Ok, I’ve got a ride report, the moment you’ve all been waiting for …
I have to tell you that I haven’t communicated with MrWavefin to manipulate any opinions, I notice his reference to Thomas Edison’s well known statement that it took over 10,000 experiments to figure out how to make a lightbulb. I’m assuming MrWavefin understands the concept of conception, growth and development to maturity. He obviously realizes that by giving the fins to a few people “he doesn’t know,” that they have a responsibility to readers and the readers will get a genuine critique, that will help develop a range of viable fins and give the tester credibilty for their honesty. So criticism is of value to aid in that development of a range of sellable fins, not a personal sling at his design abilities.
(His next post will probably read something like this. malaroo, send the fins back, Your Fired!)
I flew the flying saucer down to the coast under the cover if darkness. Swell size according to windguru website 1.2 metres, Low tide 6.20am .20 (very low) essential for small waves at my spot of choice. Waves were very sucky over a rocky point, not much room for error on take off. By the way, the thread, (“Anyone interested in a new fin design” posted by Bill Thraillkill) has hilarious references to foil hats remote controls and blue bags over the fins with gold ties, I did away with all that … after all the batteries were flat in remote for the foil hat. (might as well have been Lead Lined) (thankyou Mr Curry thankyou!)
Testing these wavefins on this session was done on a belly board, (page 5 pf this thread, the green super concave pictured with the wings pointing to the bottom of the board) don’t laugh about the bellyboard, its surfed similar to when I ride a stand up board, same principals. Unlike a boogie.
1st Wave, sunrise, no-one out, waves about as high as the roof racks on your car.
Paddle take off look down the wave, stare at rocks, see (in my mind) the bottom turn I have to make or land on rocks, pull a turn that pushes the tail out for drive and nose in. Tail slips a tiny bit, (not spin out) no drive, wipe out, Wave passes, I sit on rocks, dumbfounded! With normal FCS fins that wouldn’t happen. It doesn’t happen.
MrWavefin previously spoke about a board not spinning out, Thats a bit different to what I experienced here, in my case, it was a lack of a desired response after a slow drop on takeoff and then a sudden whip sideways in the pocket of the wave to try and get drive out of the fins.
Paddle out, think, think, Plan to take off more across wave, like on a longer board.
2nd wave, Take off, take off becomes too critical, only way out is the same whip, It ends with same result. On the “rock lounge.”
3rd wave, Take off, looking further away from critical zone to bottom turn, turn, no problems, then get this incredible boost going up out of the turn. WTF? never ever have I experienced that type of a boost out of a turn. It came when I didn’t expect it. With normal fins you get a thrust during the turn, this was as I came up the wave face. Then I turned trimmed down and picked a “race the wall line”. The board picked up speed and became very solid. So it lost its looseness, to do rail to rail turns, (but I didn’t need to do rail to rail turns, the turbo boost was switched on and I was flying). I had to break it out of this “track”, to do a cutty, First turn, OK, second turn OK, Pull out, again this boost upwards. (I’d like to say I did a backflip somersault, but I didn’t)
Question 1 ***** MrWavefin, if the thinness of the stem of the fins there to aid in the breaking out of the speed track to do turns?
Paddle out, thinking, thinking. The boost comes when the board is not turning side ways but turning up or down. (So I thought)
3rd Wave
Critical take off, back on the rocks.
Paddle out, thinking thinking? What happens if I try rail to rail.
4th wave
Critical take off, hold an “aim down the line” direction. make it, try rail to rail, absolutely no drive, waves passes me, trying rail to rail boosts, while white water on my back (normally like wind on a sail) Hmmmmm … too much lack of response, (slight slipping) Bail out before “getting rocked” (back on the rock lounge)
Paddle out, thinking, thinking … Down the line surfing, where you surf lines as if on a long board that rockets along without pumping, just choose your lines well and go for critical placement on the wave.
5th wave
Forgot the plan, surfed with a few rail to rail pushes that didn’t get a response, got a boost going from top to bottom, (the other way, not climbing this time) without turning.
6th wave
Take off, stayed high in the wave, aimed like a mal, gentle turn down, the turbo boost kicks in gentle turn up, turbo boost kicks in, race a wall with gentle turns up and down, its a rocket. Its a f****** rocket!
SO THATS WHERE THE FINS COME TO LIFE. PICK A LINE AND PLACE YOURSELF IN THE ZONE. ITS LIKE SOMEONE FLICKS A SWITCH AND YOUR HANGING ON FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE!
The rest of the session was doing that … For me? That’s not my style, but I know many who surf that way. These fins would really put a smile on their face. Its a surfing style that doesn’t require working the board rail to rail, but chooses placement and lines as the means of riding the wave.
Well that’s my opinion, I’m sure now that I have said that, MrChipper and Surfoils, will say I must be on drugs and they found the opposite … I can only tell it as I see it. I apologize to those who see it different to me but, but I will listen intently to what they have to say.
Also, big waves, different story, plenty of speed from the word go.
My recommendations to MrWavefin
Another model (another $5,000)
I don’t know if it will work, and I don’t know if MrWavefin has already tried it or something like this, its just what I would like to try.
-
Normal fin shape. Typical FCS Sunny Garcia type of shape, or G3’s, or GAM’s etc.
-
Flat on the inside, (like all side fins)
-
Same wings, same method of attachment.
-
Rear fin to have wings either side, maybe sliding slot method, to be able to flip them over.(or take out he fold and have them fixed?
If Mr Wavefin lets me? …
Question 2 ***** MrWavefin, Can I (will you let me) modify the fins I have, to the above description (free of charge ofcourse),
Question 3 *****MrWavefin, do you know what bonds to the substance the fins are made out of? epoxy? fibreglass?
