Anyone tried 'em. WHere are they available. Available for FCS system?? Look pretty cool.
Krokus
I tried 'em- different from normal fins. I agree with other reviews I’ve heard so far that they are quicker turning but not as fast in a straight line (down the line). So maybe better for beachbreak but not as good for point or long reef breaks. There were some made for FCS plugs, but I’ve heard they were discontinued. I have an extra set of 3/2 for FCS -new- if you really want it let me know. They will probably be hard to find soon.
yes!! got some on my new 6’8". i’ve only ridden the board once but in some solid, southern-hemi, down-the-line surf here in santa cruz (east side). overall, i’d say they are completely insane. the center “hatchet” fin, with it’s flat top edge creates so much lift in the tail that i felt like the board was riding up out of the water. kinda weird at first, but once dialed in it made for some amazing speed.
from what i know, the fins are only available by request from FUTURE FINS. i got them through a local rep. be prepared to shell out some serious cash as each set is CNC machined and hand finished!
i can post pics of the board/fins if anyone is interested…
kirk
since I have no idea… can you post a pic or 2
thanks
Kirk has some G 10s! I gots the “cheap” composite fins. I have been told that if I try those G 10s, I’ll NEVER go back. Unfortunately, I can’t afford those ;(, I use my 3/2s on almost every board I own.
The one’s I saw a picture of , the side fins had a step in them with an angle (cant) change towards the tip. Did not look like the picture Kirk posted.
Which ones do you have with FCS tabs?
Krokus
I believe there are several tip pitch angles available, the ones on the pic are the same but have a less noticable pitch than the ones you might be thinking of.
I too have a set of the composites (but not waves to try them!.. waiting, waiting)… I’m normally a RedX man, but my only two options were FCS and Futures on a recent board. I also have a set of JC1 RTM’s and a set of smaller 0-degree vectors (concaved inside instead of flat, and without the wobble/deflection of the 3/2’s)
Jeff- the composites you have… do you have that hatchet-y looking center fin, or just a standard fin (mine came with a composite JC1)?
Krokus- the side fins in that photo do indeed (well, appears to me) to have that deflection/wobble… at least the same one as I have in the composite fins.
Tubedog, you have a PM.
I use a regular fin for a trailer. The fin from a set of 460s. I don’t know if they make a composite hatchet fin.
Jeff- that makes some sense to me considering that composite material would have dramatically different flex patterns, and that hatchety thing appears to have some potention for flex and recoil.
I’m digging up this thread from the past to give an update on a recent session using the 3/2’s and some ventillation issues I encountered:
Today I was out in overhead, pretty heavy barreling waves on my 6’4” XTR equipped with the Futures 3/2 fins and the “hatchet” center fin. The board, for the most part, felt pretty good- fast, drivey, “locked in”. I had some great waves and made a few barrels on which I thought I had no prayer. However, three times I felt and heard a “squeaking” sound while driving hard on my backhand as the waves dredged out (these were the type of extreme-low-tide barrels in which the only way to make it was to pull in and drive as hard, and with as much rail, as possible).
This phenomenon is known as ventillation; some call it cavitation (the former concerns the blades of rotating propellers) but the end effect in the same… loss of grip, control, and drive.
I have experienced this before with standard thruster fins, specifically the carbon lite K-fins, which were problematic due to a design flaw (FCS acknowleged this issue with their first-generation K-fins), but not with the Futures 3/2’s until now.
So, anyone else, riding the 3/2 Vectors experence this yet, specifically in hard-driving situations?
I believe oneula rides the 3/2 side fins in his Gemini and uses that board in some serious surf.
This is similar to my experience with the Futures fin with an inner foil,
http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=199482#199482
but I’m still not sure whether this can be attributed to cavitation.
Nick
Like all these inside curve fins I think they need to be turned alot like Tubedog said about the FCS FGs…
I have 3 sets of the 3/2s not the G10 stuff though and a set of the 7FGs All will humm if you at just longboard trimming at high speed. You don’t get that reaction keeping the board on edge… Where I think these things excel
The 3/2’s generate more speed through constant turning while the FGs seem to just smooth things out helping you connect turns more rapidly and efficiently.
The thruster combo with the hatchet is nice and I haven’t felt cavitation but at speed sometimes it doesn’t feel like there’s a back fin. As a quad 2 hatchets in the back don’t cut it. I actually prefer the hatchet in the back in a thruster configuration as it seems a little more positive and all around than with a 420 back there. And of all the future I have TF1 JC Arakawa’s and Merricks, I like the 3/2 design the best…
But as far as fins go… I don’t think you can beat the options and strength you get with RedEx or Lockbox…
Just a totally different setup as far as fin options go…
But you know I’m no sponsered pro just a journeyman trying to learn the trade…