Medium vs. Large Fins

[92122]

I've heard different things about too much or not enough fin. In general prefer Futures and have not put any real time on more than 4-5 sets of fins in my surfing life, so could probably just STFU, try more fins, and learn to surf better in general.

That said, Futures Large Fins are spec'd for 165+lbs, and their Mediums up to 175lbs. I am 185-190lbs and have been using the Alpha F6 Medium. While the Thruster felt okay on my 6' 2" hybrid short board, I'm now running the Quad on a 7' Rusty Egg Not. Tail is about 14.5" wide on this board 12" up, which is basically right at the back of the front two fins.



Sometimes the board feels like a dog when turning. I feel like this is likely just me not having my foot far enough back, as sometimes I can get going on a wave, consciously move my feet back, and pump top to bottom well, but the bog is most noticeable on the first / bottom turn. It doesn't slide out and I'm certainly not putting much pressure on these fins compared to a good surfer, but I'm wondering if bigger, and even softer / speed generating fins would do better?

I've heard if you're right near the weight spec cutover from Medium to Large (which I am for these fins) that the smaller fin could be a bit faster and still have plenty of grip since I don't rip turns. Hence why I've stuck with the F6.

Next move would be the F8 Blackstix for the two front fins (they dont make a Quad). Large spec and softer / speed generating flex. I'm a head high and under surfer 95% of the time and may be out in slightly overhead waves from time to time, so I don't see how a miniscule size increase is going to feel much different than the current F6..??..

 

[tedshred5]

IMO it's due to running Alphas - they're essentially like plastic fins. Honeycomb/Blackstix will feel better I'd think.

 

[oeste858]

Same. Throw the alphas away or give them to a grom. Start with stiffer fins, they will be more responsive. I like blackstix in smaller/average waves. Honeycomb or even stiffer techflex, like JJFs, in better waves. Though I see plenty of guys at the local ripping on the JJFs in all conditions.

I’d also agree that you’re probably aren’t getting you’re back foot back far enough over the fins. This happens to me when I go from my 5’10 twins to a bigger 6’4-7’0 mid and get in the trim/ glide mode, surfing the middle from the boar. 6’4 plasmid twin really needs to be turned from the tail, over the slot channel.

If you don’t want to train your foot to find the sweet spot by putting a tailpad on that boar, you can just make a line in the wax where the fins start to give you a better idea where you want to be on turns.

edit: I’m about 180-185 lbs and ride Large fins (if thruster, with Medium center fin), except on a roundpin in good waves, I run Mediums.

 

[Retropete]

IMO it's due to running Alphas - they're essentially like plastic fins. Honeycomb/Blackstix will feel better I'd think.

I'll second what Ted (edit: and Osteo) said. Even the Futures Thermotech are preferable to the Alphas if you weigh more than a pre-teen girl and want value priced fins.

 

[tedshred5]

@92122 I have a Roberts Large 5-fin set for sale in the classifieds if you're interested will give you a good price I'm 185 lbs.

 

[Leonardo]

I weight 175ish-180 and I've been only riding the JJF techflexes on thrusters. Large when is small weak waves. Mediums for good waves when speed is not an issue and you don't have to generate your own with leg work.
No complaints.
Also I've been running the rasta quads from zero feet up to when I ride my padillacs. I love those and they work good in each and every board I try them. As did the Stretch quads for my quads that had fcs system back in the day.

 

[trifish]

I'll just add that if you have a thruster set you like, you could start there as your fronts and experiment with a couple of different rears. It doesn't have to necessarily be a full quad specific set. Sometimes i find it easier to dial things in with just a couple of different rears matched to the box placement. Than adjust size if needed on them. For me its Am2 honeycombs I'm usually grabbing for my fronts (Am1's on narrower/step ups). Than I keep a couple of rears in my board bag.

Rear boxes near rail = Flat Foil
Rear boxes near stringer = 50/50 Foil
Any or everything else/Most versatile = 80/20 Foil

Need more pivot = smaller rears or more upright
Need more hold = larger rears or more raked

Edit* Similar to Leonardo, I go large most the time for small or average days. I drop to med on step ups or narrower tails/better days. I bounce between 175-180

 

[92122]

So I'm seeing a couple trends in the responses:

1) Try anything other than the Alphas and see if it makes a difference in the response.
2) Go Large for smaller surf, but can go a bit smaller for larger / faster waves.
3) Back foot over the fins Kook!

For the record, there is a flat 4-piece pad on this midlength (less wax thank you) and I'm usually feeling it right away when I pop up, but the smaller front pieces are a bit in front of the front fins, so am still slightly off for the first / bottom turn.

 

[Sharkbiscuit]

So I'm seeing a couple trends in the responses:

1) Try anything other than the Alphas and see if it makes a difference in the response.
2) Go Large for smaller surf, but can go a bit smaller for larger / faster waves.
3) Back foot over the fins Kook!

For the record, there is a flat 4-piece pad on this midlength (less wax thank you) and I'm usually feeling it right away when I pop up, but the smaller front pieces are a bit in front of the front fins, so am still slightly off for the first / bottom turn.

Some good stuff that echoes my opinions above. I liked the Futures Jordy Large in small-average surf where speed must be kept, but so far, I like the Blackstix R8 better. A little more spark so far.

IMHO the bigger fin merit in smaller surf is you can generate more speed and you aren't going as fast so it is less prone to feeling sticky/tracky etc.

When I'm on fin that's too small or too upright for my tastes in small surf the whole time I'm like, I should lay back down and paddle some more because pumping isn't doing jack sh!t, and thinking about how nice it would be to trade pivot for speed.

 

[92122]

@92122 I have a Roberts Large 5-fin set for sale in the classifieds if you're interested will give you a good price I'm 185 lbs.

Just bumped your For Sale thread with a response. PM me that "good price" and you may have a sale.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

So I'm seeing a couple trends in the responses:

1) Try anything other than the Alphas and see if it makes a difference in the response.
2) Go Large for smaller surf, but can go a bit smaller for larger / faster waves.
3) Back foot over the fins Kook!

For the record, there is a flat 4-piece pad on this midlength (less wax thank you) and I'm usually feeling it right away when I pop up, but the smaller front pieces are a bit in front of the front fins, so am still slightly off for the first / bottom turn.

The other guys aren't wrong with points 1 and 2, but I doubt you need to be changing fins in the smaller surf you're describing.

My 2cents - that board looks difficult to surf. Quad setup is adding additional variables on top of that.

I think you would have a better go with a 2+1 setup. If you've never ridden that setup there will be an initial learning curve, but the reality is it's much closer to what you're used to coming from a thruster. It will likely allow you a more neutral foot position as well, which is actually what you want with this board. Figure it out in thigh high surf and move on from there.

The quad won't make you a better surfer, the 2+1 setup will.

 

[92122]

The other guys aren't wrong with points 1 and 2, but I doubt you need to be changing fins in the smaller surf you're describing.

My 2cents - that board looks difficult to surf. Quad setup is adding additional variables on top of that.

I think you would have a better go with a 2+1 setup. If you've never ridden that setup there will be an initial learning curve, but the reality is it's much closer to what you're used to coming from a thruster. It will likely allow you a more neutral foot position as well, which is actually what you want with this board. Figure it out in thigh high surf and move on from there.

The quad won't make you a better surfer, the 2+1 setup will.

Could be a board that is "difficult to surf"..??.. Here it is being surfed well, but I cant tell what fin setup is being used.

I have considered getting a single fin for the center, and would probably spec it close to the CI Mid Fins Twin + Trailer specs (which are FCS) which is about a 6.5" single and 4" side bites.

 

[stringcheese]

we can’t rule out the possibility that the board is in fact a dog. 7’0 rusty egg thing, maybe it just sucks.

 

[tedshred5]

Just bumped your For Sale thread with a response. PM me that "good price" and you may have a sale.

PM sent!

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Could be a board that is "difficult to surf"..??.. Here it is being surfed well, but I cant tell what fin setup is being used.

He's riding it as a twin, look around 1:09

we can’t rule out the possibility that the board is in fact a dog. 7’0 rusty egg thing, maybe it just sucks.

The few waves in the video the guy looks lost, then he figures it out.

From there the board looks really sensitive and probably requires a pretty light touch. Maybe it's the twin setup.

The rail usage on some of those cutbacks is impressive.

 

[stringcheese]

looks fun in the video, but i like twin fins. maybe with little longboard side bites for quad back fins with big twins up front if you like less touchy?

 

[flyinraptr]

Curious as to what the general consensus is regarding V2 foil? I've had a few good sessions running med fins (Roberts/Machados) with the V2 foil in smaller surf on a Pyzel Ghost .... haven't had an opportunity yet to try them in larger surf.

 

[trifish]

Curious as to what the general consensus is regarding V2 foil? I've had a few good sessions running med fins (Roberts/Machados) with the V2 foil in smaller surf on a Pyzel Ghost .... haven't had an opportunity yet to try them in larger surf.

More lift. When I used to run my ghost as a dd in winter, I would swap in an AM v2 set on the less energy days. Worked well for helping the board feel more lively in those conditions. For me, a little more flex helped those days also which they had vs the fin construction I usually had in the board (honeycombs).

 

[92122]

He's riding it as a twin, look around 1:09

The few waves in the video the guy looks lost, then he figures it out.

From there the board looks really sensitive and probably requires a pretty light touch. Maybe it's the twin setup.

The rail usage on some of those cutbacks is impressive.

People have said the same about the CI Mid Surfboard. Like you don't want to muscle it through turns, and a light touch will let it run as it should. As I've put more time and got some decent waves on my board I'm starting to feel similar things, and realize that I try and surf it in bad or short waves too often which it isn't made for.

Channel Islands Mid Length Review – Empire Ave

The Channel Islands Mid flows easily, it does most of the work and will help clean up your surfing if you let it. A really fun board to ride.

empireave.com

This isn’t the board for the surfer who just wants to get out there and rip, shred, tear, the Channel Islands Mid is more for the surfer who enjoys the challenge of different boards, the glide of something bigger or is looking for a board that’ll help smooth their surfing out a bit.
The beauty of the board is how much work it does for you, if you let it. It’ll run around a section with a slight push off the bottom, go the highline and you’ll get an immense amount of speed. Having said that, if you try to over-power or ‘force’ it through turns, you’ll come unstuck or heavily catch/bog more often than not.

 

[sdsrfr]

I dont like traction pads on eggs bc it deters me from moving around and feeling with my feet.

my recommendation is:
- remove the traction
- wax it to the nose
- try out a 2+1 as casa suggests.
- once you’ve got an opinion on the 2+1 try out your old fins to see if you like it more or less than the 2+1

single with training wheels (2+1) is very forgiving with foot positions, imo, and teaches you the feels of standing in different places, weighting and unweighting your feet.

ive never ridden an egg with quad, but plenty with 2+1, single, or thruster. Thruster was the most forgiving and 2+1 most interesting to play with moving the fin forwards/backwards in the box.

lastly, dm duffy and ask him nicely for a thruster set of fins if he has some to give away. you don’t need anything special just a nice stiff set in a neutral template to suss things out.