After looking around for a decent used longboard for a while, I finally pulled the trigger on a 9'0\" Stewart LSP I found on craigslist. This is my first longboard and I'm looking for some help with the fin.<br /><br />The board came with the fin shown below. It's 6.5\". It just seems kind of short to me. Is a reasonable fin to use or is it too short for this board? Not sure if I will be using side bites or not, with probably experiment with and without. <br /><br /><br />If this thing is too short, what would a decent, basic fin be for this board? I know it depends on what I want to do with the board. Mostly I just plan on riding it on smaller days (bought the longboard just to get me out more in the summer). Just trying to figure out what a good base is to try out first, can always change it up down the road. <br /><br />About me: 6'0\", 175 lbs, 28 y/o, surfing for 2.5 yrs. Boards I usually ride are a SB and a retro fish. <br /><br />Thanks guys.
Yea... too short to use as a single fin. I'd be looking at at least an 8" fin. Even with sidebites, I'd be using a 7 or 7.5.
Congrats on the new board. 6.5" is alright if you plan on using side bites. If you want to try the single fin life, I would go for a 8.5"-9" fin. I highly recommend the RFC "Wingnut" Sweep - best fin I have ever used.
Bingo. The RFC Wingnut is a sick fin. And yes 6.5 is what I used on a 7'0" single. For 9 ft board I would say 9-10 depending on what style surfing you do on it. Bigger for noserides, smaller for high performance longboarding.
I'm with LBCrew you need 8" or so - again w/ sidebites. I have a wingnut hachet I'm selling for $25, the 7inch rainbow is $10. PM me if you want them- located in Bridgewater, NJ. http://www.swellinfo.com/forum/images/attach/jpg.gif http://www.swellinfo.com/forum/images/attach/jpg.gif
Thanks guys. Guess I'll start looking around for a larger fin. After doing some more reading I think a 2+1 setup will work better for me, but want to play around with both. Too bad I need to fix a couple dings on it today, this AM would have been a good first time to take her out, knee high and light offshore in Long Beach. Maybe I can get her out for the evening session. Gfootr - sending you a PM.
The best setup I ever had with sidebites was a 7" cutaway. Figure this... sidebites are super short fins. Basically, they're all base. So you can use a longer center fin with a super short base (like a cutaway) because the sidebite bases make up for it, plus they shift the overall fin area forward for responsiveness. The advantage is you have a longer center fin to anchor you when you're out on the tip, but you don't have an excessive amount of base. And when I say cutaway, I'm talking about this... http://www.waveridersfingallery.com...ategory_id=51&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=72 I'm currently riding a 9" Josh Farberow Flex Fin in my 9'3 log.
I've been riding the 9'0" LSP for the last 6 years. I switched from a 9'6" Hydrohull after I buckled it. The LSP (Light Speed Performance) is not a nose rider and is a great transition for a former short boarder who still goes on the rails. I guess you could use it as a single fin, but if that how you want to ride I think Stewart has a bunch of boards better suited with more volume for that style. I use a 7" center fin with the side bites. It really doesn't work for how its designed without the side bites.
Since your current fin has so much presence, I think you're fine with a 6.5" with side bites. If you were using something with a smaller base w/ side bites, like a cutaway, I would go a .5" or 1" larger.
Sometimes picking out a fin for a long board can be tricky. It can depend how you surf how hard you turn cutback, nose ride etc. I have a number of fins so I can switch out. Also different long boards require different fins and set ups. I have always found that fin placement is crucial. A quarter of an inch forward or back can be big. Experment for best results! Surfs Up!
