G'day,

I'm trying to learn to surf my Sunova One 10ft. I'm 78 kgs and six foot, 60 years young.

At the moment I can catch a wave and go pretty much straight, I'm yet to get back and throw a turn in but that is the next step.

The stock fins on the Sunova are pretty basic, they are plastic and quite flexible. It's an entry level board after all. Thinking it could only be beneficial to throw on some decent fins plus I could always move them to the next board. Any thoughts on what type and size? I read that Quobba is meant to be good as well as FCS. The fins at the moment are quite large - 200mm high for centre and 120 mm high for side fins.

Thanks

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Reddo said..
I read that Quobba is meant to be good as well as FCS.

Now that's close to an insult :-)
Quobba are so much better than FCS fins (wrt speed and hold), that they are not in the same category.

Plastic fins on the sunova ??where did u get it ?

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Reddo said..
go pretty much straight, I'm yet to get back and throw a turn in

This said, the most important thing now is to move on your board, and especially get back to turn.

No fin is going to make the board turn for you, and if you do not move you will not feel the difference between fins anyways.

Ok thanks guys. I got the board from WSS Manly, they have a really good name so I'm sure they'd be the correct fins.
They are definitely plastic, you can bend them in your hand. As the One is an entry level Sunova board I'm guessing this is just a cost cutting measure which is understandable I've got no problem just buying a new set of fins as then I won't have anything else to blame my crap performance on!

Any suggestions as to size would be appreciated. I come from a sailing background and have zero idea about all this! At the moment the centre fin looks huge compared to my partner's Mana. Is there any fin sizing that is better for a beginner to learn on?

Wot price was board in a ball park figure

Wot price was board

About $1800

Some classic options:

www.glidefins.com/collections/wayne-lynch-series/products/wayne-lynch-wls-7-1-2-wlss-3-1-4
Made in Torquay VIC. Wayne Lynch shape.
or
shaperssurf.com/6-5-4-0-channel-islands-mid-fin-dual-tab-natural/
or
Pieter Surfboards. Aussie made fibreglass fins. He's based in Newcastle. Heaps of options. Talk to him... 0412833787.

Everyone has an opinion on fins... i'd go fibreglass as a priority. 2+1 is perfect for that board and gives you the opportunity to move the centre fin fore/aft so you get an understanding / feeling as to what moving a fin around does. As you progress your surfing you may go big sides (L Thruster size) with a slightly smaller centre (M thruster size). But TBH leave that for a while.

Good luck.

Hi Reddo,

It's not necessary to spend the money on something like Quabba's for the ONE.... it's not a performance board and the benefits will be meaningless.

On my ONE 10'2, I use a thruster setup, with 3 fins all around 5"s
This is a good combo for surf or flat-water.
It tracks well for paddling and allows for easier turning in the surf.

Just buy a moderately priced medium to large thruster set

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Reddo said..
They are definitely plastic, you can bend them in your hand.

Some flex in fins is not bad, it is even better for learning as it makes the board more tolerant to mistakes.

At what I understand of your level, your money would be MUCH better spent on a good paddle than on fins, most of the time beginners do not realize how much a good paddle is important, especially for the joints.

Thanks Fellas!
All sorted, got a set of 5inch thrusters as you suggested Creek. Nothing too expensive. Good to go now.

Cheers

Hi Reddo. Don't be discourage by The One being called a basic board. I have owned the starboard whopper, the Sonova wedge, The one , the starboard wide body,and now back to the The Sonova One again. It is a great board in the surf. I go to Noosa, Happy Valley and Anne Street to surf and I love it. Yes it is a tad harder to turn but great to catch waves. Simply step back on the board. Just a guess is that a Tornado your sailing . I sailed them in World titles years ago. Jeff R

Reddo, when you say you come from a sailing background, does that include windsurfing? As SUPs go, the One is one of the best light wind wavesailing boards I have ridden. Just like surfing the One, it is not going to be great at ripping vertical turns off the lip, but it is easy to sail, easy to catch waves, and is surprisingly loose and mobile on the wave face. If you have windsurfed much, it would be a great way to develop your surfing skills. Ideal conditions would be 7-12 mph winds and knee to waist high surf with a 5.0 to 5.5 sail. If the wind picks up a little, the One planes better than any of the other seven SUPs I have sailed. The Sunova mini-mast-tracks are superior to the screw in inserts on other brands, but is still vulnerable to ripping out in overhead surf. Also, the fin boxes are not as reinforced as on windsurf boards, so avoid the temptation to put in a large windsurf type of center fin. From my experience, the new 5 inch thruster set you got should work just fine. I tried to attach a photo of me planing on the One with a 5.3 sail in a 18 knot squall.

reddo, the ONE comes with plastic fins ex-factory now. Baically because of the lower price point. I would sell them and get a nice single fin like a 10.5" greenough 4A in volan glass. Dean , (Sunova N.Z.)