Tag Archives: Surfboard Fins

How to Pick a Set of Fins

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Hey guys! I recently wrote a piece for our mailing list where I gave a few pointers on how to pick out a new set of Surfboard Fins, to keep it short and sweet I kept it simple in the email. However, below you’ll find a more in depth look at how to buy your self a new set of fins. Enjoy!

1. Make sure you know what kind of Fins you board uses.
It seems simple, but knowing if your board takes FCS II, FCS, or Futures Fins is often overlooked. Remember that FCS and Futures boards can also use both Kinetik and 3D Fins, when bought with the appropriate fin base. Also, knowing if you have a Thruster, Quad or 5-Fin setup on you board should be over looked and remember, if you have a 5-Fin you have the option of running a Thruster or Quad Set. If you go with a traditional thruster set up you’re looking at big bottom turns and HUGE of the top hits. If you elect to run a Quad set-up you’ll be looking at great hold and you board will feel more “skatey”. 3D Fins offer dimples that increase drive on your turns and reduce drag for more speed. FCS II features the worlds first screwless system, while Futures and Kinetik strategically place carbon within their higher end fins to help return power from your turns into speed with very precise flex patterns.

2. Know your Weight
Fins are categorized into weight rages, for Grom, Small, Medium, Large and XL surfers. Make sure you’re buying a fin set that’s the appropriate size for you or you run the risk of your board feeling too squirly or stiff. You can get away with going a size smaller for a loose feel, or going a size bigger for more hold, but this is only recommended once your extremely comfortable with your board and particular surf style. Advanced surfers should definitely experiment more as it will give their surfing an edge and a fresh feel, while beginners should really stick to fins in their designated weight range.

3. Know your Wave
Know what types of waves you typically surf, this will help determine what fin size, template and material you should go with, with template and material being key here. A more upright fin will pivot on a dime and are great for waves with a small pocket. Fins with a more drawn out tip are recommended for long walls where you have the option to do big drawn out sweeping turns. Base is easy, a larger base on a fin will give you more drive, while a set with a smaller base will tend to be more loose. Fin material is an interesting conversation and really deserves the time spent experimenting with different fins. Fins with Carbon strategically placed with in the fin have a very meaningful flex pattern, returning a lot of speed to you and your board. Hex core is light weight and has been designed to mimic the fiber glass fins of old with a reduced weight. (Think Smaller Waves) Solid glass fins have become less popular as their the heaviest of the current fin materials, but still have their place when it gets HEAVY. Glass fins will hold like no other and help you get down the line and out of harms way.

Remember that we have designed the Finatic Fin Testing Program to help you learn what fins are best for you and Finatic is TRULY the best way to try virtually any set of Surfboard Fins. Use this resource to improve your surfing!

Surfboard Fin Reviews (FCS Futures & Kinetik)

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Fins Fins Fins! We figured we’d make it really easy for you to find all your favorite Surfboard Fin Reviews! SO whether you’re looking for our FCS, Futures or Kinetik Racing Fin reviews you can now find them all in one place! What we’ve done is simply made a separate play list for all of our Surfboard Fin Reviews as well as playlists for just our FCS, Futures and Kinetik Fin Reviews. Every time we add a new fin review we’ll also add them to the appropriate playlist! You’ll find the embedded video playlist for each of our FCS, Futures and Kinetik Racing Fins playlists below. Please visit our channel to see all our videos. Remember you can try ANY surfboard fins we offer with our EXCLUSIVE Finatic™ Fin Testing Program! Thanks again for your support!

P.S. We should be adding more Surfboard Fin Reviews soon!

FCS Fin Reviews:

Futures Fin Reviews:

Kinetik Racing Fin Reviews:

Surfing & China

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Hey Guys! So, UNFORTUNATELY I am NOT talking about surfing IN China. “In” and “&” are two small but VERY different points in this conversation. lol Anyway, I thought I would stray from Surfboard Fins for a sec and talk about China. (for good reason) MOST of the surf products you know and love are MADE IN CHINA. (surprise, surprise right?!?) Anyway, everything from Surfboard Bags to Fins, Leashes to Traction Pads, for the most part are MADE IN CHINA. Why does this matter? Well, apparently the Chinese work force wants to make money as well and in that spirit China raised their minimum wage earlier this year. Again, how does this effect you and I? Well, with minimum wage going up in China, the cost to produce your favorite Fins, Surfboard Bags, etc. has gone up and when that happens we all feel it. So, while we maintain the BEST prices in the industry, if you have had the sneaking suspicion that prices on surf gear have been sneaking up on you… You’re right! Unfortunately, they have! Check our sale and clearance pages and make SURE your getting our email blasts in order to get the BEST prices on the NEWEST surf gear!

New Fins. Did you hear me?!? NEW FINS! 2.0

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Hey guys! It seems harder and harder for me to find time for you! (nothing personal… lol) However, once again I do something like this and TOTALLY REDEEM MYSELF! We have MORE NEW SURFBOARD FINS! Futures Fins is on the BALL this year, revamping a lot of their line. Let’s start with the NEW Rasta Quad! An insane option for your Quad, partially made out of bamboo, these fins show off your (and Dave “Rasta’s”) passion for being green and helping the environment. Futures also has done some interesting things with the F4 template. The F4 now comes in a Thruster, Quad, and 5-Fin. The F4 5-Fin is available in Red Hex and has a V2 foil, while both the Future Fins F4 Thruster and F4 Quad have a flat foil. My PERSONAL favorite is the F4 Quad which now comes in a Black/Clear Hex. It’s all about the aesthetics, lol! I’ll keep you posted as new fins come out! Remember that all of the mentioned Surfboard Fins are available NOW and if you’re unsure, give them a try in our EXCLUSIVE Finatic Fin Testing program. And as the Aussie’s say, “Good-Aye Mate”.

New Fins. Did you hear me?!? NEW FINS!

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Hey guys, sorry again for a bit of a lull there. Swamped is the name of the game. However, I figured I’d come back with some GOOD NEWS! New Surfboard Fins are here! That’s right, it’s that time of the year when FCS, Futures and Kinetik begin to cycle in their new fins for the year and you KNOW we have ‘um first. Though they’re trickling in, I thought I would post a bit about the first ones in. Futures has the NEW CM2, Clay Marzo’s new fins. A bit of a different template from his first release, but the BEST news is that the Clay Marzo Fins are now made in Futures touted Tech Flex! So, don’t pass on those, they’ll be HOT for sure and at the moment we have ‘um! If you’re a Grom, Futures has FINALLY released a NEW fin for you as well, the CTG. Again, the great news with these fins is that they ALSO come in Tech Flex. There are MANY more to come. As we get them in I will keep the highlights coming. Keep it here and catch some waves.
BTW, I’m headed to Rincon, PR on Thurs. morning! SO, more on that later as well.

FCS and The Surfboard Warehouse 101

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Sorry to blog so late on a Friday! (I meant to have this up in the AM, however once again I got tied up! This time it was helping with the Finatic Fin Testing Program.) So, it’s time to let the pendulum swing the other way and talk about our INCREDIBLE relationship with FCS! FCS has been around longer than Futures, thus when we came onto the scene in 2005, FCS had to feel us out for a bit and make sure we were a good fit for each other. I think they saw me as a crazy man that may just be able to pull off such an insane online surf shop! lol Once they gave us the green light in early 2006, BOY did I prove them right! ha ha (Yes, I realize I’m admitting to being a crazy man.) The Surfboard Warehouse‘s sales have grown consistently year after year with FCS! This brings us to where we are today, one of FCS‘s LARGEST online accounts in the US! This is NO small accomplishment with the amount of competition there is on the Net now a days. So how did we do it? Well, when you pair FCS, an established global leader in both surfboard fins and surf gear, and The Surfboard Warehouse with our exclusive Finatic Fin Testing Program which has helped to fuel our FCS Fin sales, there was no doubt in my mind that it was just a matter of time before we would begin to aid FCS in setting the bar.

Future Fins and The Surfboard Warehouse 101

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Hey Guys! I’m a bit Travel Surfboard Bagged out… lol So I figured I would talk about Future Fins and our relationship with them for a bit. The Surfboard Warehouse has a GREAT relationship with Future Fins as WE PIONEERED selling Future Fins online. (Don’t let anyone tell you different.) Back in 2005 when we opened we were just selling Custom Surfboards. By 2006 we had received our contracts with both FCS and Future Fins. However, Future Fins as a company was much smaller than they are today, and to our knowledge, didn’t have ANY other all online accounts. (We’re still one of the ONLY all online accounts for many of the companies we sell.) Anyway, fast forward almost 6 years and Futures Fins is as glad they took a chance on us as we are that we took a chance on them! Because, within that time both Future Fins and The Surfboard Warehouse have experienced MASSIVE GROWTH that may not be equaled anywhere else in the surf industry! By combining Future Fins, one of the world’s leading Fins and Fin Box systems, and our effort to give everyone EVERYWHERE an equal opportunity to get the EXACT surf gear they demand, both companies have experienced massive growth that otherwise may not have happened. Now you know…

Future Fins or FCS Fins?!? (Final FINAL thoughts)

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Hey Guys! I figured this would be a GREAT time and place to throw a plug out there for our EXCLUSIVE Finatic Fin testing program! (No shame here!) While our discussion concluded that FCS Fins and Future Fins are just “different”, depending on which fin system you choose, you NEED the Fins that take YOUR surfing to the next level! And the BEST way of knowing which fins are best for YOU is to try them all! What’s that you say? That’s impossible?!? Well it was… (You can thank us later) This problem is EXACTLY why we created Finatic! (INNOVATION and we are the MASTERS! Again thank us later.) For one LOW monthly price (currently $9.99 a month, shipping INCLUDED) you can check out and test virtually EVERY set of fins that FCS Fins, Future Fins and Kinetik Racing Fins have to offer! Keep the Fins as LONG as you like! Surf on them WHEREVER you want! (Now is the time to thank us.) You can only find the Finatic Fin testing program here at The Surfboard Warehouse and we’re the ONLY one’s with anything like it! So what are you waiting for! Become a Finatic today!