I was wondering if anyone has any input on fins for the Sunova Speeed. This would be for a new 8'10" that I have coming next week. I weigh 165 lbs (75 kilos), and will be using the board in mostly small knee to shoulder high waves. I need to buy some fins for this board, and would love to learn from anyone's experience.

Pretty sure the Speeed comes supplied with a decent set of fins

What size fins did you get?

Speeed comes with good fins already. I have 2 Sunovas - a 7'11 Speeed and the 8'3" Soul and the fins are great. With most other brands I have changed the fins before is used the board as they were crap.

Good luck with your new board. You should be pleased.

The stock fins that come with the Speeed work great and are very good quality.

But...... they are SUPER thin for speeed.
So thin, they made me nervous.... I sanded them to make them less sharp, but I really wasn't comfortable with them.
They would slip nicely to the bone.

So, I bought some 3D Moonrrakkerr XDS 7.0 Green Twin Tab fins.
They are dimpled and very sexy.... plus, not as thin and sharp.

Today was the first outing.... waves were fun, but soft.....
I am trying to go more vertical in my old age, but it's been a while, so progress is just ok.

Missed that you do not have your board yet. Fins should be included. I asked what size because my 8'5" came with 94 sides and an 83 center and I'll bet the 8'10" comes with bigger. At your weight you'll definitely want a smaller set.

Highly recommend Moonrakerrs - suggest you start with the 7.0s ..

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LordKuz said..
Highly recommend Moonrakerrs - suggest you start with the 7.0s ..

Oops! Wrong board...but correct fins. I have used 3Ds on my Speeeds and Acids... in all three sizes. Ideal size for my weight of 76kg on the 8'5" Speeed, is the 5.0 - also use the same on the 7'11", as there is not a major difference. I DO like the standard Sunova fins however - and dont really feel that they are too thin - in fact I only went to Moonrakers to get something a bit thinner and lighter - with a lot more flex.

baddog, I'm pretty sure that Sunova matches the stock fins to rider size.
My 8'10 came with "99" sides which, I believe, were selected to match my 98 kg
so they would be different for each rider, if they were ordered knowing rider weight.

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supthecreek said..
The stock fins that come with the Speeed work great and are very good quality.

But...... they are SUPER thin for speeed.
So thin, they made me nervous.... I sanded them to make them less sharp, but I really wasn't comfortable with them.
They would slip nicely to the bone.

So, I bought some 3D Moonrrakkerr XDS 7.0 Green Twin Tab fins.
They are dimpled and very sexy.... plus, not as thin and sharp.

Today was the first outing.... waves were fun, but soft.....
I am trying to go more vertical in my old age, but it's been a while, so progress is just ok.

I think I'll call you "Verti-creek"

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supthecreek said..
baddog, I'm pretty sure that Sunova matches the stock fins to rider size.
My 8'10 came with "99" sides which, I believe, were selected to match my 98 kg
so they would be different for each rider, if they were ordered knowing rider weight.

Grabbed a demo board and some fins... Never brought them back

As far as I know, Sunova offer 3 main fin sizes (excluding long board fins etc.) for their SUPs which are generally correlated to both rider weight & the size of your board i.e. 83's (base & height ~4.5") / 94's (base & height ~4.75") & 105's (base & height ~5")....I'm not certain about the exact sweep angle.

The fins are good quality + nice & stiff. If you have any preferences, I'm pretty sure you can request your own configuration (e.g. smaller centre fin) when you place an order.

As a reference, the 3D 7's fit in between the 83's & 94's however they seem to have a bit more flex at the tip. I hope that helps?

Thanks SUPing, perfect pic: I'll have to check out the 3Ds.

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SUPing said..
As far as I know, Sunova offer 3 main fin sizes (excluding long board fins etc.) for their SUPs which are generally correlated to both rider weight & the size of your board i.e. 83's (base & height ~4.5") / 94's (base & height ~4.75") & 105's (base & height ~5")....I'm not too sure about the sweep but it doesn't look too pronounced.

The fins are good quality + nice & stiff & I'm sure if you have any preferences, you can request your own configuration (e.g. smaller centre fin) when you place an order.

As a reference, the 3D 7's fit in between the 83's & 94's & they seem to have a bit more flex at the tip. I hope that helps?

That's a good feed back to me... out the fact that those SUNOVA are very completed shapes up to fins prescription.

I really like the feel of a large centre fin, easier for tracking and for me its more suited to my style of riding and the the smaller, mellow swell we get around here. Whats the biggest sz you think would work in the centre without compromising the design of the Speed to much

I personally haven't tried 94 sides with a 105 centre on my 8'5 Speeed however I think any 3 of the Sunova (or comparable) size fins would work well depending on what you want to get out of your board. Bottom line....it really comes down to personal preference combined with rider weight + the size of your board + pervailing conditions

Thanks to everyone for your input. Suping, your photos along with descriptions were perfect. Just so you can understand where my question was coming from; my new board was ready to ship, but there were no fins available at that time. Since I was anxious to get my hands on the the Speeed as soon as possible (standard excitement over a new board), I okayed shipping the board without fins; hence my question about what fins might work well. Based in part on everyone's input here, I have ordered a set of the 3D 7s, and based on Supings description and pictures, and my weight at 75 kilos, the 3D 7s should work well. Thanks all.

No worries - you can't go wrong with either the Sunova factory fins nor the 3D's however for anyone else in a similar situation to obijohn, other options include the GMB Large (not as much sweep however they are nice & stiff) &/or the ARC Large (former Al Merrick 2's which is a tried & tested template which are very similar in shape & size to the 3D's however they feel a fraction stiffer). IMO - fins with a bit of sweep (35 degrees on the 3Ds / 36 degrees on the ARCs & I'm guessing the Sunova factory fins are in the same ball park) work a treat on a board like the Speeed.

Thanks Suping, really appreciate the detailed info, and especially pictures of the fins side by side. Since you are helping out, I have another question.
Do you, or anyone else, have any insights as far as fins for windsupping on the Speeed. My plan would be to switch from paddle to sail on the Speed when the wind hits about 5 to 10 mph, and by the time it hits about 15, I would move on to my light wind windsurfing wave board at 84 liters. I would not be using the Speed for flat water sailing at all, just in surf. My only experience windsupping in surf was using bigger fins; 5" thrusters with 5 ¾" center, or 2+1 with an 8" center, or just a single 8 ¼". I am wondering how these smaller 4 ¾" fins will work at getting me back upwind after each wave. I have not found a lot of fins that fit the FCS X-2 system that are 5" or larger. I was thinking about the Sunova 105 fin set? Again, this would not be for SUP, but just for windsup in order to have enough grip to schlog upwind efficiently.

No problem. I'm certainly no expert on windsupping however it makes sense that you need slightly bigger fins which are pretty stiff. I know for example you can get HI-1 Large fins (B4.90" x H5.2" with 32.4 sweep) however I'm not too sure about the flex. I've previously tried GL-1 Large fins (B4.45 x H5.32") on my longboard SUP however they come standard with a box fin which is obviously no good for the Speeed + I found them to have quite a bit of flex at the tip. I'm sure another Seabreezer will be better placed to steer you in the right direction otherwise the best option is to also get a set of Sunova 105s. Good luck

Apologies obijohn - another good option which I should have mentioned are VP fins which you can read about on the thread below:

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/New-VP-COMBO-Sup-Fins/

The V8's could be the go for your windsupping however you will need to contact Piros directly - cheers

Having started this topic, here is the latest update. Since the board is still very new to me, having only ridden it about 8 days, much of my conclusions may just be getting used to the board, but here is what I have done with fins so far.
Originally my new 8'10" came without the usual fins that came with the board. My choice, since it allowed me to get the board a week earlier, and Sunova was fantastic about sending me the fins once they were available; great customer service. I started out with a set of 3D 7's as shown above (4 ¾ thrusters and 4 ½ center). These worked fine, but I felt like a wanted more drive out of the turns, and at the same time I wanted a looser feel. My previous board is an 8'11" Fanatic AllWave which I ran with the stock 5" thrusters and a tiny 3" trailer fin set all the way forward in the box. With this in mind, I had asked Sunova to send a set of 105s (5") when the fins were available. Yesterday I put the Sunova 5" thrusters in front, and a 3 ½ trailer fin, which worked much better for me; more drive and yet looser. I wanted to increase the feeling of looseness, so I put in a rear fin that was still 3 ½, but with less base and chord. Basically the leading edge of the two fins were identical, but the trailing edge of the second fin was about ?" further forward to make the trailing fin looser. This seemed to work great, so for now in small waves, thats what I am planning to use.
I would love any feedback about this idea, both relating to the fin arrangement, and to how technique may relate. I should add that I am about 165 lbs (75 kilos), and have only been wave supping for about a month, though I have surfed for 50+ years and wavesailed for 30+ years.

Hey John..I think you are on the right track - and basically give it time with experimentation and getting used to various set ups and fins. I am the same weight... but ride the two sizes below you. The 8'5 and the 7'11" .. I am finding more and more.. that I prefer the smaller 3D fins...5.0 centre and 4.0 sides... and have utilized a couple of sets of quad sets - swapping and changing. All good fun .... I think you can research and get advice...but it will get down to your own personal experience and preference. The whole issue of fins is an old one...... and can drive you crazy. I long for the days of nothing by single fins! (even then, we had extended debates on shapes and sizes!):D

Hi all ...

So i really have not much knowledge on fins but I've just picked up my 8.10 speed and loving it ...BUT coming from my airborne I'm used to having a board a tad looser..

What would i be best to start trying ??

Cheers ..

Definitely don't take this post as coming with any authority, but here is my limited understanding and observations at this point. I read that Bert designed his thruster setups to be ridden "Simon Anderson style", meaning that if the fins are going to be different sizes, the center fin should be smaller; opposite of a 2+1 set up. As noted above, I have been reducing the size of the trailer fin from 4.5, down to 3.6, and then to a 3.5 with less base and chord, and it does seem to loosen the board up for my weight in smaller waves.
The other big thing that I am learning on this board is how sensitive it is to rear foot placement. As Burt points out in his video, the rail line ahead of the "hip" is fairly straight, so if your rear foot is along this part of the rail, the board is designed to carry speed down the line, more climbing and dropping than turning. If I consciously reach back and get my rear foot right on the hip, the board cranks a nice tight turn with tons of drive and acceloration. This is very different from other boards that I have ridden that have a more continuous curve in the rail outline, making the turning radius much less sensitive to foot position. At least for me and my muscle memory from other boards, the length of the 8'10' combined with the location of the hip, means that it feels like a pretty far reach to get my rear foot far enough back to get a good turn, but the board really gives me positive feedback in terms of tighter turns with tons of drive if I do. Even with the above, I would not use the word "loose" to describe how this board turns for me, so much as drive and carve.
Be sure to let us know what you try , and how it works out.

Thanks 4 the reply OBI ...

I get that same feeling and are prob not getting to the back of the kick pad .... Gonna try and really get down there this wend and see how that goes //

Loving this board so far ...