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mr love said..
There has been quite a bit of talk about 3D printing fins. I saw the Markedforged machine at the engineering show and it got my attention. The machine is capable of laying carbon rovings into a print. I bit the bullet and got a side fin made just in the standard carbon filled material ( no extra rovings) to see what it was like. The material is called Onyx and is meant to be the stiffest 3D print nylon material you can get??



Well the material is way too soft so would definitely need quite a bit of additional carbon rovings added. The finish is average, you can see the big "sink" along the trailing edge.
Conclusion.....The tech is not there yet, I am confident with the right amount of added carbon it would be stiff enough but the surface finish is not good enough. Then the cost.....well it is BS, way off the mark.

My opinion is it will get there in a few years, but not there yet.

Thanks for having a crack with the Markforged Onyx combo Mr Love. I could live with the surface finish, if the cost was not a decimal point or two out to the RHS!

First time out today on my shiny new Masterblaster Freerace 36, glad I picked it up this morning!

Verdict - fantastic, does everything exactly as Martin describes in this thread

Gear - Windtech 64 wide, Severne Overdrive 7.0
Conditions - Melbourne Bay in mega gusty northerly 15 to 25+ knots, usual madhouse chop from several directions

Details - finish and cover impeccable, ran it underpowered then overpowered, high then deep, slow then fast, the 36 did not once even hint at spinout even when landing jumps, loads of bottom end power and speed delivered very smoothly, 36 is smaller than I would usually go in such gusty conditions, and fin creates a really sweet board trim, inspires complete confidence to just go for it and forget about the fin

Congratulations Martin, a superb product! I will grab more of your fins as my C3 Stings die off

Thanks Peter...Makes me happy that you are happy!

Freewave 26 ready for action

In prep for Lake George for Feb I have designed up a Super fast weedy. It is based on the Weapon slalom section which is absolutely flying but optimised for the 42 degree rake angle. Will order some in a couple of weeks. 38 and 20 shown.

Oooooooooo I like

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mr love said..
In prep for Lake George for Feb I have designed up a Super fast weedy. It is based on the Weapon slalom section which is absolutely flying but optimised for the 42 degree rake angle. Will order some in a couple of weeks. 38 and 20 shown.

I've heard two theories on how much you have to thicken a profile to allow for rake. My intuitive guess for 42 degrees is one over cos 42. - i.e. 19% thicker. The streamlines now being 19% longer. The other one, that I found hard to believe, is that it doesn't matter. What did the optimised thickness, compared to the upright version, turn out to be?

Ian.....I have a manufacturing constraint of 13.7mm maximun thickness. I wanted to use the same foil section as my slalom fins as the Polars are excellent and it is proving to be super fast in all water states. So I used that section and obviously kept it in line with the water flow, this is not just a raked slalom fin. When I scaled the section up to my maximum thickness there is a 25% increase in chord length at the root and a corrisponding 25% max thckness increase compared to the upright slalom fin.
So it is really dictated by the chosen foil section and the chosen chord length. If i wanted a thinner overall thickness I would have to change the foil section % or shorten the chord length. I did not want to change the foil section as it is the best section I have been able to create and I have not been able to improve on it in simulation as much as I have tried.

Thanks Martin. The section is scaled up along the streamlines. I wonder how the manufacturers of delta fins, having a very long chord at the root, get around the manufacturing constraint? Or do they use a less than ideal thickness to chord ratio?

Thinner foil sections I assume.

20 and 26 ready to build.

Time for me to provide some feedback on the Atomic Slalom Pro. There was a bit of a debate between Martin and I on what size fin to replace my much loved Venom 30. Given that I love sailing overpowered and at speed the 28 seemed about right. The foil shape would have more lift per size than the Venom....Martins wise words.

The fin is well made with no stamps or stamps on the foil. The base is also beautiful to look at.
The fit......Perfect, no sanding etc in a Carbon Art box.
First run.
Water state was :Rough water, wind against tide , standing waves and some corrugations on the flat stuff. Wind was fully lit on a Koncept 5.8.
The fin powered up very quickly and stayed locked in. Didn't push too hard as I wanted to walk up to the envelope edge not smash into it.
Felt very smooth and slippery, with no hint of spinout.

Run 2. Time to give it a little push and hunt some smother water. Pushed the limit too far and hit the bank at 23Kts......Not a scratch on anything. Strong board, fin, body. Winner.

The rest of the session was spent exploring the chop at speed, trying to find an issue. All I found was bucket loads of speed and control.
Venom replacement found. Even managed a few B&J runs into the standing waves

At The Pit a few days latter with Daffy. Him on the 30 and me on the 28, again with the 5.8.
Less wind this time and I should have rigged bigger but it was meant to increase....didn't.
Our downwind speeds were very similar but upwind Daffy left me behind and he was on a smaller sail

Found three things.....underpowered a heap and pushing upwind will spin the fin out....(Really ,DOH)
And weed is a killer with an upright fin (No S#$t)
But off the wind this fin is very fast....It will do a 40kt run

Conclusion: No weed, like control, like going fast with control then this is a fin for you. It will make you giggle as its just so much fun rattling over chop without the stress of crashing. I liked it so much that I've ordered a 38 for the large slalom and I just might grab a few weedies when they arrive. Brilliant design Martin
gpsteamchallenge.com.au/sailor_session/show?date=2019-11-12&team=16
gpsteamchallenge.com.au/sailor_session/show?date=2019-11-15&team=16

The Weed Weapon prototypes on the mill. Designed for Lake George.

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mr love said..
Freewave 26 ready for action

Some encouraging feedback on this fin...


So ive had a chance to sail the board a few more times as a single fin.

You've done a really nice job understanding and delivering what an intermediate like me was looking for. I got a couple of days of 19-22 knots from the north (same as a melb nor wester). Uncomfortably bumpy but doable with a freerace board, but no waves for a tri wave fins to shine. The atomic single fin in the freewave with a 5.7 was a clear winner for fun/comfort/speed.

As expected compared to the tri fin, the atomic planes earlier, is more lively, more back foot biased, and much faster off the breeze in moderate conditions. It doesn't go upwind quite as well but that's fine. Its Perfect for the gap between tri fin 5.3m and freerace 7.0m.

The atomic Compared to my ten year old single fins 27jp, 25Jp, 24MFC (probably a better comparison since its apples to apples.)

Planes earlier
Much less spinout upwind and down - can really push hard when needed
Likes a touch more back foot pressure (pushing down on the ball of the foot)
MUCH FASTER AT DEEPER ANGLES OFF THE WIND!!
Doesn't go quite as high upwind (weird because it doesn't spinout either)

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mr love said..
Freewave 26 ready for action

Do you do these in US box??

Yes

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mr love said..
Yes

Excellent

Playing with new designs...Some Proto Weed , Wave and Freestyle fins for the Victorian crew to test. Lots of fun to be had.

For those that may be interested I have updated the Fin page on the website. There is also shallow water GPS and freestyle fins under development not shown on the page. Enjoy!

www.atomicwindsurf.com/fins

Firstly.....I'm already a fan of what Martin's been doing with his fins. With that out of the way here's my first impressions of the new slalom fin.
As always the finish is spot on and it fitted in the box straight out with zero adjustment. Tick.
This was a low speed underpowered test which some of my other fins struggle with, not my choice but just not enough strong wind atm.
Sail 6.6, Board 56 wide 87 lt and a 30 Slalom fin M2. wind 18-22 and dying.
I had no issues pushing high angles on the fin with no spinout and when the wind kicked in a little it would fly easily off down wind. Mid 28,s for the speeds. I expect that high 30 and maybe 40 is possible with this fin is smooth conditions but should be a great summer fin for the 25-30 kt conditions
No real chop to play with but this is where the past fins have excelled at so it should be fun when those conditions return.
I also grabbed a 42 for the larger board, again in G10.
Happy first plays

The Version 2 Slaloms and the Weed fins in the flesh.

I've always used the C3 fins as my go to fins, loved the Venom 30. Now replace with the Weapon 28 as its just so much better. Now as good as the Venom 30 was I never really got my head around the Venom 38 for the big board. It use didn't do the same things or feel as good.

Yesterday I got to use my Weapon 42 on the big board, now the wind was a bit patchy and didn't get over 15kts but the fin performed exactly like its smaller ones ! I could push some high angles at low speed without it letting go and rattle it at high speed over chop with confidence. This fin will be a great summer time fin for our neck of the woods in those 18-22kt sw winds. Great job Martin

Carbon Slalom fin is at layup design and testing phase.....

Have purchased Weed Weapons in 22, 26, 30 & 34 for weedy, rocky and turtley Moreton Bay. Often sail for speed in shallow water with coral bottom, so 'fear of death' has prompted me to go exclusively weed fins. Stlll have some Tribal Weedspeed and UFOs. Am an intermediate skilled sailor, 73kg.
Basic setups-
*34 on a 120 Fanatic Gecko- fun lightwind.
*30 on a 101 RRD Firestorm- medium conditions in choppy, messy water out in bay.
*26 on a 90 iSonic- flat water blasting.
*22 on a Mistral47 Speedboard.
After using the top three setups for a couple of sails, my general take is that these fins are very comfortable and secure. With them, I usually don't feel that I am going fast, that is, there is no sensation of being on the edge, but at the end of a session the gps shows I am going faster then it felt. I am now 1 to 2 knots closer to the speeds of the fast guys. I feel the overall ride of the board is smoother with less crabbing, therefore cutting down on board/fin drag and so improving overall performance. I hate the feel of a fin trying to throw me in a gust, and have not yet had this from these fins. Easily did 35kts on the 26 setup, totally in control and just wanting more wind in the sail.
These fins have no negatives that I can see so far.

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mikey100 said..
Have purchased Weed Weapons in 22, 26, 30 & 34 for weedy, rocky and turtley Moreton Bay. Often sail for speed in shallow water with coral bottom, so 'fear of death' has prompted me to go exclusively weed fins. Stlll have some Tribal Weedspeed and UFOs. Am an intermediate skilled sailor, 73kg.
Basic setups-
*34 on a 120 Fanatic Gecko- fun lightwind.
*30 on a 101 RRD Firestorm- medium conditions in choppy, messy water out in bay.
*26 on a 90 iSonic- flat water blasting.
*22 on a Mistral47 Speedboard.
After using the top three setups for a couple of sails, my general take is that these fins are very comfortable and secure. With them, I usually don't feel that I am going fast, that is, there is no sensation of being on the edge, but at the end of a session the gps shows I am going faster then it felt. I am now 1 to 2 knots closer to the speeds of the fast guys. I feel the overall ride of the board is smoother with less crabbing, therefore cutting down on board/fin drag and so improving overall performance. I hate the feel of a fin trying to throw me in a gust, and have not yet had this from these fins. Easily did 35kts on the 26 setup, totally in control and just wanting more wind in the sail.
These fins have no negatives that I can see so far.

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mikey100 said..
I hate the feel of a fin trying to throw me in a gust

That's when you bear away Mikey

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mikey100 said..
Have purchased Weed Weapons in 22, 26, 30 & 34 for weedy, rocky and turtley Moreton Bay. Often sail for speed in shallow water with coral bottom, so 'fear of death' has prompted me to go exclusively weed fins. Stlll have some Tribal Weedspeed and UFOs. Am an intermediate skilled sailor, 73kg.
Basic setups-
*34 on a 120 Fanatic Gecko- fun lightwind.
*30 on a 101 RRD Firestorm- medium conditions in choppy, messy water out in bay.
*26 on a 90 iSonic- flat water blasting.
*22 on a Mistral47 Speedboard.
After using the top three setups for a couple of sails, my general take is that these fins are very comfortable and secure. With them, I usually don't feel that I am going fast, that is, there is no sensation of being on the edge, but at the end of a session the gps shows I am going faster then it felt. I am now 1 to 2 knots closer to the speeds of the fast guys. I feel the overall ride of the board is smoother with less crabbing, therefore cutting down on board/fin drag and so improving overall performance. I hate the feel of a fin trying to throw me in a gust, and have not yet had this from these fins. Easily did 35kts on the 26 setup, totally in control and just wanting more wind in the sail.
These fins have no negatives that I can see so far.

Another couple of sessions on the 26 and 30 set-ups and am really liking these fins more and more. Can point quite well, but off the wind I am having more fun then ever, with the board tracking cleanly and smoothly, making me appear to be a better sailor than I really am. Looking forward to 25kts+ and some flatish water to see what I can get.

Hello everyone, hoping to do something to please you I post my first impressions of the new Atomicsurf Nuclear Weed by Martin.
I was able to try the 22 in the last 2 days when one day I had a wind of 15 knots gusty and lulls and on the second day a more consistent wind of 18 knots of average speed and some gusts of 20 knots.
On both days I used the Exocet RS2 (90l 235x59 OfO 41.8cm) and the Point7 ACX 7.5. Sea conditions: inside the lagoon small chop around 20 cm while outside soft tidal waves around 80-100cm
The comparison is with my MUF Delta XT.
With the lighter wind I put the mast foot all the way forward as I do with the MUF and compared to this I noticed that:
- I can push with the back foot even if the board is not on full plane and the fin goes not in spin out
- has a good upwind angle and also in this case no spin out
- on the small chop no problem more or less like the MUF but in the waves better than the MUF because the board is more reactive and controllable
-jibe: on the chop the fins are equivalent but between the waves the Nuclear Weed is better because it follows the curve by responding to the inputs of the foot with greater readiness
- weight: the Nuclear are lighter than MUF the 22 compared to the MUF Delta XT 24cm weighs 160gr. less and the 18.5 compared to the Delta Slalom 19 weighs almost 100 gr. less. The nuclear have less surface than the MUF but the 22 in light wind conditions has never suffered in keeping the board in trim
- seaweed: no problem but to make the front tip of the fin adhere well I had to leave the rear part of the box a little raised otherwise if I inserted the rear part of the fin more the tip was not attached to the hull of the board. I'll try to add a little more thickness.
The second day, as I said, the wind was stronger so with the 7.5 always well powered I tried to put the mast track at 132cm from the tail and to my great surprise the board did not suffer the spin out as it happens with the MUF indeed it always remains very stable, you can push hard with back foot and spin outs are very rare; the fin lifts the board well over the water and guarantees a very free plain. The upwind is excellent and the downwind is very comfortable, you can run down the chop in full speed and always in control and with good comfort.
Just so as not to miss anything, I also hit a large submerged branch, when I saw it I immediately slowed down but I still hit it at 20 knots more or less but the fin doesn't even have a scratch.
I still miss a test with a bigger chop and from more different directions as happens with the autumn storms but for the moment I can say that, compared to the MUF Delta XT, I no longer have that feeling of having a kind of ballast on the tail even when I'm in full planing, the board is much more reactive and runs free on the water and the feeling of confidence that the fin transmits when you load it hard and doesen't go in spin out is really pleasant.
Great job Martin!

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Upgrade my review thanks another super windy day Yesterday I've tested the fin in overpowered conditions: same set up of previuos days but with gusts up to 25knots my 7.5m was quite big for my 68kgs but the fin is a rock! Never on spin out, only in hard upwind and when I was going thruogh a big pile of seagrass I had some minimal spin out but realy easy to manage without loose the plain.I have forced the spin out going trough the shore break but nothing! the fin's beheaviuor is allways predictable and very similar to a slalom fin. With the tecnical support of my friend Claus who has analize my tracks with the GPSarpro we have discovered that the angles are super good: less the 60? in upwind and more than 130? in dowind:awesome!
I can not wait to test the 18.5cm with my 6.2 ACKpro in a 30-35 knots day!