You must have walked into a surf store looking for fins and encountered a giant wall. Fins of different sizes, shapes, and colours stacked one on top of the other make for a pretty sight. However, they do not help you find the one for your surfboard.
Australia has over 2.5 million recreational surfers. Subsequently, the surf equipment market is also enormous. Although when it comes to surfboard fins, CS Fins is a household name across the globe.
Known for their quality and engineering, these fins can give your board better control, speed, power, and balance. Read ahead to know what factors to consider to find the fins you need.
The Fin for You
Your fins will depend on various factors based on your surfboard and your requirements. So, here is a list that will help you find your fins.
Fin Box and Configuration Type
The first step to eliminating most of your fin options is to look at your surfboard’s fin box. Your board can have the following fin tabs.
- Dual Tab FCS Fin Box – Fins with two tabs or plug fixed using screws.
- Dual Tab FCS II Fin Box – Keyless fins with only a plug and no screws.
Moreover, your surfboard will have one of the following fin configurations.
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- Single Fin: Mostly used in longboards and provides stability. It is ideal for small to medium-sized waves.
- Dual or Twin Fin: Made for shortboards navigating small to small-medium waves.
- Thruster or Tri Fin: Adds tracking and speed to the stability of a single fin board.
- Quad Fin: Combines the advantages of the thruster and twin fins. Allows you to make faster turns while maintaining balance.
- 2+1 Fin: Longer middle fin gives increased stability, and side fins add drive and speed.
- 5 Fin: It comes with five fin boxes for you to customize your fin setup.
Surfer Weight
Similar to surfboards, the fin size also depends on your weight. FCS fins have a size range of XS through XL.
The following is the FCS size chart corresponding to your weight.
| Fin Size | Weight |
| XS | Under 55 kgs |
| S | 55-70 kgs |
| M | 65-80 kgs |
| L | 75-90 kgs |
| XL | 85+ kgs |
You can size up if you are an aggressive surfer who makes hard turns. In contrast, smaller sizes will be better options if you do not push hard through turns.
Surfing Style
Depending on whether you are an agile surfer or lean towards heavier surfing, the material used for your fins will differ. Fins made of different materials provide varying degrees of flex and response.
Flexible fins help you maintain speed through turns, whereas stiffer fins allow for more immediate response. Here are the five materials used to make FCS surfboard fins.
- Neo Glass – Highest flexibility, Delayed Response
- Neo Carbon – High flexibility, Slow Response
- Performance Core – Medium Flexibility and Response
- Performance Core Carbon – Low Flexibility, Fast Response
- Performance Glass – Least Flexibility, Immediate Response
Your Requirements
Surfboard fins are made to provide more control, balance, power, and speed. Therefore, to make things more convenient for you, FCS has divided its fins into four lines based on the requirement they fulfil.
Here are the four categories of fins from FCS:
- Reactor – provides speed
- Performer – provides balance
- Accelerator – provides control
- Carver – provides power
Fins are an integral part of your surfing experience, and you can navigate turns and waves better with the right pair of FCS fins. Now that you know how to select your own place an order and hit the waters!
