I've got a 42 Freeride fin on my Fanatic Cross 140 (259cm x 70cm x 135L) it works well on flatwater with my 6.4 and 7.5 sails. Took the board in up to shoulder height waves for a short session and borrowed a friends 33/32 Freewave fin, removed one of the two outer rear straps on my board and refitted the remaining one into the centre position ala wave configuration. It felt so much looser which is what I wanted in this kind of water. I was so delighted with the feel that I ordered my own 32 Black Project freewave fin specifically for surf use in winds of 15-20kts. BTW I'm 95-97kg. This is my allround board for flatwater blasting and small wave use.
Now, I'm hoping someone can tell me what other things I can use this fin for, eg. as an alternative to my 42 for higher wind conditions on flatwater? Is that how the theory works? I'm thinking because the board is wide it plains up pretty quickly, and in higher winds I don't need as much lift and reduced fin size will reduce drag...which is a good thing? Or should I save the confusion and just use it in in waves? It's what I bought it for but wanted to know what range of use this kind of fin offers with my board specs and weight.
Can't wait to try it out....when we get wind again...at least it hasn't rained for 2 days!
go forth and windsurf.
the 42 is a good match for your 7.5 asnd the 32 is a good match for your 6.4 so choose fin based on sail size.
if you get the chance next time you are out in the surf try a 28cm if you can and you will find your board lossens up further
Thanks Gesty, one other reason I chose this fin size is that most fin manufacturers I researched, after I used Adam's fin, recommended it with my two main sails (6.4 & 7.5) with the 6.4 being the more recommended one which you suggested too. Which is fine as I intend to use that sail and probably a 5.8 in the near future with that fin too.
I really feel a 28 will be too small with a board of this width in 15+knots. In a previous life my f'glass waveboard often spunout with a 25cm fin, and the tail width 1ft from the tail is exactly 100mm difference to my current board (both board's rails shapes nearly the same). So with the wider tail it's got a pretty good chance of spinning out too I reckon. But fin shapes/profiles have changed a lot since then. I'll see how it goes with the 32, it's in transit now.
Adam, yeah I thought it would be a case of "suck it and see" too. BTW check your fin again, it did say "Freewave 33" somewhere on it, I'm sure of it! If I'm wrong I owe you a beer. 
It's more wavy shape than my 42 Freeride too which is more upright.
Wind for Wednesday is looking promising but ocean is still brown, messy and scary looking. Might get to use the GT-31 for the first time in the lake but it's forecast for a southerly...
, that big arse mountain always get's in the way in that wind direction!
It's more wavy shape than my 42 Freeride too which is more upright. , that big arse mountain always get's in the way in that wind direction!
Speaking of fins. My old 283 Tiga FreeX has a monsterous fin which looks about 1.2 meters long, though I'm pretty sure is closer to 45 cm. Would it be possible to run a smaller fin, say somthing around 30 cm that's perhaps losens the board up a bit in the waves (yep, I know sh'es no wave board) and is also good for weedy spots too? I'm not talking streaking along in high winds, just crusing / planing around sub-20 knts on bays and lakes and playing around in small rolling waves.
I've been sailing a pretty shallow ocean spot of late, playing around in the small breakers, and in some spots I'm hitting the bottom, so I'm keen run a smaller fin if it doesn't dramatically effect the way the board tracks.
Older Tiga boards are fitted with the Conic Box. It was Tiga's own system and is incompatible with anything else. I don't think any fin maker makes conic box fins.
My new fin just arrived, looks sweet, looks big and looks too good for me.
Let's see how it goes....or more accurately how I go with it.
Hey Phil, why not, 30 will be OK I reckon, you're light and you have a big volume board and you don't have big sails...yet. But you may run into difficulties, the finbox in your board is not common and finding any fin, sorry to say, is going to be difficult. I'm happy to stand corrected.
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Edit: Woops Mobydisc beat me to it.
"hey there Phil. No I am pretty sure that fin is 1.2m long, it looks like a sword!!!!!!" Lol, I measured it, and it's 2.83 meters, the board is 45 cm ...
If- like Mobydisc says- the fin box is their own design, I may be stuck with the orca fin. It's fine for my ability and will be for some time, but the length when starting in shallows, and in the little waves on the flats, is a problem. Maybe Nic will have some answers regarding fin chioce to suit.
Hey Raf, hope your new fancy, shiny fin is a winner. And if you can think of somewhere to sail in the southerly that's due tommorow, let me know. I have a few days spare and keen for some planing practice- just pick really deep spots or I'll bottom out...
Thanks for ya help
do not despair,
gsport make a range of fins and still make tiga base from what i understand. i had a quick look on their website and they do a shallow water/weed fin that is in tiga base.
drop them an email. i've found them to be very good in the past.
