Fins cost SO much

> 10 years ago
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dutchy1985
dutchy1985
213 posts
213 posts
28 Oct 2009 9:19am
Does anyone want to explain to me why kiteboard fins or FCS fins are worth $90?

i'm going to have to start polishing people's shoes at the train station on the way home from work to afford this sh!t if I keep breaking them.

Are they owned by the DeBeers Cartel who dump huge shipping containers of fins in the bottom of the ocean every year to curb supply and keep the prices high?

Are fins 'a guy's best friend'
Are fins supposed to be 'forever' because mine certainly don't last that long.
Are they made from some sort of plastic that has a better 'refractive index', 'toughness', and 'specific gravity' than any other type of plastic.

What is going on here?!?!?
milko
milko
NSW
604 posts
NSW, 604 posts
28 Oct 2009 12:29pm
Just sneak the wife's good plastic chopping board out to the garage.. and get to work with a saw and a disc sander..they work great
eightfootplus
eightfootplus
NSW
298 posts
NSW, 298 posts
28 Oct 2009 1:37pm
Its called a Monopoly Profit.

But with a bit of effort you can mould your own, especially if you just want a standard fin.

or you could easily buy a bit of balsa, shape to size and laminate with standard polyester and then and and hey presto, woodies!

I made moulds for a concave fin, then I saw that FCS were releasing one, so I scrapped the project and waited, they hit the shops at around $180 for two bits of plastic.

Nowdays I kite more than I surf so I havnt bothered to resurect the project. And I have about a dozen fins hanging around from broken boards.

8ft+
sbray
sbray
SA
350 posts
SA, 350 posts
28 Oct 2009 2:21pm
dutchy1985 said...

Does anyone want to explain to me why kiteboard fins or FCS fins are worth $90?

Are fins supposed to be 'forever' because mine certainly don't last that long.
Are they made from some sort of plastic that has a better 'refractive index', 'toughness', and 'specific gravity' than any other type of plastic.


Here is a supplier in the US.

http://www.omnitech-engineering.com/fins/default.asp

but the lead time to get them here is long.

There are often Australian made fins for sale on Ebay

Shaping your own fins can be a pain in the butt, especially having to end up with 4 the same

Or, as I have done you can cast your own from a known fin shape.

This is a good start to DIY fins;
www.blacksail.fr/index.php?rub=MAKING&ssrub=Fins

you will have to translate the french... try google translate.

For casting Supplies I use Adelaide Molding & Casting (you can purchase online)
www.amcsupplies.com.au/catalogue/

I would be surprised if there were not Australian suppliers who could better $90 per fin!

Cheers
Fossil
theDoctor
theDoctor
NSW
5786 posts
NSW, 5786 posts
28 Oct 2009 2:57pm
our local surf-fashion store(complete with zit faced, pierced and tattooed 'hoz it goin bra' phuktard) has 'homebrand' fcs for thirty bucks, they lack the inside foil but, hey... you ain't slater
Idiot
Idiot
WA
577 posts
WA, 577 posts
28 Oct 2009 2:26pm
I used to have a board (famous brand) and the fins used to break every 2 months then some one stole my board.
Now I have a cheap anti G board and the fins are bullet proof fiber glass.

Apparently they made their own fins and it has their logo on it.
Their boards are too heavy but fins are good.
BigAirPaul
BigAirPaul
QLD
140 posts
QLD, 140 posts
28 Oct 2009 5:41pm
Yeah, the cops busted me for speeding and it cost a packet...

Oh sorry, fins !!!
lemo87
lemo87
QLD
130 posts
QLD, 130 posts
28 Oct 2009 6:17pm
^^^

I read exactly the same thing. Long day, yeh, that is all
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