FCS finds a way to Go Green

It's no secret that the materials used to make surfboards and surfboard fins are a few steps short of being organic, but that hasn't slowed FCS' pursuit of getting as green as possible without compromising quality. Their latest environmentally conscious action may not affect fin quality or performance, but it will keep some trash out of the lineup.

For those who haven't ordered a new set of FCS fin recently, you may not know that they are now selling fins in recyclable packaging, made from recycled materials. The new FCS fin packaging consists of two components; the pulp tray which is made from recycled newspaper, and the clear slide cover that effectively protects and allows the fins to be easily displayed, which is made from recycled PET.

PET is traditionally used as a raw material for making packaging materials such as bottles and containers for a wide range of food products and other consumer goods. Products made from PET can be recycled which reduces the amount of waste going to landfills.

Powers of Three

The grass seemed to crunch under my feet as I ran out to my truck for a pre-work surf this morning. The public shower in the parking lot felt like a much needed hot spring. When I drove home, my hands were so numb I could barely grip the wheel hard enough to make the tight turn into my spot. Southern California is not supposed to get this cold!

As I hovered over my morning cup of coffee like a gold miner holding his treasure, I started to wonder if the meager two foot surf was worth the two hour recovery, until I found this. Another Mickey Smith video called "Powers of Three." Leave it to the Irish to make you feel like a light weight for complaining about cold weather and water. This was a reminder to surf every chance you get, because there will be days you wish you could but you can't. Here's some inspiration to help us all get our hearts pumping and heads in the game for winter swells.

The lose of Any Irons was a complete shock, not only for how sudden and unforeseen it was, but also because Andy always seemed a bit invincible. His competitive drive and pure talent are what gave him the reputation as being Kelly Slater's rival in and out of the water. Without Andy, who can say that Kelly would have reach the level he has? Every great athlete needs a challenger to push them to excel and be the target of their energy. While there is no doubt Kelly and Andy had some bad blood between them at some point, no one ever wanted the rivalry to end like this. Here is a short clip from VAS about the relationship between two of surfing's greatest competitors.

Andy Irons Died At Age 32

3 time ASP World Champion Andy Irons died yesterday in his Dallas hotel room. He contracted dengue fever at the previous surfing contest held in Portugal, and became so ill that he pulled out of the Rip Curl Search Pro in Puerto Rico. Andy won the ASP World Surfing Tour Title 3 years in a row and he was the only ASP surfer to win at every ASP tour stop.

Andy leaves behind his wife Lyndie who is due to give birth to their first child in December.

Surfing in the Matrix

There is so much technology put into fins, that it is easy to go on tangents looking at any and all technology. On such a tangent, this video was discovered. The photographers may be stretching a bit to say the images they capture showcase the boardshort's technology, but seeing surfing in 3D is pretty amazing. It was tough to get a close look at what Mich Fanning is using now that he has signed with FCS, but you could see clearly that Matt Wilko was on K2.1 PCs.

For the SUP'ers out there

Stand Up Paddling is burning across the map like a wild fire, and while we've spent a bit of time on them, we don't claim to be all knowing about how they handle and what works best. For this reason we turn to the experts for their advice. Our friend John Ashley runs paddlesurf.net, and between him and his following, I don't think there is a single SUP product on the market they haven't tested. I was on youtube today and came across a video of his, with Art Curtis talking about their favorite fin setup for noseriders style SUP's. These guys live and breathe SUP surfing so we take their advice seriously. Here is their review of the Futures Albacore Flex with Vector Tech Foil 3/2's on the side.

How to Select the Perfect Fin

At the Gallery we get quite a few questions from people about how to choose a fin. With multiple manufacturers making signature fins for the same pros, it can get complicated. We wrote this article and posted it in the Fin Theory section of the site to help you pick the best match for you and your board.

Whether you are looking for a single fin for your longboard, a flex fin for your hull or a set of removable fins for your performance quad, there are a few basic rules to follow when choosing fins:

A wide/long fin base will have more drive and draw out your turns

A narrow/short fin base will have less drive but be easier to turn

Deep fins will hold better on steep faces and be more stable in the white water

Short fins release easier if you are looking to slide your tail out on hard turns

Fins with more rake (sweeps further back) will draw out your turns and capitalize better on the flex patterns of the fins

Fins with upright postures will be more responsive in weak, slow surf.

Smaller fins are looser and more forgiving but offer less hold and drive

Larger fins offer more hold and control in big surf, but will track in smaller waves.

While those concepts can be applied universally to almost all fin configurations, here are some tips for specific fin setups.

Single Fins:
The standard size rule of thumb is one inch of fins for every foot of board (9” fin for a 9' board)

A fin with more tip area will be more stable for nose rides

When adding side biter’s to create a 2+1 setup, cut two inches off the length your center fin.

Raked fins allow more of a carving turn while upright and D fins are designed as pivot points for more traditional old school turns. (drop knee cut backs, top turns then to the nose).

Twin Fins/Fish
Keel fins, with a long base and vertical trailing edge, are all drive but tend to lock up when going fast, often attributed to the very wide tails they are typically seen on

Twin fins with a more raked template are know for being very loose and fast

The addition of a small trailer fin has gained popularity because it offers stability and control when going fast, and helps prevent surfers from turning too hard and killing their speed.


Thrusters
Bigger fins with more base will help control your standard board in bigger surf

Small size differences are more noticeable because the difference is multiplied by three fins

Side fins with an upright posture combined with a center fin that has more rake can produce great drive while remaining loose.

Wider tails benefit larger fins unless they have deep channels.

Quads
Using smaller trailing fins with symmetrical foils will significantly loosen up a quad

The addition of another fin and placing the fins so far out on the rail allows quad to us smaller fins than thrusters.

Generally:
Your boards template, rails, and bottom contours will help determine your fin choice as will your weight, where you ride and how you ride.

These fin tips should make shopping through Wave Riders Fin Gallery much easier and more productive. Feel free to ask us questions about specific fins by clicking the question link on the individual fin pages.

Riding Broken Boards

This is a video found on Korduory.tv that is a prime example of how much fun it can be to experiment with boards. Critter Baugh broke the tail off of his standard thruster between the side and trailing fins, and decided to glass the tail back up as is and keep surfing it. I'm sure he is one of those guys who can make surfing a the coffee table look fun, but i doubt he would be out on a day this good if he didn't really enjoy the ride.

When they show the board at the beginning of the video I can't help but think of the Mini Simmons boards that are gaining a strong following. The wide blunt tail with the fins out on the rail and all the way back seems to be working for surfers these days.

Here is the video and a Mini Simmons "bar of Soap" to compare.

Broken Wonder - Sea Movies from www.KORDUROY.tv on Vimeo.

Last night our friend lee was talking about a new board he is making, and how he wanted to install FCS plugs so he can try out the new H-3 Nexus fins. These puppies look hot. Like the Futures Solus, FCS has combined three different materials to control the fins flex patterns, giving maximum drive, hold, and control. Both the Nexus and Solus are designed around this concept, but vary a lit in how it was implemented.



The construction that futures uses is a Carbon fiber base, Texcellium mid section, and a fiber glass tip. This keeps the fin stiff at the base for drive, and allow gradual flex instead of a pivot point in the fin. Futures didn't use this new material technology on one of their standard templates. They implemented their vector foils to give the Solus several different planing surfaces on the inside face, and rounded out the vector hatchet center fin.

The FCS H-3 Nexus didn't go half way either. They used Bi-axial Carbon and Uni-directional Kevlar to control the flex and twist of the fins. FCS designed the Nexus using a low aspect ratio elliptical template. The base of the fins are also long, providing drive. This is combined with a highly cambered foil through the fin base further increasing drive and hold.The tips of the H-3 Nexus fins on the other hand feature moderate volume and a low cambered foil, offering stability and fin release.

Here are some videos from the manufacturers describing the fins themselves.

FCS Nexus Development from FCS on Vimeo.

The Dark Side of the Lens

When I was checking the surf forecast this morning I noticed a bold title on Wetsands.com in the margin. "Is This The Best Short Surf Film Ever Made?" While they weren't quite bold enough to say it IS the best, it still was too bold to pass up.

The following Youtube video was made by Mickey Smith, a surf photographer from Ireland who entered the video in an energy drink short film competition. While the music isn't the standard adrenaline pumping death metal, the film is nothing short of intense.

Why Mick Fanning Chose FCS

When you are the reigning world champ the industry is your oyster, and its an all you can eat buffet. So when Mick Fanning decided to sign with FCS, we had to know why. Unfortunately we don't have the means to get an interview ourselves, so we were fortunate to find an interview conducted by Tracks Magazine in Australia where they engage Mick on the subject of fins. Here's a cut from the interview:

"Firstly Mick, when signing a new sponsorship agreement, is it the money or the product itself that you consider most – fins surely has to be performance-based decision?

What happened was I went and tried different fin systems, cause I was riding glass on fins and I was so set on them I couldn’t ride any other fin system. I eventually became sick of carrying 12 boards with glass ons. What I did was I got a couple of different fin systems put on a quiver of boards and took them all on the Red Bull boat in Indonesia last year and tried all the different ones together – and the FCS ones felt the best.

So you were one of the last guys on tour lugging around boards with set fins?

Yeah, it was heavy.

Literally.

Yeah.

Mick winds-up and then releases at home at Duranbah Beach, NSW. Pic: Simon Muirhead

So, after your little test – FCS won. Why them?

It just felt like the FCS fin system had an extra bit of zing. We’d copied my favourite fin exactly (that I was using in glass ons) so I was using that as well and they felt great.

Would you consider yourself a fin expert? Or are you a bit of a novice?

It’s one of those things where the slightest little change in your fin affects the board’s performance so much. And then it keeps evolving. Put it this way, I know what I like. I have been working on a new fin by throwing around ideas and that, but it’s hard to find the exact right things.

Bit scary to get too far away from what you know and love. You might never find your way back?

That’s the thing. I guess that’s what happens when you have a board and you put the wrong fins in it – if it goes bad it can really put you off. But then you put a different fin set in that fits it perfect – and it goes completely different. Changing what initially felt like a bad board, into a good board. That’s what I like now – the options.

With all your boards Mick, and all these fins, you could rattle yourself at an event with too many options?

I tend to use the same fin for all my short boards then change up for my guns. On my guns the fin I use is a little smaller and pivoty.

So, it’s not the bigger the board, the bigger fin? But more rakie?

My bigger board fin has got a good base with a bit more rake and more sort of bend through the back. Allows you to still have the drive, but if you wanna turn it – it will turn on a dime.

Is this fin that you had set in all your boards previously going to become your signature fin?

We were going to do a signature fin but we’re still working on which one to go with. It’s like I said before, you think have something, then something else comes along, and then that feels better, then something else comes along and then that feels better – or worse – and you go backwards. It’s forever evolving. We’ll have a signature fin out by next year and that will be the fin that I ride 95% of the time. And then we’ll have something else out after that. Something more diverse I’d imagine.

That makes sense. A smaller fin that allows you to turn a big board in big waves and a bigger fin that gives you drive in an already lose small board.

That’s what we do. I have a fin now that is nice and even through the whole way. At places like Trestles you want that drive but when you throw the fins you don’t want it to be out of control. You want it to grab when it hits the deck again. And you also want to be able to draw out your turns and mix it right up."

If he doesn't have credibility on how a fin feel, then no one does. Here's a clip of Mick surfing back in home at D Bah, showing the rest of us how it's done.

Nose Riding Fins

The defining characteristics of a nose riding fin are the greater depth and larger surface area of the fin tip. When nose riding is the highest priority in surfing, the standard equipment is a longboard (9 feet or more), with soft rails, a wide tail, a wide nose, and a single fin. These are a few different styles of nose riding fins:

Pivot fins are shaped similar to boat rudders. They have an upright posture and a relatively uniform width from base to tip. By minimizing the fin's rake, the pivot fin is very responsive and able to turn easily at low speeds. This is also allows the surfer to make small directional adjustments from the nose. Longboards are most responsive to turning when the surfer has their weight over the tail of the board, and respond poorly when flat in the face of the wave. Pivot fins are usually about 10 inches deep. A deeper fin anchors the tail into the face of the wave, preventing the board from spinning out. The standard fin placement for a pivot fin is all the way back towards the tail. Move the fin forward half an inch at a time until the sweet spot is found. Pivot fins are best suited for waves that are 1-3 feet, and will loosen up a longboard without giving up stability.


Rake fins are shaped like a dolphin's fin. They are more swept back than the pivot fins, but still maintain width out at the tip. The wide base mikes these fins very stable at low speeds and in the white water, while the longer fin rake give the fin more drive and control when going fast. They are not as loose as pivot fins, but for that reason provide more control in larger or faster waves. Rake fins are great first fins for an entry level longboarder, because they are very stable for learning, but surfers will not out grow the fin as their skills improve. The size rule of thumb is one inch of fin per foot of board; for example, a nine inch fin for a nine foot board. When selecting a nose riding fin addition depth is usually a good idea. Rake fins are best suited for waves that are 2-6 feet, and will offer stable nose rides in a wide variety of conditions.


Hatchet fins are shaped like, well, a hatchet. The most defining characteristics of these fins are the straight leading edge and diamond shaped tip. They typically have a little more rake than a pivot fin and less base than a rake fin. These fins were first made popular by Dewey Weber on the Performer model surfboard. Hatchet fins handle similar to pivot fins but provide more hold for big, heavy, soft-railed longboards. This is a “retro” fin and could be frustrating for surfers who want a responsive and agile fin. Hatchet fins are best suited for heavy longboards in waves that are 1-4 feet
There is a large variety of nose riding fin is the Waveriders Fin Gallery. As you browse, try to stay focused on the traits you want in a fin, and look for the qualities that will produce them. Deep, upright fins are better suited for slow, mushy, small waves. A fin with more rake will be a better “all around” performing nose riding fin. Start with these fins all the way back in your fin box, and adjust them in half to quarter inch increments until you find the sweet spot.

Single Fin Placement

Fin placement is not universal for board types or all riders. When you decide on the fin for your board, the most common place to start is in the center of the box. After surfing with the fin in the center for a few sessions, move the fin in quarter to half inch increments to achieve the desired performance. Move the fin forward, toward the nose, to make the board turn easier, and move the fin back toward the tail to stabilize the board and draw turns out. When surfing bigger, faster waves, move the fin back for better control at high speeds.

If you are new to surfing or you want to work on nose riding, then start with the fin all the way back in the fin box. By moving the fin back, the fin will hold the tail securely while nose riding, and be easier to control. Placing the fin further back also stabilizes the board when you are riding the white water.


To get more performance out of a single fin board in punchy surf, you may want to add side bites. Side bites are the side fins to a 2+1 fin set up, and tend to be significantly smaller than standard thruster side fins. For this fin configuration, the best place to start is with the leading edge of the center fin aligned with the trailing tips of the side bites.

Make a board based on a fin set?

The other day we were discussing how to choose which fin system to use in a new board, and the question was asked, "should someone have a board made with a particular fin set in mind?" As our minds wandered momentarily about how specific you could get, we were brought back into focus when Roger said, "you design the board for the wave, and choose the fins the same way."

He has a great point. If you were to make a board for a particular set of fins, why wouldn't you glass them on? After all, beyond travel function, aren't we using fin systems to enable us to switch out fins for changing conditions?

When a board is designed, there focus is on what type of waves we will be surfing; fast and hollow, slow and mushy, ect. Fins are selected for the conditions. When you get your 6'3" rounded pin for juicy surf, and the waves are 4-6' and hollow, you'll pop in a medium size performance fin. At 8-10' and hollow, you'll be stepping up to a larger fin with more drive and hold.

Same with a longboard. Our local break is pretty slow and mushy most of the time, so most of our boards are long, flat and have fairly soft rails. When it's small I see most of the dominant surfers using pivot fins to keep the board loose at low speed. When the swell jumps up a bit, they ride the same board with a fins that has more rake and a wider base.

Pivot Fin with a vertical template











Rake Fin with a swept back template

Fin Materials

After sifting through countless thruster and quad fin sets, it becomes apparent that several sets have incredibly similar templates and foils, but have substantially different descriptions due to the material they are made from.. The base models are generally made of plastic or a composite. These are typically the fins that come stock on a new board and are adequate for getting familiar with the board, but are designed to work on any board, not your board. Stock fins are like driving a sports car on cheap tires; they work but you'll never realize the boards potential without an upgrade.

Wood laminated with fiberglass is a classic fin construction that is light weight and always a classy look. Many fin manufacturers now make bamboo fins that can be glassed on or make compatible for the major fin systems. At waveridersfingallery.com we will be offering custom and pre-made wood fins by Cherry and Torres.

One of the most common fin materials is fiberglass. The fiberglass cloth has a perpendicular weave that can be laid at different angles relative to the fin base, producing different flex patterns. Different resins, finishes, templates, and foils also play major roles in a fins flex. While fiberglass fins are typically very heavy for their size, they are very durable and can be easily reshaped if the owner feels the need to make adjustments or experiment.


Another very prevalent fin technology is Hex Core construction, also called Resin Transfer Molding. To make these fins, fin makers sandwich lightweight honeycomb foam like structure between layers of fiberglass and polyester resin. This process makes an incredibly light fins with increased flex.




The next step in finding a light weight, high strength fin material is carbon fiber. These fins are extremely light and can make stiffer fins for power surfers, heavy surfers and big wave surfing. This is probably why Sunny Garcia uses carbon fiber for his signature FCS fins.

Those are just a few of the materials being used currently in fin production. One of the most innovative material applications found on the market today is the use of both resin transfer molding and carbon fiber by Futures, on the Black Stix fin line. Since Futures developed the technique, I'll let them explain it:

"Black Stix combines various processing techniques to produce a strategically designed flex structure, created by a crescent shaped, carbon leading edge fin. The inlay of the two materials creates a torsional flex pattern for storing potential energy and releasing kinetic energy into whip-like turns. Light and strong, this highly designed fin has a patterned flex rebound to take your surfing to its full potential. Constantly pushing the envelope of what a fin should be and do." -From futuresfins.com

Now as you shop for the perfect fin for your new board, pay close attention to the fin construction. With so many materials being used in production, be sure to read the manufacturer's description or consult our fin forum for advice on what material will suit your style best.

The Evolution of Fins

This is one of, if not the best video on the evolution and current state of surfboard fins. The video was made by FCS and can be found on youtube.com. It is nearly impossible to get every contribution to fin design in one place, but they did a great job of finding highly influential people in surfing and getting their insight on how things have advanced. The clip is a bit long at 16 minutes but definitely worth the time. What else are you going to do in the next 16 minutes, check you facebook for the tenth time today?

Fin Tips and Tricks

A common problem with standard longboard center fin boxes is for some fins to not fit properly. Some fins will be a hair too wide and need a bit of force, while others are too thin and will slop around side to side. The latter is more problematic because it can affect the boards handling, and possibly add stress to the box resulting in damage to the board.

For a fin that is very snug fitting, rubbing a bit of wax on the sides of the fin base will lubricate the fin just enough to help you slide it in. Water based gels work well too, but will wash away and wont help you get the fin back out. This trick also works well with other fin systems such as Futures, FCS, and Pro-Box.

For a fin that is too loose, all you need is a strip of thick paper or thin cardboard. For thinner paper, you can fold it over a few times until you get the right size wedge. Hook the fixed tab on the fin into the box and slide it to the position you want your fin in, and hen put the paper wedge over the box. When you push the fin down into the box, the paper should wedge in on both sides and give the fin a nice snug fit. The paper should last quite a while if you don't take the fin out. In a pinch you can use candy wrappers, mexican food receipts, or a leaf of sea weed. Whatever you use, just be sure to trim it down flush with the fin box.

Donald Takayama's Halo Fins

This is a youtube.com video of Donald Takayama describing his Halo Fins, a design where the leading edge is straight. There is also a thread on swaylocks.com that reviews these fins. The best report is from a surfer who accidentally put them in backwards and thought they worked great! Unfortunately he didn't think they were as exceptional when installed correctly.




We are not set to carry these fins yet, but we are setting up to carry Guy Takayama's fin line. Here is a picture of the Manata to get you mind surfing.

The Value of Fins

One of the factors that prevents surfers from experimenting with new fins is the price. The $50-100 for a fin set is more than a drop in the bucket for most of us, especially in this economy. So how can we justify pulling cash away from our "New Board Fund" to invest in fins?

How can we afford not to? If we only have one or two fin sets for our quiver, there is no way we are getting the best performance out of all of our boards. Surfers will spend $80-100 on a board bag to protect their $650 board, so why settle for the base model fin set? That would be like getting a car cover for your Porsche but buying cheap tires. You select your board based on performance, right? So give it fins that will perform!

Another motive to invest in fins is to re-invent an old board. By switching up the fin on an older board you can breathe new life into it and fall in love all over. The best part is that the fin will be with you long after the board is put out to pasture. Fins will last you a lifetime as long as they are not left on you bumper, surfed without a fin screw, ridden into a reef, sold, or "borrowed" by your son's friends.

The surf conditions are constantly changing, why wouldn't you want to adapt to those changes? Here is a fin set that Futures has developed to help you get inspired.

Beautiful Stained Glass Fins

I just got off the phone with Sarah over at Rainbow Fins and we were discussing the stained glass fins they have been making. They have produced over 870 of these stunning works of art and are only in their second season of producing them. While the technique remains somewhat of a mystery, it is obvious that each fin is a unique piece that can be admired with or without a surfboard. These are functional pieces of surfing equipment that your wife won't make you keep in the garage. The fins can be custom made to match a board, and some surfers/art collectors have had boards made to match the fins. Sarah told me that they have made a special stained glass fin piece to be used as the open sign at Surfy Surfy, a surf shop in Leucadia opening May 1, 2010. I think I'll have to make a morning run to Beacon's just to check that out.

Here are a few of Sarah's favorite fins.

What fin is right for my surfboard?

There will never be a hard and fast formula to perfectly match surfboards with surfboard fins. Surfing is an individual sport that is purely based on personal preference. That being said, there are a few rules to know when attempting to narrow your search.

1. A large, wide fin will generally be more stable, but be difficult to turn.

2. Narrow fins with a vertical temple will generally be easier to turn, but less stable.

3. Single fin surfboards have less drag when travelling in a straight line.

4. Side fins which toe in toward the nose of the surfboard will turn easier, however this creates drag when travelling in a straight line.

5.When sizing up a single fin, the general rule of thumb is one inch per foot of board length. (9ft board, gets a 9 inch fin)

These very basic concepts should help you narrow your fin search, but remember, there is no substitution for trying new fins.