THE HISTORY OF FIN DESIGN

THE HISTORY OF FIN DESIGN

They say it is the most instrumental element in the progression of surfing. Surfboard fins, how critical are they in modern wave riding?
The history of the surf fins is also written with art. Timothy Hogan, 

founder of "The Fin Project", combines his love of surfing with his passion for photography:

"I believe that developments in fin design from pioneers such as Tom Blake, Bob Simmons, George Greenough (to name a few) have propelled surfing more than any other single element in the history of the sport. They are surfing's unsung heroes", explains Hogan.

"We will be producing a gallery show, coffee table book and feature-length documentary exploring the story of the fin. We're not so good at sitting still", he adds.

"The Fin Project" will be releasing its first series of fine art photographs available for purchase online.

The photos are just the beginning of this project, which will eventually grow to encompass a gallery show, photography book, documentary film and an online archive.

The surfboard fin industry has been evolving in the last 10 years. Until then fins were considered a secondary gear item in surfing. Now, fins are crucial to high performance wave riding and can make the difference in competition.

Selecting the best fin kit for your surfboard and your surfing skills is not easy, but you can get an in-depth look at fin selection. 

Nevertheless, there are a few general formulas. 
If you're a light surfer, pick fins with less area and if your surfboard has a wide tail, choose a bigger fin!

Are you looking for quick responses from your surfboard? Buy a stiffer fin kit. 

Going for big waves in a small surfboard? Take larger and more swept fins. 

There are multiple combinations you can actually test.

The surfboard fin industry is dominated by no more than 8 brands:

1. Fin Control Systems (FCS) is the leading trademark and was founded in 1995 by Brian A. Whitty, in Australia.  
2. Future Fins is also fighting for a relevant share of the mark. (Both first fin brands offer a complete collection of units for every type of surfing needs. It is possible to combine and balance speed with surfboard responsiveness and there are fins for shortboards and longboards.) 
3. Dorsal, 
4. Red-X Fins, 
5. Speeed Fins,  
6. Rainbow Fins, Patagonia,  
7. Kinetik Racing 
8. Turbo Tunnel 

That's the complete list of the most famous surf fins in the world. 

Almost all fins can be tightened down with an Hex key or Allen wrench.

There are 5 main fin setups: 

1. single fin, 
2. twin fin, 
3. thruster, 
4. 2+1 fin 
5. quad fin setups.

 

The source: http://www.surfertoday.com