Fins for in-between sized people

[thantthein]

Hey all, new to the forum. Had a question. Im 150lbs which is basically at the high end of small sized fins, and at the low end of medium size fins. I was wondering if there's a huge difference between choosing smalls or mediums for someone who is in-between sizes and should i choose the size based on conditions. Would it make a huge difference? I guess i should add that i'm an intermediate+ surfer working on improving performance, vertical surfing. This is for my groveler and standard shortboard.

[waikikikichan]

What brand and model of fins are you using currently ? Knowing what you like and don't like about them will help us give better recommendations. Also what type of break are you surfing ?

[thantthein]

Using futures AM2. When i got them they were my first set of "good" fins but the store i guess labeled them as size M, come to find out they are truly size large, didn't realize it until a few weeks ago. Good down the line speed. Bottom turns seem drawn out, not as pivot as id like. Sometimes can stall at the lip and lose speed. Surf beach breaks, can be mellow but with the right swell can get powerful and hollow.

[waikikikichan]

Oh great, the AM-2 fin. I can't count the amount of hours I used up explaining to customers switching from a FCS equipped board to a Futures fins board. Don' t ask me why but .......
FCS AM-2 is a MEDIUM fin
Futures Fins AM-2 is a LARGE fin.

But if you want my recommendation for under the lip, vertical snaps, beach break fin. Go with the FCS K-2 in Glass flex. Or the Futures fins HC WCT ( the WCT is the K-2 template, it used to be called the KS before Kelly got sponsored by FCS ).

[benjl]

I too am in this same kind of fin scenario- I weigh about 64 so am at the max end of small and min end of large.

By default most of my boards have had medium fins, except for one that had large fcs GMB fins.

I've never tried a full small set but would imagine just loss in drive and hold but more pivotal or faster turns?
I find the drive and turning of the medium fins that I've tried seems to be fine for me- currently using fcs k3 fins after m5's.

What else would I gain from going smaller? Would the board paddle any better or be faster in small waves?

Cheers

[drowningbitbybit]

What else would I gain from going smaller?

A slidier board. That's good if that's what you like (I do), not so great if you want a more stable board with good hold in the bigger stuff.*

Would the board paddle any better

No. Or, at least, negligible. I've heard this so often, but the tiny difference in fin area/angle will make no difference at all at paddling speed. In fact, it may even feel like it's paddling worse because the board will have less drive/lift as the board starts to catch a wave.*

be faster in small waves?

No. You may be able to make it faster by easier pumping up and down the face, but the board will have less drive and in fact be going slightly slower. So there's a trade-off in whether you want to go faster down the line or be able to pump for speed.*


* on shortboards, and with me surfing.

[benjl]

Thanks DBB- just the info I was after! Sounds like there's not a lot I would gain in going smaller at this point. Still being in the (1 year honeymoon phase) of surfing, I probably need all the speed and stability I can get and the majority of the time the waves at my beach are more powerful than not.

Cheers

[thantthein]

Someone recommended WCT fins, couldn't find them so I got the AM3 (size small) and noticed a pretty significant difference going down from the AM2 (Large). I surfed a few days (beach breaks) with varying conditions. A few days it was 3-4ft average but enough power, then a few days where it was 2ft super mushy and walled. These were some of the things i noticed from switching to the smalls. Less drive but not too noticeable , much better turning ability and overall better in the pocket surfing. I'm really interested to test out more fins such as the black stix or when it gets more powerful the tech flex.

I have another board with FCS fins which i had medium fins for and got smalls. I surfed this board on the mushy days and i noticed a subtle difference basically same as what i wrote above, ill be interested to surf it in better conditions and test them again. But in the mean time think I'll stick to the smalls, i found them to be more responsive.

[waikikikichan]

Blackstix are great but expensive. Techflex might be too hard for you to push to get the full benefits. I would really recommend trying the Honeycomb WCT ( rasta colors ) before you try the Blackstix or Tech's. There should be the Futures Fins Test Tree at your local surfshop for you to try them out for free.

WCT-010336RAST-FF-1.JPG (22.76 KiB) Viewed 4498 times

[thantthein]

ok thanks all. waikiki. ill be sure to try them out next chance i get.

[Big H]

I got a set of the wct fins based on this thread and used them for the first time a couple of days ago in Kuta beach breaks 5-7ft. I can't put fins anywhere near their paces but for what it is worth, it was my best session by far on a shortbboard to date. The board felt good and did what I told it to do (bottom and top turns basically)...equipment did not get in the way and it was a rare day as I got every wave I went for and rode them out solidly enough that people might have gotten the idea I knew what I was doing....

[Big H]

Look good too!

[Tudeo]

it was my best session by far on a shortboard to date.

Looks great! What shortboard (dims?) where u using?

[Big H]

6'x20x2 9/16" Diverse Racing Mullet 33.6L

[Big H]

That's a weird question BTW....what does that have to do with anything?

FWIW the board is awesome....EPS from small local factory, (Diverse, locations here and Gold Coast), really buoyant and paddles so well I can catch when lining up with mini mals in the lineup, outside all the other short boarders....fits average conditions at Kuta well, is the board I use there mostly. Board paddles better than any board I have tried under 7'8". Going to get another one from that company in the same material....trying to decide what shape.

[drowningbitbybit]

....EPS from small local factory, (Diverse, locations here and Gold Coast)

Ha! That really is just down the road from me, and I didn't even know it was there! I don't think they've got a shopfront as such, and so I must've driven right past them hundreds of times.
I'll check them out next time I'm looking for a new board (which I'm sure won't be long)

[Tudeo]

That's a weird question BTW....what does that have to do with anything?

Huh?? What's the weirdness in curiousity? As I recall u mainly write here on surfing bigger boards, so excuse me for being curious and asking what u use for shortboard..

[Big H]

Yeah....I'm touchy lately I guess....and it would make sense in terms of the discussion as far as what kind of board works with the fins....crazy week at work making me a little loopy, crazy and aggressive (was outside of my car yelling at another car yesterday and at least 4 public yelling incidents this week, and I'm not going to count the ones at work.....I'm a chef and the attitude & temper that you see in the tv programs of guys like Gordon Ramsay is real....trait of the profession I'm afraid and I happened to find a job that suited who I am perfectly.... )...add to that three beach boyz trying to get me to sell them that board, one of whom was a little aggressive until I cursed him in bahasa (another incident) when I was walking along the beach.....apologize for that Tudeo, it was a valid question. So let me make it up to you....


So anyway, here's the answer....that board is called the Racing Mullet, and here is what they say about it on the website:

The Mullet is a wave catching machine that can be thrown around and punt in the slop or flow down the line when it turns on.

The flat entry rocker and wide nose means this thing picks up any bump in the ocean and gets you in early when its bigger, combine this with the double concave running all the way through and you have a board that gets up and plaining straight away to make the most out of any conditions.

The full outline and wide round tail combined with the 5 fin set up make this the most versatile board going around. Set it up as a thruster in the small stuff to throw around and slide the tail, or change up to a quad for crazy speed and hold on the better days.

This board has volume but don’t be fooled into thinking it is a boat, low rails and thinner foil throughout the board mean this thing will bite and respond when you put it on a rail.

The RM looks like a small wave board but can be ridden in waves up to 6 ft.

So yeah, it paddles faster than anything that I've tried, has a nice shape that seems to stay with you so you can really paddle hard and still be stable....has enough rocker so that digging in isn't an issue, but that comes from being able to get in early too. I have it in EPS / Epoxy, really light with 5oz glass top and bottom...next one I get will have heavier glassing on the deck, been getting cracks and fractures just from riding it....probably due to age too, bought it second hand. Definitely has something special about it; just feels "right".



Pictures

[Tudeo]

No worries

But thanks for the explanation. Sweet board!

And please let me say this to u: Working (too) hard in Bali eats u alive, try to implement some of the Pelan Pelan attitude.

Crazy story of those guys pressing u to sell them the board, normally in Kuta it's the other way around: they harass u to buy something

[Big H]

All I have to say is this....you should have seen me in Chicago!

This IS laid back.....just how I roll....