Fins?

I can't feel the difference between FCS glass flex and performance core. The only significant difference between the two is weight. What I like about glass flex is the molding is impeccable and they're much more consistent due to the removal of the human final shaping element.

Futures are a different story: Thermotech (their version of glass flex) is junk. They're heavier and molded so poorly, they actually need to be post-sanded (increasing the inconsistency). The only improvement between Thermotech and Future's previous composite material is it's no longer so soft that screws literally crush it.

 

exactly. & solid fiberglass/RTM fins are just a scam by Big Fin to take your money.

 

I wouldn't go that far...RTM are significantly lighter (not that it matters in bigger waves) and come in candy colors. If RTM weren't so inconsistently sanded, even between sets, I'd like them better...but that's aesthetics, more than anything

 

that was most assuredly sarcasm. all you have to do to see the difference between stock plastic (injection molded) fins & RTM or solid fiberglass fins is stick them in your board & flex the fin. fiberglass will flex less than RTM which will in turn flex less than injection molded. extrapolate that out to the forced placed on the fins while being pushed through a turn & you can figure out how the materials make a difference.

 

What the study says is that it is possible to create a homogeneous short fiber/epoxy composite fin that has flex properties identical to traditional layered fiberglass. The question then becomes... does FCS use the formula (fiber to epoxy ratio, and aspect ratio of fibers used in the matrix) that will result in those properties? FCS could be using any formula.

Why didn't they just test an FCS fin rather than create their own fin identical in shape and size to the FCS?

 

my bad, for some reason I interpreted the report as flex similarities between glass flex and RTM (honeycomb), not 100% layered glass. In my exp, 100% layered fiberglass is, as you said, much stiffer than glass flex. It's RTM and "glass flex" that flex the same

 

i would disagree. while RTM is definitely softer & flexes more easily than solid fiberglass, RTM is in general stiffer than "glassflex". again, stick 'em in your board & push.

 

I did...that's why I said "in my exp" they flex the same to me. Any difference would be so minimal, I don't think anyone (beside you) would really be able to tell the difference. With 100% fiberglass I can feel a significantly stiffer difference.

 

That chaps final report/thesis/anylasis is an incredible example of techno-wank. IMO the material the skeg is made of is much less important than the toe, cant and attachment style of a multi fin hull. Totally barking up the wrong tree. He should have studied the difference between attachment systems. He is using FCS style boxes for a control? The little bit of difference in flex between materials the fin is made of is greatly outweighed by the way they are stuck on the hull not withstanding a fin made of pasta or rubber. Try it some time. Push on the side of an FCS then a Future systems or whatever else. Then try the same with a glass on of the same relative size and material. FCS are a joke. I'm sure the object of the report was not really to research materials but to show the professor he could spank it. But I hope he at least got an A. Now he has to get a job.

 

the issue w/ fcs is the 2 tab attachment method vs. futures' use of one long tang. the single tang, while slightly hindering tail flex & being slightly heavier, is a more secure attachment method & feels more like glassed on fins. i've noticed, esp. at higher speeds, a slight (& unnerving) wiggle at the leading & trailing edges of fcs fins. fcs fins also flex out a bit more, compared to the same fin & material in futures, b/c of that 2 tab system...there's less anchoring the fin to the board.

people prefer either system, or have no preference, for these & many more reasons. it ultimately comes down to a po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe situation. i preferred fcs for a long time simply b/c i had more fcs fins than futures & i had never really had a board w/ futures that i really liked. then i got a couple & felt like i got more push back from the fins, & more drive w/ less fin area, w/ futures. i still prefer solid fiberglass over any other construction method.

 

while i agree w/ you on the method of attachment, i'm going to disagree w/ you about toe & cant, as both of those precisely calibrated numbers become irrelevant if the fin deforms too much when under load. IMO, while cant & toe are certainly important, you can't study them w/out taking into consideration how they change when the fin flexes.

i have issues w/ the report, mostly related to the language used...the author states that he's going to determine which is "better". better in what way? as we can see from this discussion, "better" is a relative thing.

 

solid fiberglass is still best, but, if you want a lighter fin, the next best thing might be the carbon wrapped honeycomb fins like "techflex" and "black stix"

 

He's isolating a variable... material. Put that up against cost, and it's valuable information for those who choose the two tab system.

 

Well said... I agree with all.

The only thing I might suggest is that the wiggle you feel may have to do with foil, and not how the fin attaches.

 

could be, although i doubt it. i used the same template fin w/ a futures base & didn't experience the sensation. granted, the foil could have been different on the futures based fin vs. the fcs one, but i think that's unlikely. all i know from this is that futures feels more secure than fcs & my bonzers feel better than both.

 

42... were they RTM or glass? Or other? I agree... highly unlikely if they were molded fins.

 

There is some great info on here guys! In my experience with FCS and Future, I have found fins to make a huge difference. There are alot of things to take into account. Finding the right fins for board your riding, wave your on and size of surfer can be difficult. You have to try different fins to see what works. I've paid for the more expensive fins, like PC in FCS, and Futures and found the stock fins work even better. It depends what your looking for. Stiffer will give you more hold in bigger surf. But I like the flex I get from Shapers Fins for Futures. Their basically a stock fin. Then use these old AI Honycomb fins if it gets bigger.

 

i experienced it w/ both RTM & glass, though significantly less w/ glass. it was only really noticeable when compared to a similar template w/ a futures base.