NEW FCS II Screwless Fin System! You guys seen this?

so many fundamental problems w/ a screwless system. what mechanism do they use to hold the fin in? is it spring based? will it corrode in the salt water? what about the "origins" system? will existing fcs fins fit those boxes? will "origins" fins fit existing plugs? will "origins" fit the screwless?
as a surf shop employee, all i see in this is a nightmare. most surfers barely comprehend the differences in construction & materials, now you're gonna add differnt systems to the mix? what about stock boards? am i now going to have to stock 4 boards w/ the same dims but different fin systems-1 futures, 1 og fcs, 1 fcs 2, 1 fcs origins?
as a self-admitted fin geek, i really don't give a damn about the time it takes to manipulate a grub screw to change fins. not that big a deal, IMO.

 

^^^^ Nailed it

 

FCS has the best fins out there. Fins have come a long ways. They know what they are doing!

 

if you want to buy into their marketing hype, that's fine. but i see a TON of potential problems with all these changes & i think a lot of people are going to opt to buy boards w/ futures who either normally wouldn't care which system they have or previously preferred fcs b/c of the confusion & potential issues. i ride fcs in the vast majority of my boards b/c i believe in the system (the other boards that don't have fcs have glass-ons). i feel that these 2 changes were poorly thought out & possibly rushed to market for the tradeshow. i sincerely hope that i'm wrong, but i don't think i am.

 

Existing FCS fins will fit those boxes... Not sure about the other questions.
I think it would be cool to have a screwless system, but I don't think it will work. Like NJsurfer said, if it's spring loaded salt water will kill it...
the reason they innovate is to stay ahead of the curve. Someone is always going invent the next great thing. But I think they work just fine they way they are.

 

Well... whether or not they'll hold up in the market and in the water has yet to be seen... only time will tell. A screwless system would be great, but yea... I see a lot of potential for failure. Simple logic tells you, "more parts, more chance for failure." Just another thing that can go wrong, and if it does, you might be in for a big problem, particularly in a remote area.

But I can say with some degree of confidence that the Origins system, with it's fillet along the base, might actually reduce turbulent drag, and make for a faster, more responsive fin. The Holy Grail of fin systems is to get that elusive "glass-on feel" with a removable fin system. I'll hold off judgment 'till I try it.

 

I saw the new systems (FCS II and Origin) with my own eyes at Surf Expo. Full disclosure I am also friends with some of the FCS guys. Their intention is to phase out the plugs and fusion entirely and replace it with the FCS II box. They also admit that the Origin system is a bit of a niche thing aimed at the glass-on holdouts.

They have also completely simplified their fin offering, basically offering 4 different styles of fins, each in S,M,L sizes. So in the medium term I think the FCS offering will actually be simplified, which is long overdue for shops and surfers and board-builders.

As far as the screwless mechanism (FCS II). It is very simple. No springs. Just a hard rubber roller around a titanium rod. After a million in-n-outs at the trade show the fin was still holding solid. Also it still has the grub screws so you can use your old fins with the new system.

As a backyard boardbuilder I also think the new FCS II plugs are improved. The PU core of the box comes though the top of the box so you get a better resin/box bond. Also the valley between the two fin-tab holes is gone, reducing the likelihood of bubbles in that valley while laminating.

I'm sure there will be a lot of trash talk about the system in the near term, but I think when the dust settles it's an improvement for FCS and it will be well received. I know all the big-time shapers that checked it out at the show (Rawson, Biolos, Kechele, etc.) were very happy with it.

 

soooo...16 fins fit all? no signature template fins? what if i don't want carbon fiber/kevlar/texalium/inside foil? as much as i love fcs, my biggest complaint has always been lack of selection in purely fiberglass fins/too "techy" (read: "gimmicky"). the MF-1, IMO, is the single best large size fin in their catalog. why do away w/ that?
this really smacks of changing horses mid-stream for the company, & i'm not sure i'm a fan of that. can't the improvements built into the fcs 2 box be built into the fusions as a redesign?

 

I'm assuming it's a pre-glass system, then, even more structurally sound than the Fusions? That's great... What about weight?
Same footprint as the Fusions, so the same jig can be used?
Is the PU core the same base as the Fusions... I really liked that.
How long do they expect the rubber roller to last before it fatigues out and cracks? Longer than the board itself, I hope?

 

nj42, I'm not sure but I overheard one of the FCS guys say eventually they will bring the signature fins into the line with the screwless base. In the meantime, the old FCS fins work fine in the new box.

LB, footprint is a little bit longer than the fusions and a little bit narrower than the fusions. More of a peanut shape then an 8 shape. The PU core looked actually more high density and nicer than the fusion core. As for the roller, it also looks very high density and unlikely to wear out before the board does. Like I said, those fins probably went in-out several thousand times during the trade show and they were still solid.

Hope you guys got in the water today. It was actually really fun mid-day waist+ and clean with NOBODY out where I was in southern Monmouth.

 

probly the most custy thing ive heard. fcs is expensive and out old news. true ames and kinetic fins.

 

i guess, in the end, i'm not convinced of the practicality or the need for something like this. screwless systems have always had major, presumably unforeseen, flaws in the past. i'm not convinced that fcs moving screwless fills a genuine need, only a marketing one.

 

I can't argue with you on that. I said the same thing to my FCS buddy (never really saw a need, was fine w/screws) and he said, "It's one of those things you don't think you need/want until you have it." Perhaps. Another thing, though, is that the connection really does seem more solid than the old Fusion/Plug connection. Less flex at the base. Tabs are twice as long as the old ones. So there really isn't much of a downside considering you can always use the grub screws.

 

Glassed on. And you know what else, tighty whities and foam shaving cream.

 

couldn't they just redesign the tabs then? seems like overkill IMO

 

Looks great but the single most flaw about the new systems... Fixing them. You can get an FCS plug fixed anywhere in the world with very little time and money. Now replacing fusion, FCS 2, futures, Lockbox ect... That's a little harder. One plug is easy as pie to drill out and replace. That's why I like the FCS plug system.

 

I'm more interested in the Origin system than anything else. In the video for the for the FCSII system you have to bang the back of the fin to remove it. A poor glass job or shabby box install and your gonna have problems if you like to change fins out much like myself.

 

Hard to get around the ease of use for travel, too. But dang - for my 'homer' I'd take glassed.

 

i tried this in kauai.
it sucks.