How to choose surfboard fins
This is how you surf well, and it’s time to choose some new fins. Because colorful fins make you faster. I’m just having fun. Well, somehow – sometimes better fins look cooler. However, better fins mean that you can surf in a way that’s better for yourself. In other words, y
ou will be able to surf better. Powerful surfers use larger, stiffer fins that provide more drive and speed and hold better during turns. However, if you are not a strong enough surfer, these types of fins will make the board too stiff and it will become harder to get fluid. At the other end of the spectrum, a fin that’s too small for you is not driving, speeding and keeping enough.
The surfboard
All surfboards are different. So some fins will work with some and not others. Even more, the right fin can potentially even make a not so good surfboard fly the line.
Boards with more concave and wider tails (eg a fishtail) tend to work best with fins that have a larger surface area and more depth and/or sweep.
Boards with less concave and narrower tails (eg a pistol) tend to work best with an average to smaller size fins, relative to your weight.
The Wave
That’s a bit of a trick because most of us are surfing a huge variety of waves. But remember the waves that you surf most of the time.
For long-term pauses, you tend to have longer turns with a wider, less narrow arc. For that, you want fins with more sweep.
For faster, hollow waves (think of the magical / dream day, if you want to find your local beach to find perfect sandbars and barrels or just that day if it’s a bit more powerful) You the opposite. You want fins with less sweep and a wider base that will make your turn bow firmer and more pivotal.