I've tried heaps of different fins with my boards and interested to hear what others are using so thought it would be cool to comment with your board size inc volume, your weight and fins used
I'll start off: deep 7-10 x 27.5 x 4 at 94 litres, I weigh 75 kg, using fcs 2 performer pc carbon in xl size as thruster...

Loz I use VP fins..V8 at front and V6 on rear on my Minion 7'8 , 115L
Chur

I have a Deep Minion 7'4 and use large Shapers Quad-E - loosened up a loose board and made it skatey!
I have a Sunova Acid 8'11 and use FCS Nexus H-3 Large - work really well - fast, grippy and drivey!
@85kg

Hey loz,

Fanatic Prowave 8'9' x 29.5 116l rider: 88kg have been using Firewire futures as a quad recently, thanks to recommendation from Zeusman. Great for fast waves with a bit of grunt - good drive and grip. Just changed back to thruster set-up - kinda feels 'playful' - easier to surf backhand for me

See some of my setups for small waves at www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/short-and-wide/?page=-2#1941915

I am 95-100kg, and I basically favor C-Drive for shorter wide boards (<7'), when you surf a lot but loading/unloading power on the legs for pumping skate-like in turns, all in accelerations.
And and longer (> 7'6") boards, I tend to favor small, more hydrodynamic (fluid feeling, with inner foils) fins to drive more the board by its rails, such as the FCS Nexus.

I tend to mix C-Drive fronts and nexus rears on boards in the 7'0"-7'6" range

On wide tails, I find that a 5-fins setup is very interesting: you mix the performance of thruster and quad setup, while suppressing their specific drawbacks for wide tails: floating between turns for the quad, tail slippage for the thruster.
I like a thruster setup on narrow tails, quad on medium tails, and five fins (or a twin fin setup, with fins close to the tail) on wide tailed boards.

I also must say I am impressed by the FCS2 system: the fins are much better hold in the boxes than FCS1 or Future, you do not have the slight lateral flex at the base. And the FCS2 line of fins seems of very high quality (but I have only the performer model). My 7'4"x28", narrow tailed board for hollow conditions has a thruster set of XL Performer on FCS2 boxes, and seem perfect for me.
On a board with FCS2 boxes, between a set of snugly fit FCS2 performers, or my beloved C-Drives, but with a looser FCS1 fitting... I chose the Performers.

Select to expand quote

colas said...
See some of my setups for small waves at www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/Review/short-and-wide/?page=-2#1941915

I am 95-100kg, and I basically favor C-Drive for shorter wide boards (<7'), when you surf a lot but loading/unloading power on the legs for pumping skate-like in turns, all in accelerations.
And and longer (> 7'6") boards, I tend to favor small, more hydrodynamic (fluid feeling, with inner foils) fins to drive more the board by its rails, such as the FCS Nexus.

I tend to mix C-Drive fronts and nexus rears on boards in the 7'0"-7'6" range

On wide tails, I find that a 5-fins setup is very interesting: you mix the performance of thruster and quad setup, while suppressing their specific drawbacks for wide tails: floating between turns for the quad, tail slippage for the thruster.
I like a thruster setup on narrow tails, quad on medium tails, and five fins (or a twin fin setup, with fins close to the tail) on wide tailed boards.

I also must say I am impressed by the FCS2 system: the fins are much better hold in the boxes than FCS1 or Future, you do not have the slight lateral flex at the base. And the FCS2 line of fins seems of very high quality (but I have only the performer model). My 7'4"x28", narrow tailed board for hollow conditions has a thruster set of XL Performer on FCS2 boxes, and seem perfect for me.
On a board with FCS2 boxes, between a set of snugly fit FCS2 performers, or my beloved C-Drives, but with a looser FCS1 fitting... I chose the Performers.

That's great information Colas, thanks for your input!!...Would you say then maybe I could go smaller with my fcs2 performers, could I be over finned? I'm using xl too but am 75kg... One other thing of note is the fcs xl performer is the same size as the shapers L carbon stealth....

Select to expand quote

Loz79 said..
That's great information Colas, thanks for your input!!...Would you say then maybe I could go smaller with my fcs2 performers, could I be over finned? I'm using xl too but am 75kg... One other thing of note is the fcs xl performer is the same size as the shapers L carbon stealth....

I guess that on a 7'10" x 27", at 75kg the XL Performers may be too big, going smaller will probably make the shape come alive.

In FCS, your size should be "M". You could try to buy a M set, that could complement your XLs:
- all M for normal waves, for surfing more with the rails
- XL front, M rear for when you want to pump agressively, such as in small waves
- M front, XL rear for safety in big waves
The beauty of the FSC2 system is that it is so easy to change fins...

I had once a set of Gerry Lopez fins that were huge (nearly the size of MR twin-fins), but they "choked" the 8'10" Gerry Lopez board I put them on. Too big. I must say I was lured by the name, aren't we all? :-)

81kegs, 8' Jimmy Lewis WW
SO i keep switching between quad and thruster, got 5 future boxes.
Started with JL std front fins, single side foil quads on rear and a knubster. felt slow and draggy. put my VP v8 fronts in, sped up buit still draggy.
took knubster out, lost the draggy feeling but still not right.
Got a set of Shapers s9 carbon big boy fronts and a 5 fin set of S6 to play with.
So with the s9 front and s6 rear, heaps more drive, heaps more speed, and plenty loose with the small rears. the s6 quad rears are 80/20 and i think feel loads better than a single side foil quad rear. for a succy wave where you need speed - good. realise you gotta stay high and let the quad generate speed, not like a thruster. also for fatter waves seems to feel faster.
Tried the s6 thruster, feels nice on a decent wave, can really generate speed with it, pumping, up and down, fun to ride BUT think a tad small. makes it harder in choppier conditions, harder to get onto waves and i can only get onto waves by hooking on my good side, i.e. toe side/paddle side.
going back to quad easier to paddle, easier to get onto waves, can get on hooking either side, seems to get more drive from start.
just gotta drive n ride it a bit different.
found with quad dont need foot so far back.
sticking to quad for a while unless i go outta town to a better beachey where the thrusters are better.

anyhow, i use the s6 shapers for my kite board and surfboard also, these are sooo much better than all the futures i have tried, have good hold if you want hold, yet loose and can slide out tail if you want, just so much more predictable. other fins i have seem to be like hold hold hold blow out. fully recommend the shapers. only prob is i am forever switching between boards and all the other fins are sliding aroun din the back of the car. first world problems...

Select to expand quote

colas said...

Loz79 said..
That's great information Colas, thanks for your input!!...Would you say then maybe I could go smaller with my fcs2 performers, could I be over finned? I'm using xl too but am 75kg... One other thing of note is the fcs xl performer is the same size as the shapers L carbon stealth....

I guess that on a 7'10" x 27", at 75kg the XL Performers may be too big, going smaller will probably make the shape come alive.

In FCS, your size should be "M". You could try to buy a M set, that could complement your XLs:
- all M for normal waves, for surfing more with the rails
- XL front, M rear for when you want to pump agressively, such as in small waves
- M front, XL rear for safety in big waves
The beauty of the FSC2 system is that it is so easy to change fins...

I had once a set of Gerry Lopez fins that were huge (nearly the size of MR twin-fins), but they "choked" the 8'10" Gerry Lopez board I put them on. Too big. I must say I was lured by the name, aren't we all? :-)

Just ordered a set of mediums so I'll see how they go... Like u say I should have plenty of options then

Select to expand quote

Loz79 said...
I've tried heaps of different fins with my boards and interested to hear what others are using so thought it would be cool to comment with your board size inc volume, your weight and fins used
I'll start off: deep 7-10 x 27.5 x 4 at 94 litres, I weigh 75 kg, using fcs 2 performer pc carbon in xl size as thruster...

Cool Loz, musta missed this thread. Can't afford any more boards in the near future (never! if it was up to the missus), so playing with fins.
8'0" x 29 Minion Quad C Drive XL
8'8" x 30" Deep Hybrid Quad C Drive XL - Thruster on bigger days with Shaper S7 or 9 centre
9'2" x 31 Deep JC C Drive XL Sides with Deep Shaper Centre
10' x 29" Rhinochaser 8" fluid foils centre with futures side bites (one day I'll surf this as a quad I swear)
10'1" x 29 Deep Mal SUP 9" fluid foils single or GLII sides with S7 centre. Looking forward to surfing this as a twin when I can find the right combo.
I constantly chop and change and exchange notes, it really makes it fun.

King's Accelerator 8'4" x 30.75" x 3.75" x 103 liters. Experimenting. Twin fin, five fin, quad with a nub.
Damn. Someday I'll figure out resizing..