I've just ordered my first custom longboard. I've only ever owned one other so my experience in them is pretty limited, and my previous board had a glassed in fin so there was no experimentation possible.

Im getting a 9'6" mainly for smallish waves. I'm getting a wider nose to help with my non-existent nose riding, so that is an ambition.

But I am also getting a bit more tail rocker cause anyone who has lived or surfed in the Southwest knows it can get solid and I may stuff up the quiver when I get down the beach and that longboard may go out in some heavy double head high plus waves.

I am trying to figure out a good all rounder fin that can handle some juice and size.

I have a fair bit of experience on lots of different sized single fins and widowmakers and 2+1 midlengths, so I am extrapolating a lot of that experience and fin knowledge, but I want your learned opinions please.

i tend to think I like these types of fins:





But I think one of these type of shapes might be what I need:






Just a general guide on a suitable style of fin would be good.


cheers

glide x seems popular on all rounder type boards ,ie fire ball, here on east coast , maybe think about 3 stringers on custom build for over your way, on double over head seen a few snap mine included and that was on a shore break.

Dbl overhead 9.6 Longboard with plenty of rocker is not my idea of longboarding.
Hey each too their own would of thought gun is what you're looking for.
enjoy the new ride Post the pics when built.
As for fins well the blokes that build your board just about have that wired , meaning I've never felt I've needed to tinker with a McT.
hey jurk circle the fin theory as much as you like, I believe you can put a Real surfer on Anything but micro managing fins before You've even surfed it seems premature.
cheers.

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Cobra said..
Dbl overhead 9.6 Longboard with plenty of rocker is not my idea of longboarding.
Hey each too their own would of thought gun is what you're looking for.
enjoy the new ride Post the pics when built.
As for fins well the blokes that build your board just about have that wired , meaning I've never felt I've needed to tinker with a McT.
hey jurk circle the fin theory as much as you like, I believe you can put a Real surfer on Anything but micro managing fins before You've even surfed it seems premature.
cheers.

Thanks for the friendly and informative advice.

Didn't take long for Mctavish to get a mention. You guys on a retainer?

I have two 8' and two 9'6" guns and a 7'6" mid-length that would be my preferred boards in solid conditions, but sometimes (as I said at the start of the thread) I will be caught out with what is in or on the car.

Its not a heavily rockered longboard, it just has a bit more tail rocker than the model it is based on. He actually has three more models that have more rocker and are more performance biased longboards. I'm not entering contests or winning national titles (multiple national and state titles have been won on his boards) so I am getting a more glide-y, all-rounder. It just needs to handle a bit of size and juice at times.

All I wanted is a bit of guidance on a good all round fin shape as a starting point. I wouldn't have thought that was a circle jerk. I thought I would ask for advice from people with more experience.

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bazz61 said..
glide x seems popular on all rounder type boards ,ie fire ball, here on east coast , maybe think about 3 stringers on custom build for over your way, on double over head seen a few snap mine included and that was on a shore break.

Thanks, Bazz. Much appreciated. That's sort of what I thought.

Yeah, I have beefed up the glass and stringer, but I was thinking I should go to triples. One of my 9'6" guns with triple stringers has copped some huge waves on it and is still intact, yet I saw a 9'1" snapped on a two foot beachie last week.

I think you have given me the impetus - it was just the extra coin that put me off, but triple stringers are a sheet load cheaper than a new board.

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thedrip said..

Cobra said..
Dbl overhead 9.6 Longboard with plenty of rocker is not my idea of longboarding.
Hey each too their own would of thought gun is what you're looking for.
enjoy the new ride Post the pics when built.
As for fins well the blokes that build your board just about have that wired , meaning I've never felt I've needed to tinker with a McT.
hey jurk circle the fin theory as much as you like, I believe you can put a Real surfer on Anything but micro managing fins before You've even surfed it seems premature.
cheers.

Thanks for the friendly and informative advice.

Didn't take long for Mctavish to get a mention. You guys on a retainer?

I have two 8' and two 9'6" guns and a 7'6" mid-length that would be my preferred boards in solid conditions, but sometimes (as I said at the start of the thread) I will be caught out with what is in or on the car.

Its not a heavily rockered longboard, it just has a bit more tail rocker than the model it is based on. He actually has three more models that have more rocker and are more performance biased longboards. I'm not entering contests or winning national titles (multiple national and state titles have been won on his boards) so I am getting a more glide-y, all-rounder. It just needs to handle a bit of size and juice at times.

All I wanted is a bit of guidance on a good all round fin shape as a starting point. I wouldn't have thought that was a circle jerk. I thought I would ask for advice from people with more experience.

Well I haven't mentioned the M brand in here for a longtime due to the fact it seems to upset the mood so I've also reframed from mentioning or even sharing my new board images to keep the peace.
I dont like any of those fins you posted,the first image is close however it needs more base length and thinner tip,also I'd go for 9.5 or a 10 inch fin.I'll find some images and post them,one is a M brand redline fin which I run in all my boards other than the log.
M brand supply fins with each order which you can swap but as Cobra said the maker should know what matches the board,I know some or a lot of brands don't supply fins which can be a personal thing.
Its impossible to give solid advice with the description you gave,wider nose and its 9'6.What tail shape and rails will it have? Will it have side plugs? PS. I'm on deals at M, have been for years just like others in here with other brands,which is part why we are return customers to those brands and rightly so,get looked after you return.

All the black fins are the M redline fin as is the red M fin,the 4A George Greenough is also a great fin.The red Islander fin is good also.

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Macaha said..

thedrip said..

Cobra said..
Dbl overhead 9.6 Longboard with plenty of rocker is not my idea of longboarding.
Hey each too their own would of thought gun is what you're looking for.
enjoy the new ride Post the pics when built.
As for fins well the blokes that build your board just about have that wired , meaning I've never felt I've needed to tinker with a McT.
hey jurk circle the fin theory as much as you like, I believe you can put a Real surfer on Anything but micro managing fins before You've even surfed it seems premature.
cheers.

Thanks for the friendly and informative advice.

Didn't take long for Mctavish to get a mention. You guys on a retainer?

I have two 8' and two 9'6" guns and a 7'6" mid-length that would be my preferred boards in solid conditions, but sometimes (as I said at the start of the thread) I will be caught out with what is in or on the car.

Its not a heavily rockered longboard, it just has a bit more tail rocker than the model it is based on. He actually has three more models that have more rocker and are more performance biased longboards. I'm not entering contests or winning national titles (multiple national and state titles have been won on his boards) so I am getting a more glide-y, all-rounder. It just needs to handle a bit of size and juice at times.

All I wanted is a bit of guidance on a good all round fin shape as a starting point. I wouldn't have thought that was a circle jerk. I thought I would ask for advice from people with more experience.

Well I haven't mentioned the M brand in here for a longtime due to the fact it seems to upset the mood so I've also reframed from mentioning or even sharing my new board images to keep the peace.
I dont like any of those fins you posted,the first image is close however it needs more base length and thinner tip,also I'd go for 9.5 or a 10 inch fin.I'll find some images and post them,one is a M brand redline fin which I run in all my boards other than the log.
M brand supply fins with each order which you can swap but as Cobra said the maker should know what matches the board,I know some or a lot of brands don't supply fins which can be a personal thing.
Its impossible to give solid advice with the description you gave,wider nose and its 9'6.What tail shape and rails will it have? Will it have side plugs? PS. I'm on deals at M, have been for years just like others in here with other brands,which is part why we are return customers to those brands and rightly so,get looked after you return.

Sweeto. Cheers.
You and Bazz just confirmed I have no idea. Lol. I need to look at much more raked fins.

My natural inclination is versions of pic two.

It has a Round pin tail and side bites, but I prefer not using them (more chasing a single fin style recommendation). There's only one particular wave here I would look to use the side bites and I only take a longboard out there when I am feeling funky and looking for a novelty surf.

Thanks for the sizing. I was tossing up over 9 or 9 1/2. I'll go bigger.

Nice info Mac, yes he makes great stuff.

No worries fins are personal what I like others may not but they work for me.The Alkali fin you posted is good also.Be sure to post some board images build and finish. if you can the forum is lacking of late since that lockdown thread

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thedrip said..

Cobra said..
Dbl overhead 9.6 Longboard with plenty of rocker is not my idea of longboarding.
Hey each too their own would of thought gun is what you're looking for.
enjoy the new ride Post the pics when built.
As for fins well the blokes that build your board just about have that wired , meaning I've never felt I've needed to tinker with a McT.
hey jurk circle the fin theory as much as you like, I believe you can put a Real surfer on Anything but micro managing fins before You've even surfed it seems premature.
cheers.

Thanks for the friendly and informative advice.

Didn't take long for Mctavish to get a mention. You guys on a retainer?

I have two 8' and two 9'6" guns and a 7'6" mid-length that would be my preferred boards in solid conditions, but sometimes (as I said at the start of the thread) I will be caught out with what is in or on the car.

Its not a heavily rockered longboard, it just has a bit more tail rocker than the model it is based on. He actually has three more models that have more rocker and are more performance biased longboards. I'm not entering contests or winning national titles (multiple national and state titles have been won on his boards) so I am getting a more glide-y, all-rounder. It just needs to handle a bit of size and juice at times.

All I wanted is a bit of guidance on a good all round fin shape as a starting point. I wouldn't have thought that was a circle jerk. I thought I would ask for advice from people with more experience.

Retainer? You didn't mention brand!
for all we know it's a McT
just drawing attention to common knowledge the fact ANY Good board maker has this just about sorted. Also drawing on my findings with One of many brands I've had.
as for the comment about Fin circle jurking. It's in reference to A very common Practice on seabreeze and if people keep doing it, they may go blind.
Personally I prefer to get my board fin advice from someone like this

Rather than someone like this

One of the West Oz LB comp boys said to me a few years ago. Big fins for small waves & small fins for big waves. Bigger fins are meant to be better for noseriding, but my friend Egor noserides just fine on a smaller centre.

I like my fin setup, a Ruben Roxburg 5.5 inch centre with some Asher Pacey 3.5 inch sides.

Wetfins has a bargain buy on the Roxburg set right now. Tempted to snap it up myself but I just bought a new board & way more focussed on shortboards these days unless waves are really small.

www.wetfins.com.au/surfboard-fins/longboard-fins/shapers-fins-5-5-ruben-roxburgh-2-1-fcs-bamboo/

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thedrip said..

Cobra said..
Dbl overhead 9.6 Longboard with plenty of rocker is not my idea of longboarding.
Hey each too their own would of thought gun is what you're looking for.
enjoy the new ride Post the pics when built.
As for fins well the blokes that build your board just about have that wired , meaning I've never felt I've needed to tinker with a McT.
hey jurk circle the fin theory as much as you like, I believe you can put a Real surfer on Anything but micro managing fins before You've even surfed it seems premature.
cheers.

Thanks for the friendly and informative advice.

Didn't take long for Mctavish to get a mention. You guys on a retainer?

I have two 8' and two 9'6" guns and a 7'6" mid-length that would be my preferred boards in solid conditions, but sometimes (as I said at the start of the thread) I will be caught out with what is in or on the car.

Its not a heavily rockered longboard, it just has a bit more tail rocker than the model it is based on. He actually has three more models that have more rocker and are more performance biased longboards. I'm not entering contests or winning national titles (multiple national and state titles have been won on his boards) so I am getting a more glide-y, all-rounder. It just needs to handle a bit of size and juice at times.

All I wanted is a bit of guidance on a good all round fin shape as a starting point. I wouldn't have thought that was a circle jerk. I thought I would ask for advice from people with more experience.

Just like your on a retainer with yahoo

Seems like the Forum Police are taking advice from Daniel Andrews. We need more rules, regulations & mandates...ohh & fines, yes more fines.

Can't get excited about your new board & ask advice before you get it.

Can't offer an opinion unless you have decades of board building experience.

And don't ask for advice if you have some kind of invovelement in the surfing industry, even if you havn't even mentioned or recommened the brand your involved with...

Circle Jerk...yeah .... No wonder this place is so dead these days. Whats the farking point for most people if you can't disscuss things without this kinda BS.

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MickPC said..
Seems like the Forum Police are taking advice from Daniel Andrews. We need more rules, regulations & mandates...ohh & fines, yes more fines.

Can't get excited about your new board & ask advice before you get it.

Can't offer an opinion unless you have decades of board building experience.

And don't ask for advice if you have some kind of invovelement in the surfing industry, even if you havn't even mentioned or recommened the brand your involved with...

Circle Jerk...yeah .... No wonder this place is so dead these days. Whats the farking point for most people if you can't disscuss things without this kinda BS.

Well he should of asked you mick.
considering you know everything pandemics conspiracy 5G longboards shortboards SUPs music And anything YouTube. Or they can google it like every other pleb that lives on the planet .

ha the only time theres a pulse running through this place is when it's a gee up.

Circle jerk yeah PMSL I'll wait for you and Drips breathtaking riveting Informative posts in that iconic SURFING thread Go back to the valley Kooks ,, now **** off no wonder nobody post in the short room.hypocrisy Is a fragrance to you.This place died years ago.
It's a dead horse like your riveting quiver post in the Sboard room,Zzzzz Zzzzzz

I'm currently running these in a couple of my single fin boards at 9.5 inches they go great I've got one on gumtree for sale. I had them shipped from the US weren't cheap.

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Cobra said..

MickPC said..
Seems like the Forum Police are taking advice from Daniel Andrews. We need more rules, regulations & mandates...ohh & fines, yes more fines.

Can't get excited about your new board & ask advice before you get it.

Can't offer an opinion unless you have decades of board building experience.

And don't ask for advice if you have some kind of invovelement in the surfing industry, even if you havn't even mentioned or recommened the brand your involved with...

Circle Jerk...yeah .... No wonder this place is so dead these days. Whats the farking point for most people if you can't disscuss things without this kinda BS.

Well he should of asked you mick.
considering you know everything pandemics conspiracy 5G longboards shortboards SUPs music And anything YouTube. Or they can google it like every other pleb that lives on the planet .

ha the only time theres a pulse running through this place is when it's a gee up.

Circle jerk yeah PMSL I'll wait for you and Drips breathtaking riveting Informative posts in that iconic SURFING thread Go back to the valley Kooks ,, now **** off no wonder nobody post in the short room.hypocrisy Is a fragrance to you.This place died years ago.
It's a dead horse like your riveting quiver post in the Sboard room,Zzzzz Zzzzzz

LOL the quiver thread was a gee up response to a gee up. I might post in it eventually though when I can be farked. So stay tuned

Seriously though. People should be able to froth over getting a new board or whatever & ask some advice without having farkers imposing their idea of forum etiquette. Seabreeze is more alive than you believe, the fact it lights up over certain topics is proof of that. There's heaps of lurkers that might post if the place felt more inclusive. Most surfers I know pop in for the weather conditions info & occasionally read the forum.

I use the Glide Josh constable (JC7) and Greg brown (GPS2 7") if I'm riding a 2 + 1...I don't really **** around with those bigger longer fins or the more upright one you posted from glide.....both those sets seem to work well for me

Agree with Mick, good waves get a 2plus, Clearwater fins from Shapers are good.

Knee high or really fat waves a single is good but in proper waves a 2 plus 1 is a better option imo.

Greenough 4a is hard to go past, just agreat fin for all types of boards, just adjust fin size according to board length

Thanks for all the replies.

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Macaha said..
No worries fins are personal what I like others may not but they work for me.The Alkali fin you posted is good also.Be sure to post some board images build and finish. if you can the forum is lacking of late since that lockdown thread

I may do that.

Just finalised the shape and finish today. Pulled the nose in a little from the original design (so half way between model it is based on and first custom nose shape). 9'6", triple stringers, with a balsa/cedar T band in the middle, gloss, polish, wooden tail block. Should be a stunner.

Beautiful mate.

Drip that looks amazing, did you shape that, very impressive
,, what's happening regarding glass job, anything but clear would be a crime

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thedrip said..

Looks really nice, I'd go something like this in up to Y'alls/beirs ;) head & a 1/2 (small waves) & previous suggestion for bigger

www.wetfins.com.au/surfboard-fins/longboard-fins/pilot-fins-9-keel-fin-wood/

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Ricardo1709 said..
Drip that looks amazing, did you shape that, very impressive
,, what's happening regarding glass job, anything but clear would be a crime

No mate I'm a complete and utter hack. The guy who shaped it had 42 years of experience. 6+6+6 Oz glass. And absolutely no spray. That wood needs to speak.

Actually, I finished up going with a fin that I thought would be functional (pretty similar to Mac's suggestion - silk inlay Josh Constable 10' fin)but really I chose it cause it was pretty and matched the ricey on the board. First two surfs I had it pretty much as far forward as it could go and (oh surprise surprise surprise) found the board a little too responsive for my complete lack of style, grace and skill.
Third surf knocked it back an inch. Felt better. I'll give it another surf or two there, then try it further back again.

Then it will be time to try different fins types. im looking forward to the adventure.

Oh yeah....it's a bloody big board. I'm sure it pulls harder on my leg in five foot surf than my 9'6" guns do in 12 foot surf.

And, typical get back fairies, fin proud me put the fin into rocks coming in on my first surf. It's not as pretty now.

I have a 9'6" nose rider. Flatish rockered. I am very happy with a 9" dolphin fin generally but have a 9.5hatchet which I like as well. Hatchet sort of stiffens it up a little. Also got the Greenough fin in 9.5". Great fin. Same as you. First time in water. Very small wave on reef. Sat up on board and dinked it on the rocks. I was fuming. Good luck if you do venture out in 2x. Don't snap it as it is a beautiful board.