I'm curious about thruster side fin fin toe-in set ups for a kiting on a surfboard. I ride a (strapless) surfboard that I had made with a slightly more durable glass (6oz top and bottom). It works really well in most conditions we get in NSW, and equally is a great board to surf in waves 3-6 foot. It's a custom PCC iQ+.
The fin set-up is optimised for surfing and not kiting. I find that at higher speed forehand bottom turns the board can release. As our turns are generally at higher speed and more drawn out (than surfing), would it make sense to have less toe-in for side fins?

Yeah i reckon would be worth a shot for sure and has merit. Always a bit of drag in that area. Will probably depend too on your planshape and how it sits on the tail rocker too and all works together. If only they still made swivel fins would be perfect to test. (i've been shaping/ kiting 20yrs)

Toe in will make it turn better too. They look weird though when you first see it.

I surf backhand with a slightly wider stance than forehand, no idea why it just happens. So I my rear foot is closer to the back of the board and in a better position to drive on my backhand.
try a slightly shorter board, with more heavily rolled rails.

Sometimes when using 1 layer of 6oz on the bottom and 2 on the top it twists the blank as the resin sets. Can give totally different turning characteristics left or right.

"As our turns are generally at higher speed and more drawn out (than surfing)" -I think this is your key statement. When riding powered up on a kite you can draw out long bottom turns and carry your speed up the wave. To this paddle in surfing, you'd need either a very large and powerful wave or you'd need to pump your thruster once you leave the pocket. The whole success of the thruster is the speed you can quickly generate especially on a steep wave face; ie, in the pocket and barrel. When I kite walled, beach break I prefer a quad. For point/reef where I'm using the kite very little, then I prefer thruster set ups. You should definitely install a 5 fin box set up to see if that helps. You might also try a smaller fin set on the thruster to see if that will allow for more rail in water on those long drawn out turns. The less toe, the less lift, but also less drag so on a big wave gun, there is less toe than on a 6'0": but you aren't loading the fins in the same way either, so unless you've really toed in your front's, I can't see the improvement being as great as say changing the area or foil of the fin and/or quad set up. You might find it worthwhile to install a fin system that allows for some fore-aft movement as I've noticed this helps when paddle surfing to get the sweet spot.

Boards break. fins first on landing to sea weed- quick re vert. No more fins!

there is no bounce feel drive, when your outside thruster fins aim toward the front of an aircraft carrier at right angles. Toe in fins, 6 oz glass, twisted board. That's big wave surfing.

get on a plane quick- chase the storm. 6 and an 8?

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Milesp said..
I'm curious about thruster side fin fin toe-in set ups for a kiting on a surfboard. I ride a (strapless) surfboard that I had made with a slightly more durable glass (6oz top and bottom). It works really well in most conditions we get in NSW, and equally is a great board to surf in waves 3-6 foot. It's a custom PCC iQ+.
The fin set-up is optimised for surfing and not kiting. I find that at higher speed forehand bottom turns the board can release. As our turns are generally at higher speed and more drawn out (than surfing), would it make sense to have less toe-in for side fins?

Yes it would, fairly sure that BWS stallion has this feature. Toe in of fins is for manouverability, more toe more turn but less drive. With a kite you have all the power you want and the kite can pull you through a turn when you need it to so I think its a great idea.

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undertow said..
Yeah i reckon would be worth a shot for sure and has merit. Always a bit of drag in that area. Will probably depend too on your planshape and how it sits on the tail rocker too and all works together. If only they still made swivel fins would be perfect to test. (i've been shaping/ kiting 20yrs)

I have seen a finbox with this feature about 10 years ago and know the guy that concieved it but it didnt make it into mass production. To achieve a similar result you can play with the splay angle of the fin. There is a brand of fin box called Pro-box that allows you to do this. I think changing from a flat inside foil side fin to a double foil side fin would probably achieve a similar result too.

yeah, always thought a more parallel fin set up would favour kiting, esp a quad and vanguard Vader type boards
which I have on my deltas, couldn't be happier

For research - shave down your fcs tabs and pack them out with shims.
You can adjust cant and splay (toe in) in this manner.
Riding every day overcomes average fin setups though as you can overcome these subtleties !