbs…the next problem is getting the fins…not much True Ames in HB. im gonna go for the 9in L-flex and the 8in Norm flex like Matt suggested. I think he was right on.
Thanks Newbs…the next problem is getting the fins…not much True Ames in > HB. im gonna go for the 9in L-flex and the 8in Norm flex like Matt > suggested. I think he was right on. like Newbs said, don’t be afraid to move 'em around in the box.go ahead and take a permanent marker, razor blade, etc. and mke marks along the box.I do mine in 1/8" increments.good rule of thumb is start with fin centered in box then move it forward.Have fun!
like Newbs said, don’t be afraid to move 'em around in the box.go ahead > and take a permanent marker, razor blade, etc. and mke marks along the > box.I do mine in 1/8" increments.good rule of thumb is start with fin > centered in box then move it forward.Have fun! SB, It’s more important to shift the position of a given fin than to try other fins. Your “flow chart” should be: First fin: Find best box position. (Be objective. Some fins are up,some are back.) Mark trailing edge on box permanently (use laundry marker or razor blade) Second fin: Find best position. Often, a fin 1/2" larger than #1 will be around 1/2" further up…but not always. Mark position on box. “Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera” THEN compare the various fins to each other IN THEIR IDEAL LOCATION. DO NOT try to sort out fins with each other until their best placement is pre-determined. Fin placement controls how much rail naturally feeds into the water in a turn. If the forward rail sticks every time you lay it over, move the fin back. If the board “goinks” when you lay it over, move the fin up. Once you get it in the general postion you like, then move it up 1/8" of an inch and ride it, then back 1/8" and ride it. Eventually, you will be able to discern even that small amount of change in box position, and be able to nail the ideal location.
Fin placement controls how much rail naturally feeds into the water in a > turn. If the forward rail sticks every time you lay it over, move the fin > back. If the board “goinks” when you lay it over, move the fin > up. What the hell do you mean by “goinks”? Thanks for the good explanation of fin placements(except for the goinks part). I had never figured that fin placement would matter all that much until I moved the fin almost all the forward in the box on m longboard and the nose was constantly pulled down. Purlmachine! regards, Håvard
What the hell do you mean by “goinks”? Sorry. I mean “overly tight pivot turn.” No drive.
I had never figured that fin placement would matter all that much > until I moved the fin almost all the forward in the box on m longboard and > the nose was constantly pulled down. Purlmachine! This is a good observation, and something that doesn’t make much sense until you experince it first hand. Fin placement has a strong effect on the rocker of a board. If you board feelstoo flat, moving the fin back will lessen that effect. We rarely ride straight toward the beach, if ever. We are usually on one rail or the other, even dropping in. When the fin is back, it holds some of the rail out of the water, thus reducing the pearl effect.
SB,>>> It’s more important to shift the position of a given fin than to try other > fins. Your “flow chart” should be:>>> First fin:>>> Find best box position. (Be objective. Some fins are up,some are back.)>>> Mark trailing edge on box permanently (use laundry marker or razor blade)>>> Second fin:>>> Find best position. Often, a fin 1/2" larger than #1 will be around > 1/2" further up…but not always.>>> Mark position on box.>>> “Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera”>>> THEN compare the various fins to each other IN THEIR IDEAL LOCATION. DO > NOT try to sort out fins with each other until their best placement is > pre-determined.>>> Fin placement controls how much rail naturally feeds into the water in a > turn. If the forward rail sticks every time you lay it over, move the fin > back. If the board “goinks” when you lay it over, move the fin > up. Once you get it in the general postion you like, then move it up > 1/8" of an inch and ride it, then back 1/8" and ride it. > Eventually, you will be able to discern even that small amount of change > in box position, and be able to nail the ideal location. I had a short conversation with Cheyne Horan about fins, his winged keeled design, and he said instead of using the screw, to shim it with like a matchbook, to hold it in place. He went on to say that the fin would eventually find its own place in the box. Ive never tried it but found this procedure rather interesting.
I had a short conversation with Cheyne Horan about fins, his winged keeled > design, and he said instead of using the screw, to shim it with like a > matchbook, to hold it in place. He went on to say that the fin would > eventually find its own place in the box. Ive never tried it but found > this procedure rather interesting. Shimming works great…until your fin falls out. Spencer Kellogg lost a shim-fit fin I spent a day foiling at Rincon last week. Not worth the minor inconvenience of using a screw. Either use a wonder bolt, or keep a small washer on a line around your neck to use as a screwdriver, or keep your fin tools on the beach and come in after every few waves. Look at fin placement as a job that needs to be done, not an addendum to your day of surfing. Thee’s a lot more fun to be had once you get the right fin in the right place.
Shimming works great…until your fin falls out. Spencer Kellogg lost a > shim-fit fin I spent a day foiling at Rincon last week. Not worth the > minor inconvenience of using a screw.>>> Either use a wonder bolt, or keep a small washer on a line around your > neck to use as a screwdriver, or keep your fin tools on the beach and come > in after every few waves. Look at fin placement as a job that needs to be > done, not an addendum to your day of surfing. Thee’s a lot more fun to be > had once you get the right fin in the right place. Drill a hole in a dime and tie it to you leash plug. Put a glob of wax on the tail of your board to stick it in. You won’t loose the dime and you can paddle out of the line-up flip your board over and move your fin anytime you want to. Mahalo, Rich
THank you all…you guys rule! I think I will just get glass on fins from now on! eeek! Thanks for all the advice! I always put the fin 3/4 the way back in the box…it seems to work well for me. I will try to move the fin around some, but I usually focus my attention to catching waves. The waves are not so clean here, so I dont catch as many as I would like. I wish I had a local point wave or a reef break…That way each wave wouldnt be so valuble Thanks again.
THank you all…you guys rule! I think I will just get glass on fins from > now on! eeek! Thanks for all the advice! I always put the fin 3/4 the way > back in the box…it seems to work well for me. I will try to move the fin > around some, but I usually focus my attention to catching waves. The waves > are not so clean here, so I dont catch as many as I would like. I wish I > had a local point wave or a reef break…That way each wave wouldnt be so > valuble Thanks again. PG mentioned it, and I’ll reiterate-DON’T shim a fin.you will lose it!I have found Wonderbolts to be well worth their price.Once you have a fin tuned in, then you can use a regular screw to hold it in, or glass/bondo it that position!!ENJOY!
Drill a hole in a dime and tie it to you leash plug. Put a glob of wax on > the tail of your board to stick it in. You won’t loose the dime and you > can paddle out of the line-up flip your board over and move your fin > anytime you want to.>>> Mahalo, Rich C’mon Rich, that costs ten cents! Seriously, that what Liddle does. Great minds think alike…
Paul, whats the difference between the Greenough 4A, 4C and P.G. Flex tip fins?
Was practicing this very technique just the other day at Rincon when my fin eventually found its own place — somewhere amongst the rocks at the top of the cove in about 8 feet of water.>>> I had a short conversation with Cheyne Horan about fins, his winged keeled > design, and he said instead of using the screw, to shim it with like a > matchbook, to hold it in place. He went on to say that the fin would > eventually find its own place in the box. Ive never tried it but found > this procedure rather interesting.
Paul, whats the difference between the Greenough 4A, 4C and P.G. Flex tip > fins? The Greenough 4A was a curve I took off an old Wilderness which was owned by Ray Maloney. I sent it to True Aimes, and had them make some 1/2" thick fins from that Wilderness curve. They were very powerful and manuevered well for their size. The stock True Aims version they now sell is made from cheaper 3/8" panels, so they are too thin to be effective. The 4A has to be made out of 1/2" to 5/8" thick panels to work with that large of a base. The stock Aimes Greenough 4A is not worth anyone’s money or effort. The Greenough 4C is a curve I developed over 3 years in the mid-90’s. It was intended to be a servicable larger fin when made out of a 3/8" thick panel, which is why there is a small base. It is modified from on a larger based fin I designed from scratch in the early 90’s that worked best with 1/2" thickness. I don’t know why they use George’s name on this curve, other than to generate more enthusiasm. The PG Flex tip is a basic flex fin curve, like those developed by Frye and Liddle. Nothing special, but it works well for it’s intended purpose, which is to drive thin, roundtail hulls. Best in small point surf. How they differ depends on personal preferance and usage…but, as I said, stay clear of the stock 4A. It’s crap-o-la.