I have a 8' 6" x 22 1/4 x 34 Isle Longboard and i need an all round fin. I'm 5' 8" and 145 pounds. I want to get a fin thats good for turns but i want to noseride as well. I mostly ride in Mommouth County. I found this fin http://www.thaliasurf.com/zocafincosuf.html i was wondering what everyone's opinion on it is. If i should get this fin what size should i get. And any other suggestions would be appericated. Thanks.
seems like a decent template...similar to the greenough 4A, which i absolutely LOVE. in fact, i would say just go w/ the 4A b/c it's cheaper on that site. $64+/- for the zombie & under $60 for the 4A... & depending on the tail width of the board in the question, i'd go w/ either an 8.5" or a 9". the rule of thumb i've always used is that the fin should be about 1/2 the width of the tail of the board as measured 12" up from the end of the board. (ie: a 16" tail=an 8" fin)
Yeah the 4A is a sweet ass fins , I has everything you would want Nice rake for drive , A wide base and length for noseriding and good flex for turning, The 4a is very simulare to my 9plus Flex drive I have
For a smaller guy like you, on a sub-9 foot board, an 8.5 inch fin is plenty of fin, even with a fin like those with a less overall area. If you've never ridden a flex fin, it's very different from a fin with normal flex. Another option, and I don't mean to confuse the issue here because this is a completely different direction, is a cutaway. I know they get a bad rap, but on smaller "longboards" they work great, and even noseride because of the fatter tip area. Not as smooth and drivey as a fin with normal base, but a fun option.
I just want to add that if you're over 210-220, that 4a can throw your timing off in hard bottom/top turns. It's hard for me to explain, but if I crank a hard bottom & bring it up to the top (remaining in an arc), my transition to a hard carve in the opposite direction for my top turn stalls. For this reason, I briefly considered going to a 4C before I decided in going a different direction. This may not apply to you, but I just wanted to put it out there for the tons-o-fun guys in the same boat. It'll "put the brakes on" before in breaks loose it that one situation. If I crank a hard bottom turn and bring it out of the turn earlier to avoid a hard top turn: No problems. It's almost as if the fin needs a second to unload in one direction before it can efficiently turn hard in the next direction. I still won't get rid of mine because I consider it an "everything" fin. Perhaps I should lose some weight!
