I built a twin fin fish for a friend. Big guy. Big board. 7-6, 22.5 wide. Moderate Vee bottom in the last 1/3 of the board. Fairly flat rocker. Futures twin fins. He says it hangs up in the top of the turns. He is not used to a fish, but he could be right. I put Futures C-5’s on it and he has not riden it with them yet. I’m hoping that they will help. Any obvious ideas on what would make a board hang up like that?
It’s such a stoker when a board goes good but when you run into problems like what your friend is experiencing, it can be baffling. I had a problem with the fin not holding on bottom turns and really didnt know where to start. There are so many variables coming into play. Hopefully the fin change will help remedy the problem.
Insufficient tail rocker can cause that ‘stuck’ at the top feeling. Since you cant change the rocker now, suggest that your friend start the top turns earlier so that the board is already up on the rail when it meets the top of the wave. He may also have to move further back on the tail as well. Also, make certain that the rider has ridden the board enough to know where the sweet spot is - it may be quite different from the boards hes used to. With a long flat twin fin I wouldnt expect radical top turns to be easy while floaters, sweeping carves, and gliding over flat spots should be expected.
Is replacing fins with something with less base or rake an option?
I had a board that locked up like that that had too little tow in on the fins.
Greg, I don’t see any C-5 fins on the Future site. Are you sure that’s what’s on there? In order to swing a board with low tail rocker around you have to have you wieght way back and swing it real hard or way forward to break the fins loose.If the boards is very difficult to swing off the top and go down the face of the wave my first thought is that the fins are wrong for the board. A board this size can stand quite a bit of fin. I don’t know how they are placed either. That could also be an issue. The board may work better as a Twinzer which will make it very senstitive and give it that snap your looking for off the top. Retro fitting fin boxes really isn’t that big of a deal. Consult with a few pro shapers in your area and get some opinions. If you around the Santa Cruz area. I think Freeline would be the place to take the board and ask some questions of John Mel on Friday evening or Saturday morning. He understands want makes boards like these work as well as anyone I know of. Where ever you are check the guy out who’s a versatile shaper and builds fish type boards himself. I know you find the answer there. Mahalo, Rich
Hey Greg, all of the above can play part in what you described but also you said that you put a moderate vee through the back 1/3 of the board, now when you put vee in the back of a board, the more vee that you add the straighter your outside rocker line becomes(longer turning arc)and combined with the tilt effect that to much vee can produce, can make a board stop at the top and not want to come back in. Then it could be the other end, the nose entry can also have the same effect if it comes back to far. It is hard to tell unless a close inspection is made, l recomend taking it to a reputable long time shaper in your area and ask his opinion, anyone worth their salt could tell you straight away just by looking at it. KR
I know that it is a big guy board but is that maybe too large for a twin? Would that cause a hang up maybe? Just wondering.
Greg, Theory of Balance. To much lift in the tail puts too much rail line in the water. Put a small trailer on and it will pull the tail down and lift the front eliminating your problem. More Vee or more rocker would have worked too, but it’s to late for that.
Thank you all for the input. Good stuff. My friend is a very skilled surfer and reports that it is very loose and fast, grinning ear to ear fun. I have to believe he knows what he’s talking about with the hangup. It has Mark Richards SuperTwin rails, Greg Loehr vee and the rocker is in between the two (not as flat as Greg’s and less than Mark’s). I, on the other hand, am just an amateur, experiementing. But having fun. Greg, your thesis on balance definitely strikes a chord. My friend is going to try it next with the C-5’s installed (ahead of the twins), but based on your theory of balance it will be counter-productive. A small trailer will be the next step. Do you think a couple of SuperChargers in the Tuna-fish position (trailing the twins, in line) would do the job? They would be a lot easier to install than another fin box and could be fine tuned into the right position. Rich, I haven’t seen the Futures web site, but they do make a nice little package of C-5’s with special fin boxes, adjustable over about an inch fore and aft. The fins are foiled both sides. I haven’t surfed on them yet. They sell a router template to go with it. Thx for your input.
Skate that big fish and keep it flat until you commit your turn, all turns need to be done at the last second instead of the first this will put you in more critical positions so that the board won’t stick as much…So when you take off,go way down in the flats then move back on the tail and just before you start to lose speed dip your rail and dig the rail and tail in your direction and spin the fins off the botton and fly up the face and slide the tail/fins again at the top of the wave, " in da lip brah!" then redirect into the steep drop-in the do it again.again.again.again…don’t ride it like a log. Just the way I’d do it. Surf on bring on the big waves it’s been tooooo longgggggg.
I love twins.
that is so great the way you said that RAY!!!