Crew. Im getting a singo made atm and having trouble finding good quality fins. Any advise would be appreciated

Wayne Lynch's fin. Yahoo have stock. I prefer that one for drive over the futures, fcs and Soar fins I have used. Soar is slower but turns better. I preferred the drive.

And I have gone to 2+1 for the last two boards. Easier to pull high line speed runs. My singles can occassionally fall out of the face when it's getting super critical and I want to get maximum speed. Funnily enough, the pure singles are awesome barrel riders.

Wayne Lynch fin is a beauty. Alkali have an epic range of quality Single fins. Soul in Scarb's stock some, hand made epic product.

Have a Squiz online at Wetfinz, they have a decent range that you can at least check out something a bit different, pending on what your looking for, but im pretty sure Alkali will have something to suit.

Shapers.com also have a couple. I ride a few different kinds of singles in different sizes and use Alkali , Island style (Some different templates that work well), Shapers and Captain Fin. All bring something a bit different to the boards, depends on what your looking to achieve.

The yellow one next to the twinny, is a glass Island style template, 7 1/2.
it does have some flex but right up in the last 1/4 towards the tip, and it's not heaps. Quite up right. In this photo it's obviously set up with the side bites. With those and the fin up forward I can really throw this around. But...take the side bites out move it back 1 1/2 inches and it's classic single fin.. Goes top to bottom well and drawn out turns. Have another conventional template with a bit more base and not as much rake and that's got more drive, so that goes in when it's bigger.

And there's the problem with recommending find for a single fun...

I can't stand flexy single fins. More base, less tip, less rake - that's my preference.

And yet I have a mate who much prefers the fin style recommended by Surf69. Maybe it's the gruntier waves I surf (my mate is metro based). He reckons my fins are stiff; I reckon his are twitchy and lacking in pure carving lines.

But really, you should get a good fin you think you will like, move it around a bit. Find the sweet spot for you.

Then get another fin that's different. And figure out what you like.

I don't think Surf69 and I are saying anything different about the way different fins perform btw. He just prefers different things to me. All the fins he mentions have excellent reputations. I have often drooled over the Alkali fins.

Hope that's confused everything enough.

That's the Wayne Lynch fin I use in boards from the 9'6" gun in the pic, down to a 6'6" borrowed long term from a mate.

You can't beat the "Salty Merchant" Fin range.
worth a look at the web site. I've seen the fins in WA.
Currently using a "13th Floor" flex 11" in an old mal and a Neil Purchase Jnr 7" Wolfhound in a 6'6" singl'o.

I highly recommend the Alkali range. They may be $10-20 more than fins mass produced in Asia somewhere but are hand made in Ballina by one of Australia's most experienced fin maker.
The Classic single in 7.25' goes well with most old school single fin style boards, the hull flex is a nice allrounder and you can go a bit bigger in the fin and it will suit a shorter single fin or a longboard and the George is a sweet more retro looking fin great for mid lenghs and logs in the bigger sizes.
alkalifins.com.au

Yep alkali or the salty merchants

Been loving the 7 inch Fluid Foil Soulflex in my 8fter that a good mate lent me - has a little bit of give/slide on steep take offs then when you find your line it flies and is really lively on the turns - love it. Have put surfed it with side bites for a bit of bite and ticked all the boxes with that set up as well.

My Salty Merchants

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P co said..
I highly recommend the Alkali range. They may be $10-20 more than fins mass produced in Asia somewhere but are hand made in Ballina by one of Australia's most experienced fin maker.
The Classic single in 7.25' goes well with most old school single fin style boards, the hull flex is a nice allrounder and you can go a bit bigger in the fin and it will suit a shorter single fin or a longboard and the George is a sweet more retro looking fin great for mid lenghs and logs in the bigger sizes.
alkalifins.com.au

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The 7.25 classic, nice n upright with a little rake and decent length base for some good drive, Noice

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Souwester said...
Been loving the 7 inch Fluid Foil Soulflex in my 8fter that a good mate lent me - has a little bit of give/slide on steep take offs then when you find your line it flies and is really lively on the turns - love it. Have put surfed it with side bites for a bit of bite and ticked all the boxes with that set up as well.

The FCS fluid foils are or were a good range of fins. Unfortunately FCS have dropped all their screw and plate fins in favour of their "click" in ones. These are fine in 95% of the boxes out there but I haven't got around to using them yet.

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thedrip said..


That's the Wayne Lynch fin I use in boards from the 9'6" gun in the pic, down to a 6'6" borrowed long term from a mate.

Ah so that's your yahoo triple stringer? How do you think it would go with that beast of a centre fin? What's the width and thickness?
Are you gonna surf Yals and Bears Bombie on that?

Its the same fin set up as I run in my 8', but different to the 7'. The fins go great in the 8' board up to 8 foot. I haven't surfed this one big yet, only 5 foot or so cause I couldn't wait. Felt really chuckable in a big board way.

I'd love to give Bears Bombie a go on it but the exit out of the water there scares the crap out of me. The tiny keyhole, strong current and heaving shorebreak is a recipe for disaster for a muppet like me. I've surfed it half a dozen times but haven't rushed back. Solid Yals is a certainty and one of the waves I had it built for.

2 + 1 is the shizz.

9'6" X 3 1/4" X 22"

Sound the LONGBOARD INTRUDER alert!

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thedrip said...
Its the same fin set up as I run in my 8', but different to the 7'. The fins go great in the 8' board up to 8 foot. I haven't surfed this one big yet, only 5 foot or so cause I couldn't wait. Felt really chuckable in a big board way.

I'd love to give Bears Bombie a go on it but the exit out of the water there scares the crap out of me. The tiny keyhole, strong current and heaving shorebreak is a recipe for disaster for a muppet like me. I've surfed it half a dozen times but haven't rushed back. Solid Yals is a certainty and one of the waves I had it built for.

2 + 1 is the shizz.

9'6" X 3 1/4" X 22"

My 9 X 20 X 3 is a sick board with glassed in 2 +1 fins of equal size. Currently in the shaping bay is my 9'6 X 21 3/4 X 3 7/8 with quad and thruster future boxes If you're keen pm me and when the next big swell hits we can go get some bombs. A couple of spots I surf get lonely

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Buster fin said...
Sound the LONGBOARD INTRUDER alert!

Definitely not a longboard.
Just a blown up version of your 6'0 tooth pick that you use to surf in knee high waves except mine gets me into waves 12 times bigger

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P co said...

Souwester said...
Been loving the 7 inch Fluid Foil Soulflex in my 8fter that a good mate lent me - has a little bit of give/slide on steep take offs then when you find your line it flies and is really lively on the turns - love it. Have put surfed it with side bites for a bit of bite and ticked all the boxes with that set up as well.

The FCS fluid foils are or were a good range of fins. Unfortunately FCS have dropped all their screw and plate fins in favour of their "click" in ones. These are fine in 95% of the boxes out there but I haven't got around to using them yet.

That's a bummer! Guess they lost a customer! Wonder how the new system handles a sizey single fin at full flex, that's a lot of energy loaded in the new system!

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Buster fin said...
Sound the LONGBOARD INTRUDER alert!

If you say so. I'm not sure you understand what you are looking at.

Maybe there needs to be a gun room that way you don't have to feel intimidated by a big board for a big bloke on solid waves.

Go play in the beachies, little fella.

It's pretty rare to see a board below 8' (shout out to Mike the Madman and Rich the Ripper) out in the waves its intended for.

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thedrip said..

Buster fin said...
Sound the LONGBOARD INTRUDER alert!

If you say so. I'm not sure you understand what you are looking at.

Maybe there needs to be a gun room that way you don't have to feel intimidated by a big board for a big bloke on solid waves.

Go play in the beachies, little fella.

It's pretty rare to see a board below 8' (shout out to Mike the Madman and Rich the Ripper) out in the waves its intended for.

Na... Guns are welcome here

Plenty of cool options. Cheers. The merchant fins look cool. Id like to see a few before I buy. The board is a "7 2" by 20" by "3". Modern style singo. Chasing fins is half the fun.

Once again thanks for the options.

Fiberglass Fin Co make some nice ones you can get them here I think www.southcoastsurfboards.com
My mate swears by his NPJ wolfhound on his 6'4 which you can get at the salty merchants
Or you can ring Johnny at glide fins and he will make you anything you want

...My rule is about 1inch or fin per foot of board...2+1 is what I like in most of my boards unless its a like a real old school shape and then I'll just ride it as a single

Cheers Tux. About an eight inch fin for a seven foot board. Is it best to drop the fin size for bigger waves in a singo or should the fin size go up a touch.

I'm thinking about during two fins to swap it around a bit. I've got a couple laying around the garage as well.

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beastsurf said..
Cheers Tux. About an eight inch fin for a seven foot board. Is it best to drop the fin size for bigger waves in a singo or should the fin size go up a touch.

I would probably just go a 7 or 7.5 with side bites or 8'er if your running pure single...I'm also with the drip on more bass less tip and jam the flex up your bung hole...flex probably suits rolled bottoms and very pinched rails generally something I tend to avoid on boards for bigger waves

I'm with you guys.
If you're talking a modern single then the Alkali 7.25" pictured above is my pick.
It is in fact my pick. I bought the very same fin to run in an AB 7'er. Sold the board. Kept the fin.
The flexy singles are more for the retro cruisers to be ridden in waves of not too much consequence.
The flex can be let's say "interesting" in waves with some punch.

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DARTH said..

thedrip said..

Buster fin said...
Sound the LONGBOARD INTRUDER alert!

If you say so. I'm not sure you understand what you are looking at.

Maybe there needs to be a gun room that way you don't have to feel intimidated by a big board for a big bloke on solid waves.

Go play in the beachies, little fella.

It's pretty rare to see a board below 8' (shout out to Mike the Madman and Rich the Ripper) out in the waves its intended for.

Na... Guns are welcome here

Speaking of Guns.....

I just arrived back last night from a 5 day family trip over east to Yamba. I intentionally didnt take a board as it was just a family trip this time.
Just my luck the swell was pumping!
The only decent hire board I could find in town was this 7'0 Fox shapes beast.

After sitting up the top of the hill next to the PAcific hotel for half an hour I psyched my self up to take this beast out.
I was the only one who made it out for the next half hour or so but it was great. Its the first time in a long time I have ridden a board that size in 6-8ft waves.
Its a different kind of rail surfing I reckon but very enjoyable . Almost easier to be honest.
A bit of extra length is a good thing

7 foot is extra length? Lol. My boards start at 6'10" these day and go from there.

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Cuttlefish said...
I'm with you guys.
If you're talking a modern single then the Alkali 7.25" pictured above is my pick.
It is in fact my pick. I bought the very same fin to run in an AB 7'er. Sold the board. Kept the fin.
The flexy singles are more for the retro cruisers to be ridden in waves of not too much consequence.
The flex can be let's say "interesting" in waves with some punch.

That's how I have found them. A bit flighty and with weird and abrupt release patterns. All my surfing is done in pretty punchy waves.