So today I ran into a guy Brian Whitty, the inventor of the FCS twin plug system and we talked for a few hours…
good write up!
Fusion plugs are working great
After using both the early Twin plugs and FCS II system I don’t think the II is an improvement on the Twin plugs. Even yesterday I was walking along the beach and there’s a guy repeatedly slamming his hand up into the sharpest part of a surfboard fin trying to get it to release and he’s yelling I hate these fins !!
More than their user unfriendliness I think the new system is too complex internally, it’s too big , too heavy, it doesn’t encourage tail flex, when the system gets a knock the whole chunk lifts up and 1/2 the tails missing, it’s way more trouble to replace than 1 or 2 of the round plugs which any garage tinkerer could do.
Sure it’s compatible with the early FCS fins but becuase it’s not a comprehensive win, it’s allowed Futures to grab attention with their sleek, minimalist system and their good looking range of fins.
A lot of people haven’t sold their old FCS fins, they’ve just gone into storage.
Maybe there will never be an industry Standard fin system anymore and the players will just haggle over the market until there’s a system that caters to the whole market rather than divides it.
It’s funny that any car can have any tyre but with surfboards you have to choose and stay with one brand.
Did someone put the hammer down on Greg ? … Did I miss something?
I’m not a fan of the FCSII system but I am reluctantly about to buy into the system. I love the Fusion system but have to admit my boards look a little odd with Fusions in them when pretty much every other new board on the racks has FCSII. With my luck I’ll buy the II jig and stock up on boxes and they will come out with a new system.
I’m curious what the lifespan of the internal components of the FCSII boxes will be.
interesting…thanks for posting! I remember my first board with fcs. then i remember fixing broken plugs on every single board that had them. then i tried pre-glass (futures) and swore off the plugs. the fusion system they came up with is probably the best system out there to date. light, small footprint, under the glass with wide flange, super easy to route out. i still use mostly futures since i built up a good collection of fins and I do like the full base connection. i have been using the fusion for twin fins they are so easy to make fins with a sheet of 1/4" g-10. a lot of people like the new click in style but i am not a fan. the best application i have seen for them is that you can install them on a channel and grind them out to match since you dont need fasteners.
So what?? You don’t like a competitive market??? Yeah let’s all be the same. Fusion and Futures. The FCS IIi is for wannabe pros and pros.
I just glass my fins in now. I keep a few boards with plugs for Air travel, but that’s about it. Any boards I make for people I generally try to get them to see my point of view.
There’s a lot of rocks where I surf and I just got sick of knocking out fins. If you glass them in well they can take a real hammering. The other thing is that glass ons are a heap cheaper. no fin boxes or plugs. No expensive fins. Just a set of home made glass ons that cost me about $5 to make.
If people want to use the fin systems that are available then good for them. They’re just not my bag man.
Well let’s all put in ProBox. I’ve been all over the NorthWest and Northern Calif. and have. Yet to see a board with FCS II installed. Fusion is an easy install and fit lots of fins. Futures ditto. How many jigs does a Glass Shop have to own???
Buy in?
Its like what 40 bucks for the jig, if you cant figure out how to make one yourself.
You can “Buy in” for 15 minutes of time and 0.00 if you are already running fusion.
FCS tested those at over 50,000 cycles. enough for any kook who takes their fins our after every sesh.
Perhaps Buy In was the wrong phrase. Perhaps I should have said Get On Board.
I realize I can make my own jig. So far the least costly one I’ve found is $52 by the way. I would buy a jig rather than make one because I can’t make one of plexiglass with an aluminum insert. I’ve made jigs of plexi before and had the edges deform or melt. I’ve made jigs from MDF as well but for fin box installations clear plexy with alignment marks is the way to go. For $52 or if you care to share the link $40 I’ll just buy the jig and a stock of boxes.
“for 15 minutes of time and 0.00 if you are already running fusion” I’d love to know what you mean by this. Is there an insert I could make for my existing Fusion jig?
Regarding the longevity of the components my main concern is the shaft and roller inside and how it will be effected by time and the elements not necessarily the number of times you remove and install fins in a test lab. Will the plastic or rubber that the roller is made from become brittle or crack and separate from the shaft with age. Will sand and salt eat things away over a decade’s time? Only time will tell. I realize these are made for the disposable high performance shortboard market where the lifespan of the board is 5 years or less…