If I had the cash for another custom I would but unfortunately not. Found a second hand board that looks almost new in the dimensions I want and super cheap (thank you backpacker! ). But it's fins are futures. As all my fin sets are FCS (5 sets or so), I'm not too keen on forking out for futures down the track if I have to.

What do people think of futures? How do they compare to fcs not only performance wise but strength and reliability? I've read fin plug repairs are much harder and the slot can become loose.

Hmmm never pulled a future box, but popped plenty of FCS plugs!! Although that peanut shape FCS plug looks and feels stronger.

If you damage a futures set up, it's gonna damage your board. Big time.

In 5 years I have smash 2 boxes out, doesnt really do as much damage as you would think, it's as good as having fixed fins, less flex would never go back.
Also the cheaper plastic fins are good in small wave boards as the base is stiff, I would never use the cheap fcs.

Mmmm everyone is putting a good case for and against Futures. Doesn't help the dude has dropped his board price by another 50! Thinking I may have to bite the bullet and add to the quiver!

Futures are fine better engineering design at the base in terms of fit and flow etc FCS often sit high and have to be cut in pain in the arse. The base is much more stable and will have a higher feed or direct back to the board than FCS

Like some have said if you smash the fins you will damage the box area after a life time of FCS just gone over to futures cant see myself going back.

I think Futures adds weight significantly, too.

^^^ Significant weight? Seriously? A few grams if any.

Bottom line is that futures have a great contact area with the board, which leads to a stiffer, stronger base. For this reason you'll mostly see kiteboards using futures.

I am pretty sure futures are lighter, all up there would be just as much plastic in fcs.
First time I saw futures I was turned off by how bulky they looked but was surprised I seen one before it was installed , very thin. One of the boxes I had fixed was the fin smashed through the bottom of it.
If they are heavier, it would be minimal either way.

I have Lokbox.

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Legion said...
I have Lokbox.

Seem to be bigger over in the US, haven't heard much about these over hear though. Do like how it's just a single screw in system different to all these other plugs.

Just forked out for the mick fanning model Fcs. Surfed em today and pretty stoked really drivey.

futures are gr8, got em in all my boards. can be nasty if u rip a box out but in general all good. anyone seen the new snap in FCS system Taj is riding? rovings round the base just like glassed in fins. look pretty tidy. not sure when they will be available for us mere mortals

Ive had FCS on every board that Ive owned except for one that had glass ons.

FCS are cheapish and available evrywhere but so are Futures so really I think its a personal thing. Ive surfed a few boards with Futures and couldnt really feel a difference between FCS tbh but I did like the one screw system, very easy.

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barndog said...
futures are gr8, got em in all my boards. can be nasty if u rip a box out but in general all good. anyone seen the new snap in FCS system Taj is riding? rovings round the base just like glassed in fins. look pretty tidy. not sure when they will be available for us mere mortals

Are they these? http://www.powerbasefins.com.au/

I'm an FCS fan really don't like futures at all, but that's just me. I don't like the single screw system, the little retainer lump on the back of the boxes wear resulting in bad fit and sometimes loose fins. I've also had two sets of fins deform (tips twist, including the blackstix ones) while sitting in the board bag on the rack (not in the car while exposed to heat or anything, never had this with FCS). I also find the futures fins don't vary much in shape, tip shapes particularly are all very similar the variations seem to be height, rake and base width (I like that FCS have so many totally different fin shapes, foils etc.)

While the standard FCS plugs are fairly easily damaged they are also very easy to fix (to the point that I've done it on boat trips with nothing more that masking tape and solarez).

With FCS if I'm riding somewhere shallow and there's a chance of the fins grounding or something like that I have a couple of sets of the cheapy plastic fins (which aren't great but...) with these if you do the grub screws up just enough to put some pressure on the plug but not much more (these fins being molded also tend to fit the boxes much netter) if you hit something then it'll just rip the fin out and not the plugs (done it atleast half a dozen times) leaves a little ding at the trailing edge of the fin base but nothing more if you get the tension right.

also if your buying second hand then you are going to pay $100 for fins if you don't like the ones you get when otherwise you could use your FCS sets, might be the difference in a custom (depending on condition of the board and the custom you are after of course)

I would ask one question though, what construction is the board? if it's EPS/epoxy the futures or the peanut shaped FCS are the way to go the extra contact area around the bases is important as EPS (depending on density) can be more easily deformed than PU so the standard FCS plugs don't work so good from what I understand (this is also one of the reasons you see futures/Peanut FCS used in kiteboards as the production models tend to have EPS cores).

my 2c, sorry for the long rambling post

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DJMWA said...

barndog said...
futures are gr8, got em in all my boards. can be nasty if u rip a box out but in general all good. anyone seen the new snap in FCS system Taj is riding? rovings round the base just like glassed in fins. look pretty tidy. not sure when they will be available for us mere mortals

Are they these? http://www.powerbasefins.com.au/

Nope, they are similar to FCS but have a base like a glass on.

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blueprint said...I would ask one question though, what construction is the board? if it's EPS/epoxy the futures or the peanut shaped FCS are the way to go the extra contact area around the bases is important as EPS (depending on density) can be more easily deformed than PU so the standard FCS plugs don't work so good from what I understand (this is also one of the reasons you see futures/Peanut FCS used in kiteboards as the production models tend to have EPS cores).

Or find a shaper like mine, who routs in a piece of timber or higher density material like d-cell into the blank then sets the fin plugs into that. Also good method for repairs.

^^^^ huh, interesting idea...do you end up with the same result as the peanut shaped FCS boxes though???? from the perspective or strength/damage when the boxes do get a whack good enough to pull them

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doggie said...

DJMWA said...

barndog said...
futures are gr8, got em in all my boards. can be nasty if u rip a box out but in general all good. anyone seen the new snap in FCS system Taj is riding? rovings round the base just like glassed in fins. look pretty tidy. not sure when they will be available for us mere mortals

Are they these? http://www.powerbasefins.com.au/

Nope, they are similar to FCS but have a base like a glass on.

Wasn't asking if powerbase were futures, rather if thats what Taj has been running, sounds pretty similiar from barndogs description.

FCS has two new systems coming out.

The one with rovings is a copy of powerbase and the other is the screwless snap in.

I'd be pretty unhappy if i was powerbase doing all the r&d and then having fcs rip them off.

Both of these systems require new boxes that are different to each other from what i understand.

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Gringo said...
FCS has two new systems coming out.

The one with rovings is a copy of powerbase and the other is the screwless snap in.

I'd be pretty unhappy if i was powerbase doing all the r&d and then having fcs rip them off.

Both of these systems require new boxes that are different to each other from what i understand.

Yep.... What gringo said
Taj has the one like power base . I have not seen the screw less snap in one up close, just heard its on its way.

^^^^ guess they had to do something to re-estabish exclusivity of their fin shapes since anyone can now produce them (patent expired or some such thing).