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.
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.
