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Where to place the fin on a longboard...

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  • 28-08-2010 5:33pm
    #1
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭


    just out of curiosity, where do you longboarders usually place your middle fin, up front, or all back?

    I have mine in the middle... (on a westbay longboard...)


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    #2
    aongo
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 79 ✭✭aongo


    one of these questions with no B&W answer i'm afraid - depends on board, tail, rails, shape (fin & tail), size (fin & tail) and prob loads of other factors i'm unaware of...!

    generally though (using a single fin in your longboard as an example), shoving the fin to the front of the box (i.e. towards the nose) loosens the board (i.e. makes it slightly more skate-y (insofar as possible on a longboard)) as there is more tail & rail behind the fin to pivot about...
    pushing the fin back has the opposite effect, board should become more stable but have good drive out of long drawn-out turns as the fin and tail/rails are closer and better at working together.

    this changes slightly when you go 2+1 (i.e. use small longboard side fins or "sidebites" alongside your main fin... here you are better off having the main fin close(ish) to the sidebits for maximum effect... if your main fin is all the way down at the bottom of the box, then you loose the drive of the 2+1 setup if fins are too far apart.

    generally "single" is good to go for on a smaller day for nice pivoting turns from the tail, and 2+1 for the wall-ier days for the extra hold that the sidebites provide, with more rail based turns.
    with 2+1 you don't need as large a main fin, as the drive comes from the sidebiters too

    again though, this depends on a lot of factors including rider preference... my advise is head out a a reasonable day with lots of waves: shove the fin forward and go for a few waves, then back to the beach, pull the fin back a half-inch and go for a few waves, repeat as necessary to find the position you like best... you might find like that there is not a massive amount of difference at all!

    to make this process a bit easier, you can buy a special fin screw for your log that has a thumb tab for opening it instead of a screw head so technically you could adjust it in the water

    hope this helps!


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    #3
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭seachto7


    cool.

    I have a westbay viper performance longboard. I placed the middle fin in the middle of the box today, (it has 2 side fins as well).

    It was my first time taking it out today, so had some teething problems. I notice the difference between this board and a 10ft log. This board seems more responsive. Waves were glassy today too, but not very powerful, so it was hard enough actually getting to ride a wave for an extended period of time..

    Might see if I can pick up a 10ft log with 1 fin over the winter to add to my collection of ........errrr......... one board........

    I have defo settled on longboards.....!!:cool:


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