just got a new 7’0" single fin (i’m 5’10" 150lbs) and need to buy some good retro fins. vintage ones i have don’t fit into the box, they need grinding. new retail fins are mostly for longboards; i’m looking for 7"-8" with little rake. who markets fins for modern single fin boards? i’ve seen true ames online and their cal classic looks good. not enough choices. any info helps.
There are lots of choices out there. Practically all the major fin companies produce at least one template specifically designed for retro singlefin shortboards. Rainbow has the Rusty, Bio and TK Flex fins. Ames and Fins Unltd also have a number of shorboard singlefins. You can go the custom route too. There are a few fin makers here at Swaylocks that can get you dialed in.
I ride a 7’0" egg with a 9" Greenough. I use the same fin on my 9’2" round tail. A devoted shortboard friend said he hated “retro” egg boards because they were always too bulky and not responsive. He tried mine with the Greenough and now wants me to make him one. I’ve tried it with a square tail… it worked, but not like it does w/ a round. I think that it’s the best fin EVER.
I have a friend who rides his 7’, 8’2" eggs with the 9" and even the 9.75" on the larger egg shape…I ride a 6’4" diamond tail with the 7.25" and 8" greenough stage 6. We’ve both ridden our boards with flex fins and there is no comparing the drive the stage 6 provides. try 'em, you’ll like 'em.
finely, is that Grenagh 9"fin smilar to the Fins Unlimited 8.5 that comes stock with the CI single fin? Another thread on a similar subject suggested it was baSED OF A GREENAUGH SHAPE.
Greenough 4A or 4C? I guess you mean the 4A base on the 9" size. Thanks.
Shaun- Depends on who you ask really. The Fins Unlimited CI fin may or may not be based on the True Ames 4A/4C which in turn, may or may not be based on Greenough’s original Stage 4 fin. In the end, all that really matters is which fin works for you. Try them all!
Rainbow fins make a 7 inch flex fin, it has a wide base and remains full to the tip sorta like those true aimes california templates for longboards. However this fin works real well for me, i use it in all sorts of boards, a 7.2 diamond tail, 6.3 Caster PinTail and this forward of center swallowtail I made. I’ve got some Greenoughs, i thinks they are the 4 series and i’ve used one of the 9inch bioflex fins, a real racky flexible thing; good for longboards and ok on smaller boards too. Still I like the Rainbow template more, it has a better drive and spring compared to the Greenoughs which though loose as a goose just dont feel quite right and those thing tips would easily lay you open in the wrong situation. I bought the Rainbow somewhere around 3 or 4 years ago at BoB Mission Surf so I dont know if this model is on retail anymore.
I was talking about the 4A. I have also used the 9.75 on my 9’2" and a heavy 9’6". works great. I would really like to try the stage 6. looks wierd though…
my experience with the stage 6 is that it provides heaps of straight ahead drive, especially over flat spots and around the fall line.However, it does have a tendency to track and take on a mind of it’s own, generally in a situation where that’s the last thing you need(including having,of all things, the fin break free and tail spin out when locked in high-not fun).
Try one of these. You won’t regret it. Rob Olliges 
Is that the Mccoy Star Fin? Does that go well on most boards or just the Nugget?
The Starfin was designed by Ben Lexcen during a time when Cheyne was looking beyond McCoy for surfboards. Geoff McCoy has his own fin for the Nuggets. Cheyne surfs Starfins on his singlefin Nuggets. The Starfin will work in any surfboard with a fin box. Try one; it’ll put a smile on your face. Atom Tan sells them for around $50US. The surfshops who sell them in the US mark it up beyond that. Now that Cheyne is or will be in Hawaii you might be able to order one from him directly for $35. Rob Olliges
Rob, How is it possible to contact Chenne H. I will be on the big island Dec-Jan. THANKS!!!
Wingnut Big Daddy. Best longboard fin 60 bucks can buy. Smooth turns and sweet noserides. Hop to it, dude.
This fin has evolved as a low area performance single fin. This design brings a neutral feel to your board allowing more freedom of movement. Subtle changes in this design have made this a great fin for those who like to surf “loose”. in’ 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 http://www.trueames.com/waynerich.htm
the star fin would be great to try. are there three star fin set ups for thrusters? i picked up a fins unlmtd 7.5 with a classic shape and it works great. the whole single fin approach is loads of fun; i mostly ride tri’s but have been on a 70’s single and the thick boxy rails and narrow tail were hard to ride. this modern version is sweet. drawn out turns etc. placed the fin in center of box, what happens moving it forward and back? looser/stiffer? what about foot placement? step up to drive/trim and back to turn/carve? and what about the soularch bottom turn?