WINTER CLEARANCE SALE - UP TO 25% OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME

Surfboard Fins 101 - Back to the basics

July 13, 2017

Fins are one of the most underrated surfboard upgrades in surfing. There are so many options now that just a quick fin swap can completely change very nature of your board. 

Many of us have ridden factory stock, improperly sized fins for YEARS not realizing we'd been hurting our surfing the entire time. There were so many aspects to fins that we really hadn’t even figured in, worst of all, the basics.

These days, there are countless fin systems for an endless array of applications. Combine that with the uniqueness of every surfer and every wave out there and we’re talking billions of different fin preferences and combinations. Enjoyable so, the options are endless!

Luckily for you, we provide fins with our more economic constructions. They're there to get a feel for the board and to get you in the water and surfing asap, but… if you want to truly unleash the beast, you’re going to need a set of fins that are designed for your weight and your application. For those of you going custom or stock classic fiberglass construction, we expect you already have your favorite fins and have adjusted our prices accordingly so you're getting the best, top quality value for your buck, without paying for something you don't need.

But for those of us wondering how fins change our board....
Think of it like this: 
You just bought a sports car… the dealership set it up with highway tires... you're about to go test it out at the race track. Would you really leave the rubber stock? Neither would we. 
The key to finding the right fin for you doesn’t need to be difficult. It’s actually very simple. Picking out the proper fin comes down to these 2 simple concepts:

  • Fin/Board setup (type of fin box, how many fins)
  • Rider weight (Small, Medium, or Large rider)

From here, we can get a better foothold into the world of fin upgrades as long as we know what our board needs, and what we need under our feet as a rider.

In the next series of our Surfboard Fins 101 short videos, we're going to go through each of our board models and show you the carefully curated fin selections we've provided, pointing out our shop favorites that stood out as the strongest assets for each of our boards.

There are other factors such as fin cant, toe, flex, material, etc. We'll touch lightly on those features, but most of all, we'll be explaining how the board actually felt to ride, from one fin set to the next. 

Above all, we want to introduce our fin lineup while we continue to expand our options. Our current fin inventory houses Captain Fin, Futures, True Ames, Rainbow Fin Co., glass-ons by Marlin at 101 Fin Co., and our best-value upgrade, Fin Disciples. 

 

Get out your pen and paper, it's time to take some notes!

 




Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in Degree 33 Surf Blog

How to do a surfing floater
How To Do a Floater

March 07, 2024

When the wave is breaking in front of you, and you can still make it around the section, you have two options. You can either take a low line and go around the breaking wave, which will slow you down and cause you to miss a part of the wave, or you can perform a floater, which helps you increase speed and utilize every part of the wave. 

Continue Reading

How to do a cutback surfing
Surfing Better Series: How to do a Cutback

February 21, 2024

The cutback is a timeless maneuver that every surfer needs to know! The best surfers in the world are constantly doing cutbacks to maintain speed and harness all the energy within the pocket of the wave.  It is actually easier than you think once you have the basics down.  This blog will help you learn how to perform and perfect your cutbacks. 

Continue Reading

Roundhouse cutback surfing
How to Perform a Roundhouse Cutback

February 21, 2024

The roundhouse cutback is a timeless surf maneuver that adds spark to your cutbacks and allows you to gain speed for your next maneuver. Without proper guidance, they can be difficult to master. This blog will help you perform better roundhouse cutbacks and add flair to your surfing. 

Continue Reading