Single Fin v Thruster? shapers?

I was wondering the same thing. I currently have a thruster setup for my 8' 1" McTavish 8 Ball, which for me is a HP LB (i'm 5ft 9"). I recently snapped the tip of my center fin (Walden) and will be in the market for a new one soon. I'm trying to decide if I should stick with the thruster setup or go single fin. That and I also wonder which fin I should get, which i'm sure depends on if I go single or thruster. I want speed and manueverability out of mine. I've gotten some suggestions from a couple people on here but so many options it's crazy.

 

its funny how the old and obsolete keep trying to come back. ask Cheyne Horan how the single fin worked.

 

Singles will draw smoother turns and more drawn out turns. They will also track speed better down the line of an open wave. They lack the off the start speed a thruster does and can't go veritcaly as easily. Singles on small eggy boards are very fun on lined up point breaks or anythign with a down the line open face wave. They are not much fun when it is mushy or sectiony. One great set up is a 5 fin ridden as a quad with a tiny pivot fin in the back (yes similar to Slater's set up). In overhead surf it makes it like a single on crack. Warp speed, great hold and pwerful snaps galore!

 

As far as single fin retro shorties....
My brother had a 7'0 Hawaiian style single fin pin WRV circa early 70s (one time the manager at WRV offered a straight up trade for any board in the shop... he should have done it). Every time I borrowed it I wished I was on a thruster busting out more maneuvers and making more sections. Could you ride it? yeah. Was it the best equipment for mushy VB? no. When the waves did have emphf it was just too much board. He offered to let me have it when I was living in Micronesia to put it into some real juice. I know D Malloy did it in Sprout but I passed based on my earlier reasoning. It would work but I'd rather busting out more maneuvers and making more sections than face down death on a dinosaur board or accidentally end it's life however worthless I thought it was for surfing in the modern age. Maybe with modern concaves, rockers, rails and foils single shorties are different but I doubt it. Take in to consideration how much Kerazy can do that we can't on a board. He could probably make anything look good but it doesn't mean its good for the average joe on less than average waves.

 

The only singlefin I have is my log.

If you're talking about modern performance surfing, forget the singlefin. A thruster or quad is the best. Twin fins, like the MR twin, and retro fish with twin keels have their advantages, but not for modern performance surfing.

But... it depends on your expectations. If you're after the feel of a singlefin shortboard, then that's the only thing that will scratch that itch. A few years ago I rode a friend's rounded pin single in glassy, head high, barreling surf and was getting some unbelievable tubrides. Just so smooth... like a big old Cadillac. No outrunning the tube. No twitchy adjustments. No Huntington hops. Just effortless, smooth, with-the-wave surfing.

 

I've had three single fins

5-10" Surfboards Australia pig (wide fishy shape) from the 70s. For such a short board it turned like a dog. It was fast going straight. Who wants a 5-10" for going straight.

6-10" egg 2+1 this board was pretty fun as a thruster in large waves. Taking the side fins out and riding it as a single with a big larger fin turned a decent board into a low performance stiff frustrating mess

9-0" performance long board. This board is so fun a a single fin. I haven't had the side bites in in years and swear this long board does better turns with more drive as a single fin than either of the short boards.

 

single fin shortboards do work. Try one on a good day at your local break. Not the best board on a less than perfect day...but lets face it, no board is. I have one and I love it. If its sloppy, I prefer a wide thruster but nothing beats a single fin on a good clean day IMO. I don't care about high performance though.

 

I've had several Old single fins over the last 2 decades. I loved the way they looked and loved the idea of them, but in all honesty, I preferred a modern board, and could surf way better on modern equipment in practically all surf conditions. Did I have some good rides on them...sure, but more fun on my standard daily driver. The singles looked cooler than they surfed.

I sold the last couple about 2 years ago and put the money towards some customs. I had a really hard time selling this one because for some reason I just desperately wanted to click with it...finally came to terns that single fins arent for me. I thinked they were generally phased out for a valid reason.

They sure look cool though in my opinion. The stubby small wave board i replaced his with is fairly hideous looking, but surfs incredible.

 

LB spot on with his assessment, this is my early 80's single

 

yes he could BUT he lost out titles and contests on the single when everybody else was on a thruster. the point being, for an all around board, your are probably better off with a thruster and I would argue a 'fatter' thruster as opposed to a chippy performance board. for fun/different factor to add a quiver, a single fin could be interesting.

 

Almost ashamed to say after 20+ yrs I've never really experimented with a single fin aside from an ocassional longboard session. After reading your post I might have to try it. My surfing is definately geared more toward the single fin style. After watching guys with different styles ride them they look like a good addition to anyone's quiver.

 

I have a 6'4" single fin that just sits in the basement. When I first rode it, I hated it. I loved how it paddled into waves but just couldn't turn it. After a while I learned that you really need to ride it different than you would ride a HP shortboard. I eventually grew to like it and had some super fun days on it, but once I went to a new quad, it just doesn't interest me anymore. It taught me a lot about riding something that was loose, but I'm over it.

As for my longboard, single fin is the way to go.

 

I actually LEARNED to surf on a Challenger Eastern singlefin. What a dog! Flat rocker, widepoint way forward, pinched rails, with a pintail. Even had that hole through the base of the fin for a bungie cord leash, that had a leather strap for you ankle that pinched the he!! out of you. UGH! I was a skinny little kid in 7th grade. Funny... a fresh bar of Zoggs brings me back to that board and those days every time.

 

I learned on a thruster in about '92 and I never did try new boards. I got locked into that potato chip mentality becuase that's what all the guys were riding back then. Man, it was a struggle to surf sometimes on those types of boards where I was living, and I had nowone mentoring me at the time to slap me in the face and make me try new boards and new styles of riding rail to rail instead of trying to bash the lip after three seconds and think you got a good ride. Of course that was before the internet and all of the modern designs being advertised. I'm just now experimenting with older style boards, interested in just about anything but a high performance board unless I have no choice. You still got that Challenger? Give it to the next kid you see riding a potato chip in waist high mush looking really confused.

 

Great answer. It depends completely on what kind of surfing you want to do. I have no desire to replicate modern performance surfing. I want smooth rides and long turns etc. I have a Channel Islands Single Fin G2 that I am absolutely in love with. I will say, though, that it's picky. You need good waves. I have only used it in NJ, which is a damn shame and am dying to get the thing onto an airplane to find it the waves it really needs.

 

if anybody has seen the movie thicker than water, the green board part is insane. it was on a single fin with a super flexy fin. that was one of my favorite parts in that movie. you can rip single fins if you can get a proper one.
here's the part.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUHHGlL2umk

 

Sounds familiar...one o the boards I learned on was a 70's California Company with a crazy tie died looking resin tint. Same thing thiugh, little rocker, wide point forward and a bungee leash. Except mine attached to a rusty screw eye that someone drove right into the bottom of the board then put resin on it. Found that gem at a barn sale in PA for $25 bucks. It had the old Lavalette surfboard registration stickers on it.