Yes, my current interest.
Especially fish inspired variants.
Very much interested, I hope to see them as you create them…
Thank you Bert. You have just given me a few ideas for fin options on a board I have been struggling to find the best fin set up for. What I initially hought would suit it hasn’t given me what I was looking for performance wise.
Good to see you back on here.
Cool to have Burt back. Anyway, Greg T., I hope you’re still checking in on this thread. I wanted to add that I’m having a blast rediscovering the need for foot work on a single. The true longboard guys will and should chuckle at my comment, but with a single you need to move your feet to find the sweet spot as the wave morphs and changes. Tail stauls, slide up more in front of the fin to pump down the line, stay over the fin to work around the pocket, cheater fives, etc. Fun, fun, fun. Like being 17 years old again. Only not as nimble. Plus, you’ll probably be the only guy in the line up riding one. Mike
Here’s a few surf’s i did on borrowed boards
Session #1 i tried a friends funky 7’8" short board styled stock shop board single fin on a cranking 3’-4’ plus day where every single local who actually surf were prob somewhere…anyway, i decided to “take on” s peak a break I’ve only successfully surfed four times now. Upfront -it’s hard to snag good waves out there if your not any good, or your not a local. I’m not a local there so i gave respect and they allowed me a few wild drop ins on the biggest cleanest walls i ever tried on a point break! The boards i borrowed were a 6’11" and a 7’8"short board (single fins). Anyhow, on my first bangin wave was about a solid 3’ r or more, and i mean solid! i actually am not sure how big it was. It just felt extremely powerful! Anyway, i paddled out saw the swell was coming right at me…this wave was just under 4’ - so a nice walled fast rolling peak.anyway, it took a few good paddles and I’m dropping in backside and as i hit bottom of wave i felt as if pressed do wn into my stance near tail half. Then i leaned and carved a long drivey sweeping turn off the bottom- which set me into a pretty steep pocket wall again- almost, if not, exactly the same deal-Vooooooom! Another incredible sweeping turn and i know we were getting longas rides practically to beach.sadly i didn’t do any big maneuvers; floaters, or whatever. I geuss
i was just trying to surf the wave and i did it! It was a big deal to me fwiw as it was only my third time outhere. And on my first two surf’s there i only was surfing at the inside peak…which is good, but not quite as power ful.anyway, the single fins were not gliding - they were flying down the line w double winds, and possibly more? you know what blew me away! It was a ordinary 7’8" short board single and and it handled those grinders like nothin!
Totally agree with this. I have a 6’5" MSF and it provides the best feeling bottom turn of any shorter board I’ve ridden. Nothing like making the bottom turn, pushing the tail into the water and feeling the easy acceleration as the fin pushes back.
Mike, you bet I’m still watching this thread.
All the best
the take off spot being A,or kulana nalu(sp)
and the glide out spot completing the ride being Z
are regularly connected with a single fin.
Coffin rides are possible on a single fin,also from A-Z
initial bottom turns on back included ,
with tube ride insertions ,doggie door exits,
roller coasters,as well as other positioning nuances .
Primarily the single box alows for access
to finless glide sensations when such a lark
awakens the free soul within.
what the fettered multi fin concious knows
is an alternative universe.
single fin universe is
glide to unencumbered flight sensations
thank you very much attitudes replace
I dominate therefore I exist ,manuver centric
tech rendering short duration A-C,or perhaps K
renderings on wave canvas art.
single fin includes
surface tension dynamics
as required study.
connecting the dots
on a large wave field
with not one hop is
single fin domain.
…ambrose…
and the mud flood
river surfing champion
was seeded to the finals
J.J. Moon was an Icon
from the Daisy Bar in malibu
where is Tor Swensen ?
Back in the late 60’s my first standup boards were single fins,then I got introduced to Steve Lis at Sunset Cliffs and that changed everything for me.
My friend introduced me to kneeboarding at the cliffs at garbage and new break where I got into kneeboarding.
I started making Lis copies of my own with standard keel fins, then in 1972 I started experimenting with asymmetrical foiled fins with the flat sides facing outwards.
I use to make them by laying up some glass on one side of some marine plywwood then foil the wood side. easy too make too.
They faced straight forward and were canted out about 5 degrees. This made my fishes even faster down the line but also turned real good.
I was introduced to asymmetrical air foils while attending a plastics program where I was trained in aerospace composite construction 1972 to 1974.
I also started making bonzer bottom fishes after seeing Malcolm and Duncan Campbell’s boards, I incorporated my fins with their concave designs.
It worked out real well, great for the fast tube rides at Big Rock.
I also experimented with the fins flat side facing inwards which made the boards draw longer lines.
To me the single fins were great for smooth turns ala Lopez style surfing, but the twin fins were great for more radical maneuvers.
Just my two cents.
A friend shot these photos of me riding my newest single fin. It is 7’ x 21" x 2.5". She caught me just after I made a hard cut back under the lip.
…glides.
…trims
…draws different lines …
as per Stephanie Gilmore’s comments on the footage of her , in the extras of 'spirit of akasha '.
… she is absolutely RIPPING , on a dave parmenter 6 channel singley , at very nice ? kirra ?
Bert , good on ya !
great to hear someone ELSE sing the praises of the SINGLE fin fish .
I had one for YEARS [1977-1981] , and LOVED it !
It was a Crozier , 5’11 x 20"winged fish . 10"finbox .
… I have a photo of it , somewhere …