n00b fins and rocker questions

[L0v3S0ng4n01]

I took a couple surfing lessons 2 years ago and then never got the chance to get out enough to learn. so this summer i've been going out quite a bit in hopes of getting better.

anyway here are my q's

just out of curiosity..

i didn't see this on the main part of the site. what is there to know about fins? the legnths of them obviously have to do with speed i would guess.. but what about the thickness and way they are attached to the board. is there a certain kind of locking method that is better than another or does it just depend on the size and stregnth of waves you'll be riding?

lol.. and the last one. what is the rocker? is that the front of the board where it slopes up and comes to a point? hahah. going into this im trying to learn all the terminology and anatomy in hopes that book knowledge + getting out and surfing every day will make it click faster.

thanks

[Brent]

everybody has an opinion on fins. It's a hot topic.
Personally. I use FCS fins. They are available world-wide, you can walk into almost any surf shop on the planet and buy them. Some people say they are fragile, they've dropped their boards on a rock and snapped them off at their mounts within the board and trashed a perfectly good board in the process. I have never done this so I don't have an opinion.

There are a number of website explaining surfboard fins, their design and suitability for different surfboard designs (what works best with a fish or a longboard for example) , also hydrodynamics comes into it...you name it. Just fire up Google & learn for yourself.

[kieran]

FCS fins are fragile but good for travelling. Two of my friends have quite easily snapped them just wiping out

I have futures on my board. The slots are glassed into the board, the fins slot in and held into place using grub screws.

If you turn the board so the rails are facing you the curve of the board is the rocker

[jonny]

were you talking shortboard or longboard fins by the way?

[kieran]

Shortboard

[jonny]

sorry mate - I meant was L0v3S0ng4n01 talking longboard or shortboard.

I guessed you were :D

[roxyx3]

my nsp board came with fins..i really dont know much bout them i just bothered the ppl in the surf shop :p

[L0v3S0ng4n01]

yeah i was just wondering about any kind of fins short board or long, i have both. and i've bought fins for both of them but i was just wondering about the dynamics of the fins relative to performance.

thanks, i was pretty sure that was what the rocker is. =)