I’ve got a 6’8" hybrid swallow tail. Which I use as my allround board from ankle high to 1 1&1/2 overhead waves. (Haven’t got any bigger waves yet). Board dimensions are: length: 6’8",nose 14 1/2", tail 14 1/2", width 20", thickness 2 5/8", swallow 4.5 " tip to tip and 1.5" deep. And I’m 1,68m tall and weigh about 65kg. Its got medium sized speeedfins (base and height 108/109 mm). On bigger/faster waves I sometimes have to be very fairly not to pop out the tail on turns. (In my opinion because of the tail width to body size/weight ratio) Will larger fins help? (Say base/height: 118mm/123mm)
Your board dimensions are not unreasonable for waves even up to double overhead. But, it depends on how steep and powerful the waves you are riding are. I’m not a Speed Fins advocate. But, since you already have them in your board, you should try their Carboceramics. They are much stiffer and should hold in better in bigger waves. Typically, since the water flowing across your fins is much faster than on smaller waves you don’t need as big a fin set. But, if there is surface chop or you want to do big power gouges bigger fins are better. I believe it’s more important for a fin foil hold it’s shape through turns than to warp under pressure. I understand their trailing edge twist argument. But, I think their design gives up to much twist in the foil in the YZ plane, which contributes to stalling and loosing control. So, stiffer should help your situation.
Reduce rail line resistance in larger surf by using smaller side fins. This will allow the rail to drive deeper in your turns and eliminate much of the skip. If the waves are hollow perhaps use a larger back fin for hold.
Adjustable boxes allow movement of the center fin back as well…if you really want to keep the board for a long while you can get a center fin box installed, buy one or two fins and experiment/surf as you wish.
I"m 155 lbs., and with my 6’8" x 20 Tri Fin, I’d be hardpressed to make it work well in waves over 8’.
I mean “work well”. Not just work. I’ve ridden 5’6" twin fins in Jalama Tarantula well over 10’, and plenty of single fin 6’ boards in 12’+ Ocean Beach.
Doesn’t mean those work well, or I made the right board choice.
I think you are pushing the limits, expecially with such a wide board, for your very light weight. You probably don’t have size 10 feet, and just can’t keep the board banked over and the rail buried, with any consistency.
Just like different gears for your car, you can’t expect ONE board to make do in all conditions, unless YOU are an adaptive, extremely skilled surfer.
Yeah yeah, I know, Cheyne Horan makes his 5’10" starfinned single work at Wiamea. What a joke!
sorry for the lateness of the next reply but i agree with LeeDD here ,your tail is to wide for your weight in faster waves ,larger fins will only make it more overly sensitive and depending on the fin cant angles it could end up wanting to take off and rise out of the water…the larger tail is an option ,and toms reply about the stiffer fins was good …
if getting another board for larger waves is not an option ,then ,the bigger tail fin or stiffer well foiled fins are your other 2 logical choices…
Aloha, A larger base to your fins will give you more controll !! Stiffer performance, A smaller fin template will be more responsive, smaller performance waves. Fin possision will also dictate the way the board rides. Fins that are set more parallel to the stringer will give the board more drive and control and fins set pointing toward the nose makes the same board more responsive. So same board smaller fins for small waves and more fin for bigger waves, unless your using an adjustale system that allows you to alter the fin possision acording to surf conditions . Lots of good advice in your thread !
Reduce rail line resistance in larger surf by using smaller side fins. This will allow the rail to drive deeper in your turns and eliminate much of the skip. If the waves are hollow perhaps use a larger back fin for hold.
Greg- our mutual friend Mark passed that advice along to me (crediting you) a while back. Sage advice; it seems to increase grip/control without becoming “lifty” and causing the rail/drive to “break away” when conditions pack more oomph.
To clarify: i have a couple of boards (8) ranging from a 5’6" single fin to 9’0" longboards. Only 1 is a 6’2" potato chip and, having just checked, half of them are at least 10 yrs old, single fins.
The 6’8" board mentioned in my 1st post was my first new & first custom board and was designed to fit between my 6’2" and my 7’3" mini-mal. All I can say is that I’m super stoked with it. It allows me to rip and tear (in my own mind)and glide at the same time.
It does have medium sized carbo fins and sometimes the drive out of bottom turns catches me off guard. In bigger waves, during bottom turns it feels as if the tail ‘skids’ a little in the trough before the drive “kicks” in and it accelerates out of the turn. This results in a momentary loss of speed and an inefficient bottom turn. On my backhand, though, I can use my weight to lean into bottom turns and not have any problem grinding or holding bottom turns. So, yeah, prob’ly too wide a tail or too thick?
I understand that getting a surfboard just right for you is about incremental change. Which one should i considered varying with my next board: tail thickness or tail width?
In general most of the advice is spot on on this thread. But, specifically, we are talking about Speed Fins. I got into an arguement a couple years ago with Jim Banks regarding flex and it’s affect on control. We never resolved that arguement. We just agreed we had differing points of view. I have never ridden Speed Fins. So, I am not speaking from personal experience. But, when I asked Al Merrick about them he (as a man of few words) just said “they’re too unpredictable”.
easily the width will have a more profound effect…overall board width is critical too. However, a competent shaper will modify all features including foil/thickness. For bigger more powerfull waves a pintail with a little round is a good aal’rounder…around 13.25-13.75"
For bigger waves, I particularly like the Channel Islands K-StepUp and Black Beauty. Go to their website and check them out.
I would get a board that has a more pulled in tail. You can still ride a wide nose hybrid in double overhead surf, even with small fins (thruster set-up), but you gotta have the shaper pull the tail in. And like meecrafty said, a round pin will really help.
Are you looking for a mini-gun or a hybrid that will handle itself in the juice? These are questions you need to consider.
I have experienced the same slippery sensation as you when bottom turning on powerful overhead waves on a wide-tail board that couldn’t harness the power, and I found that a tail that was pulled in (last 12" -14" of the board) really helped get the board to bite off the bottom.