Change of fin for Offshore Distance?

Hey guys
Still new around here though been reading for months. Hello finally!

Picked up a 2nd Hand 14x26' Starby Allstar a month ago and have been using 3-4 times a week, flat water at first but now 80% offshore, often in chop and side swell (following the surf beach along outside the break, then downwinding back). Enjoying the sport a lot after a back injury has made SKi Paddling too sore.

I probably should have gone a slightly wider board for a beginner as it feels pretty tippy in decent chop and my legs are bloody sore after a session! Still, only have fallen a few times and seem to be improving...I backed myself with Ski background but standing up is a whole new learning curve.

I figure persist with the Allstar rather than change over to a 27.5' Glide or Falcon which I have been tempted, at least until next summer. Im 6'1 and 90Kg.

Anyway to the point. Im after suggestions for a larger fin than the standard hex Starby one, as Im guessing it might improve stability somewhat in choppy seas. Ive read about Ninja's and Gladiators but a little confused over which would be appropriate.

Cheers

Steve

I'm 80kg on an AllStar 14x25", and contacted Larry Allison direct through his website direct to order his new Gladiator Pro fin. See review here: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Gladiators-are-awesome/?SearchTerms=Allison
He'll send you an invoice to include post, well worth the $170 or so to help stabilise the board for those choppy conditions. Perhaps the next size up will suit better, but these are a quality product, noticed he's just sold five fins this week to Australia.
Contact direct or through Facebook ( SUP Gladiator ) - he's a really nice helpful guy who knows his stuff!
Hope this helps......

Thanks guys

The Hybrid sounds like the go. I appreciate the feeback fella's. I will contact Larry as suggested!

The 26' Wide Allstar has the smallest volume of the 3, Id be interested to try the other two in the future to compare. In the flat Im killing it and getting good speed over distance, its just in the side chop I seem to wobble and take a lot of water in the dugout.

Cheers

Yep thanks
Some feeback from Casey:

If you are a beginner to intermediate paddler, the Hybrid is the ticket for flat water. If you are a more advanced paddler, the Pro Model is the ticket for flat water. The Ninja is a great fin for downwinders, or for boards with a fin box that's more forward than most, such as the M&M.

I may pick up the Hybrid and perhaps another to save on postage.

Hey guys, this is Casey from SUP Gladiator. First off, thanks for all of the kind words about our fins. This community has been very supportive. I have also noticed I have sold more fins in Australia over the last 2 weeks, than in the U.S. I am guessing some of that is due to you folks, so thank you.

As for the fins, here is how we position the Gladiator line up, along with a little history behind it.

Elite - Our first fin. This was our go to for all conditions when we first started. Now with the smaller fins in the line up, we are using this fin primarily as a rough water fin, or a fin for boards with a lot of rocker. It is also a good choice for boards that tend to be tippy. It is by many accounts the best tracking fin you can buy for a SUP, but in some cases it can be too much fin. When we first developed this fin 2-3 years ago, boards didn't track as good as they do now. Add to that, people's stroke technique has improved, to where they don't need quite as much help from the fin. That is what lead us to develop the Hybrid.

Hybrid - This was our second fin in the lineup, and I think of it as the Elite 2.0. It retains most of the tracking of the Elite, but is a little smaller. This results in less drag, and a little better maneuverability. For most people, this is the ideal fin to get. It is a perfect all around fin that really does perform well in all situations I have tried it in. I used this fin exclusively on my Bark Dominator, and it was money. This is generally our best seller, because of its versatility and user-friendly nature. The other thing many racers like about it is the versatility of this fin in races where the conditions change. In the Carolina Cup for instance, half of the race is in flat water and half in really rough ocean conditions. Unlike most other fins, this fin does really well in both extremes. Truth be told, most of the people buying Elites, should be buying this fin, but the Elite name probably causes a lot of folks to choose it instead.

Pro Model - This is our newest fin. It is really a result of my personal experience, plus our team riders begging for a smaller fin with less drag. If you are an expert level paddler and don't paddle in super rough conditions, get this fin. You will love it. If you are a moderate to advanced paddler in Flat Water conditions, this would be an excellent choice. I moved to this fin on my 14' MHL and its perfect. I can still get 9-10 strokes per side, but my GPS shows a small improvement in MPH. I don't want to quote anything firm, because different boards, conditions, and riders, will make that number vary. That said, this fin is 7.25" in depth (as opposed to 9" on the Elite and 8.5" on the Hybrid) and much smaller overall, so you can see why I say it is "Faster." Part of how we got to this fin was based on some personal experience I was having. When I sold my Bark and got the new MHL, it was supposed to be a faster board for many reasons, but it wasn't....at first. It didn't seem to be quite as fast on the flatwater lakes where we race here and it didn't hold glide as well either. I tried the Ventral Gladiator (which is the back fin in a two fin solution and only 6.75" tall), and it really helped on the glide and top end, but the tracking wasn't good enough. I worked with Larry to create this smaller fin that would fit the bill for me, without giving up too much in the way of tracking. It worked perfectly. Our team riders have switched to it too, and Dave Boehne and Beau Whitehead are winning consistently with it. It is much better for buoy turn races and they like the lower drag factor for more top end speed.

Here is a very short summary of the position:

Elite - Rough Water Fin. Excellent tracking and stability is nasty conditions.

Pro Model - Flat Water Fin, also ideal for buoy turn races, and downwinders.

Hybrid - This is the perfect all purpose fin. Works pretty well in all conditions. This is the best choice for most paddlers.

Hope this helps!

Casey
www.supgladiator.com

Did you get a Gladiator? I'd be interested if you'd tried the Hybrid vs. Pro. I've got a pretty wide board. The pro might be sufficient.

Steve, how are the fins working out for you? Any favorite yet?

That would be great DJ. Thursday looks like a chance!